Douglas Francis Jenness wrote to Carleton in 1958 seeking admission because he wanted “to increase my understanding of the world and the people that live in it — For the sake of learning.”

He was accepted and then began the mysterious odyssey which brought him into the national leadership of the revisionist Socialist Workers Party.

His background was safe upper middle class: he lived in the affluent suburbia of St. Paul, and his father was the professor of biochemistry at the University of Minnesota.

At high school, he was president of the class church group, took part in the school choir, played in the dramatic society and belonged to the student council.

Inevitably, he was a dedicated Boy Scout. In his application form, Jenness was asked what “work experience” he had. He replied: “Boy Scout camp staff — nature counsellor 1958 and 1959 — 15 weeks.” You could not seriously regard this as part of the 
“turn to industry.”

Writing to the Carleton admissions committee, Jenness gave a wildly idyllic account of his early life which managed to fuse Disneyland with Shangri-La.

I can remember the first few years of my life only as a period of boyish happiness and joy, he wrote.

Nature was my love, and I studied it very much in books and in the field.

As I became older, I learned to swim and appreciate the lake near our house and even later I came to know the thrill of paddling a beat-up canoe around the lake.

My family traveled around the United States and Canada during summer time camping trips. From the Bay of Fundy to the Olympic Peninsula, I saw many of the wonders which this continent holds. I feel that these trips have given me a geographic sense of understanding which no book could give me.

I belonged to several community organizations, but the only one that left me with deep impressions was the Boy Scouts. As I rose from tenderfoot to Eagle Scout, I obtained a leadership experience which is priceless to me.

My scouting experience enabled me to receive a position as nature counselor at the St. Paul area's camp for the past two summers.

Since the seventh grade, I have been occupied primarily with the activities and studying involved with my high school. I have had two interesting diversions from this routine in the past two years.

The first was when my family temporarily lived near Philadelphia for four months during the first half of my junior year. I attended Abington Senior High School and this experience increased my perspective towards my own school and environment in Minnesota.

The second was my stay in Norway as an exchange student. I was suddenly plucked from my home in Minnesota and placed in a home in Norway. The next six months were used for learning the language, meeting new people, exchanging ideas and attending a Norwegian high school.

I still haven't comprehended all the benefits received from such an experience, but I do know that my perspectives and self-reliance have increased greatly.

I began to understand the culture of a European country and the educational principles employed to maintain this culture.”

The Norwegian adventure was sponsored by the American Field Service, a branch of the American Universities Field Service mentioned in an earlier article.

Jenness's social and political credentials must have been highly regarded since he was one of only 150 students across America who were selected for an overseas scholarship.

Letters of recommendation to the Carleton authorities spoke of his great promise. “Doug has an inquiring, questioning mind; independence in thought and judgement; perseverance; ambition and a wide background of travel and experience,” one said.

Another wrote: “Doug is intelligent. He is well motivated towards college.”

There was a reproving note in one comment: “As a younger boy he had fits of temper, but he has overcome this tendency,” while another said: 'Doug has worked on the local AFS committee. He has been in debate, choir, creative writing and world affairs. In none of these areas, however, would I classify him as a strong leader.”

His arrival at Carleton coincided with one of Dean Richard C. Gilman's experiments in “student participation.” Student parties were formed with candidates from the Action, Progressive and Reactionary Parties. Jenness was elected in 1961 and again the following year on the Action Party ticket.

He became a Carleton Student Association “senator” and joined the Cosmopolitan Club, which was formed in the 1920s 'to bring together Carleton students from many different portions of the globe to form a unique social organization which would be particularly enjoyable and beneficial to the members.”

His first sign of radical behavior came in 1961, when he joined the Student Peace Union, a Washington-based organization of pacifists. When a nationwide protest was organized in February 1962, Carleton became the venue for a vigil against Cold War politics and the nuclear arms race.

A leaflet put out by the SPU said: “We will make clear our rejection of the cold war policies of both power blocs by demonstrating before the Soviet Embassy as well as before the White House, and by confronting Soviet Embassy as well as State Department officials.”

On the eve of the vigil in Northfield, Jenness took an extraordinary step — he wrote privately to Dean Gilman letting him know what was happening and enclosing a leaflet.

It was all the more dubious since the activities of the SPU had nothing whatsoever to do with the reactionaries in charge of the college. By tipping off Gilman, Jenness also made certain that the college could send along its own spies to check over the potential 'troublemakers.'

Jenness’ tip-off letter reads:

Sat., February 17, a group of Carleton students are holding a peace vigil in Northfield in order to attract attention to the protest being held in Washington the same weekend by fellow students from Carleton and other colleges.

This demonstration is being organized by Carleton's chapter of the Student Peace Union. The activities in Northfield will involve passing out flyers explaining our position and the use of posters. These activities have been cleared with the Mayor and police of Northfield.

I have written this explanatory letter to you because I feel that students who hold off-campus protests have a responsibility to bring them to the attention of the administration. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Sincerely, Doug Jenness.

The incident is important because it throws glaring light on Jenness's law-abiding outlook and his sneak's methods.

He was perfect “leadership” material for the late Joseph Hansen of the revisionist Socialist Workers Party. It was Hansen who volunteered his services to the FBI in Mexico in September 1940, one month after Trotsky's assassination.

When the American Embassy policeman fixed for Hansen to meet the top FBI agent in New York, Hansen sent a “thank you” note which concluded, “Respectfully — Joseph Hansen.”