WASHINGTON DC – It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Frank Kittredge, the former President of the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC). Frank passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 10, 2024, at 92 years old.
NFTC President Jake Colvin observed that “Frank Kittredge was a larger-than-life champion of global trade who helped transform the Council into a visible and impactful advocate for thoughtful policymaking in Washington, DC.”
Bill Reinsch, who succeeded Frank as NFTC President in 2001, added that “he steered the NFTC through some difficult times with a steady hand and a keen perception about what was important to our members.”
Frank served as the President of the NFTC for 12 distinguished years, from 1989 until 2001. During that time, he oversaw the creation of NFTC’s USA*Engage coalition, which emphasized the importance of economic and diplomatic engagement in countries of concern and served as a key member of the State Department’s Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy.
One of the NFTC’s most significant achievements during his presidency was the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case, Crosby v. National Foreign Trade Council. In 2000, the Court unanimously ruled that Massachusetts’ law banning its agencies from procuring goods or services from companies doing business with Burma was invalid under the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution.
Frank retired from the NFTC in 2001 and settled in Easton, Maryland. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Dorothy Joan Gray Kittredge, and his three children, Frank D. Kittredge, Jr. and his wife Cynthia Briggs Kittredge of Austin, Texas; John B. Kittredge and his wife Donna Jeanne Kittredge of Windsor, Massachusetts, and Laura Kittredge Parker and her husband Tim Parker of Eagle-Vail, Colorado.
A memorial service in honor of his life will be held on Saturday, February 17, 2024 at Christ Church Episcopal, at 111 S. Harrison St, Easton, MD 21601. For more details about his life and a memorial service in his honor, see Frank Kittredge’s Obituary in The Berkshire Eagle.
In lieu of flowers, the Kittredge family requests that donations be made to a charity of your choice in Frank’s memory.
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About the NFTC
The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) is the premier business association advancing trade and tax policies that support access to the global marketplace. Founded in 1914, NFTC promotes an open, rules-based global economy on behalf of a diverse membership of U.S.-based businesses.
