Frederick Gary Dutton was a lawyer and Democratic Party power broker who served as campaign manager and Chief of Staff for California GovernorPat Brown, Special Assistant to U.S. President John F. Kennedy, and went on to manage Robert F. Kennedy's campaign for the Presidency. Between 1960 and 1972 Dutton played a role in every Democrat's quest for the White House. Dutton entertained both politicians and journalists and could be considered as one of the country's original "spin doctors." He had a long career as a lobbyist for American oil companies and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, leading to him being referred to as both "Fred of Arabia" and "Dutton of Arabia."
Following his position as assistant counsel with Southern Counties Gas Co., from 1952 to 1956, Dutton became chief assistant attorney general of California, in 1957 and 1958. He was executive secretary to California Governor Pat Brown in 1959 and 1960. Governor Brown appointed Dutton to the Regents of the University of California in 1962, where he served until 1978. Dutton was the deputy national chairman of Citizens for Kennedy-Johnson in 1960. Following the election, he was brought into the White House as a Special Assistant to United States President John F. Kennedy in 1961, serving as secretary of the cabinet and special assistant for intergovernmental and interdepartmental relations. He was appointed Assistant Secretary of State for Congressional Relations, from 1961 to 1964. He was also a political adviser and campaign aide to Robert F. Kennedy. Dutton was asked to co-ordinate the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, and oversaw its Oral History Project. Dutton travelled with Kennedy during much of his 1968 presidential campaign from his 1968 presidential election. He was at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California when the Senator was shot at the kitchen hotel, and rode in the ambulance with him at Good Samaritan Hospital. Kennedy died the next day. In an interview after he became a lobbyist, he said "After Bobby was shot, the lights went out for me." Dutton was credited with originating the idea for Earth Day. His early memo was later acknowledged to be inspiration for Gaylord Nelson who would lead the effort to create Earth Day..
Legal and lobbying career
After the RFK assassination in 1968, Dutton returned to his private law practice in Washington, DC. Dutton was credited with helping his client Mobil Oil develop its "advertorial" marketing strategy. Dutton later married attorney Nancy Hogan Dutton and they had two children together. Together the Duttons formed the Dutton and Dutton law practice; this firm went on to be appointed chief U.S. attorney for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, earning Mr. Dutton the often quoted moniker "Dutton of Arabia". Dutton & Dutton continued work for Saudi Arabia following Fred's death. Frederick Dutton died on June 27, 2005, aged 82, of undisclosed causes.
