Reginald Alexander Lenna 

Reginald Lenna was born in Jamestown New York on December 3, 1912 and passed at the age of 87 at the Chautauqua Institution in the former William Doud Packard home on February 6, 2000.  He was an American Army officer and businessman while CEO of Blackstone Corporation from 1951 to 1985. He was a graduate of Lehigh University. 

During his lifetime, Reginald made major philantropic contributions to Southern Chautauqua County which included The Reg Lenna Center for the Arts, the Elizaeth S. Lenna Hall located at the Chautauqua Institution.  This 8,000 square foot recital and rehearsal hall, dedicated in 1993, was the first major program facility to be built at the Institution in 65 years.  The hall serves as the rehearsal facility for the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra and as a recital hall for chamber music, voice and piano.  

In 1998, Lenna and his wife purchased and renovated the historic Packard Manor which is the largest private home on the grounds of the Institution.  The Reginald A. and Elizabeth S. Lenna Foundation founded by Lenna and his wife in 1986 is the conduit for charitable contributions from Lenna's estate, the bulk of which went to the foundation.  Grants are limited to service organizations in Southern Chautauqua County and exceed $2 million dollars, annually.

Lenna earned a commission in the United States Army while at Lehigh University.  In preparation for World War II, he was ordered to active duty.  He reported to the office of artillery of the Army Ordnance Department in Washington in early 1941.  Lenna was involved in planning for the Invasion of Normandy and procuring machine tools for the Manhattan Project.  He reached the rank of major and resigned from the Army in 1945 after World War II ended.

On April 27, 1976 during a visit to Jamestown, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden knighted Lenna and made him a First Class Commander of the Order of the Polar Star for services to Sweden. Lenna also received an honorary doctorate in 1981 from St. Bonaventure University.

Thank you, Reginald Lenna for your contributions and accomplishments during your lifetime.