Kennon Rothchild

Mahtomedi - Kennon Valentine Rothchild, a business leader and philanthropist who advocated tirelessly for equal housing rights in Minnesota, died Sunday, August 17, 2025 at his home in Mahtomedi. He was 97. Known as "Nonno Ken" to family and "Mr. Rothchild" to his employees, Ken emerged from a childhood marked by Depression-era scarcity to become a fixture of St. Paul's business community, for more than seven decades, as the owner of H. & Val J. Rothschild, Inc., his family's mortgage banking and residential real estate firm. He served as president of the Mortgage Bankers Association and was nominated by President Jimmy Carter to serve as member of the National Corporation for Housing Partnerships. He sat on the boards of the Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul Urban League, Wilder Foundation, Bush Foundation and Minnesota State University Board.

Born in 1928 in Lake Forest, Illinois, the third of four children, Ken grew up in a home of modest means. He idolized his older siblings, June and Tom. Despite his own self-confessed mediocrity in the classroom, he earned a place in the class of 1950 at Dartmouth College, where he managed and refereed intramural sports to sustain himself financially. In 1951, Ken married Cornelia "Nina" Howard Peek, a graduate of nearby Smith College. During the Korean War, Ken completed a two-year counter-intelligence tour with the U.S. Army. He then took advantage of the G.I. Bill to enroll in an American History graduate program at Columbia University under the tutelage of Richard Hofstadter, the professor and public intellectual. Ken later observed that he found academia far more ruthless and cut-throat than the business world...and without the compensation. So he, Nina and their newborn traveled from New York to St. Paul, where he would purchase the family business - founded by his great uncle and grandfather, Henry and Val J - from his uncle Ryland "Rynie" Rothschild. In Mahtomedi, the family settled into an idyllic mid-century suburban lifestyle. In the 1960s, as his family and business grew, Ken became a powerful voice for equal housing, testifying before Congress in August 1967 that the real estate industry had "benefitted from rapidly improving housing and housing conditions and from reduced racial tensions" - an assertion that set him apart from many white business owners at the time. Ken and Nina became passionate advocates for a more just and equitable world, becoming active in local politics with the DFL - as Ken pursued civil rights, Nina poured herself into women's issues. Ken forever supported Nina in her ferocious advocacy for women and feminism.

During the latter part of their 70-year marriage and following their unexpected & "retirements"; in 1989, the two explored all seven continents. After her passing, in 2021, he told family he never expected to be happy again. He worshipped Nina and his love and devotion to her knew no depth. In his later years, Ken devoted himself to philanthropy, sharing his prosperity in support of the arts and several Twin Cities-area charitable organizations, including Walker West Music Academy, Minnesota Museum of American Art, Minnesota Opera, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, The Minnesota Historical Society and many more. The Minnesota History Center's nationally renowned building is due to his tireless work raising the funds and guiding the building's construction during his 6-year tenure as President of the Board of Directors. His generosity seemed endless, and he always allowed his actions to speak louder than words.

Ken's disciplined business acumen drove him to the pinnacle of his industry. In addition to serving as President of the Mortgage Bankers of America (the only Democrat to do so, he often joked), he was elected to the Minnesota Real Estate Hall of Fame in 2019. But the Depression- era frugality that shaped him never receded. He shunned conspicuous consumption, instead choosing to indulge in small delights. He considered berry pie an integral part of any balanced breakfast and mixed cocktails - Side Cars and Milk Punch - with generational talent. He binged balance sheets and Oreo cookies (stale or otherwise). He was a passionate and life-long student of history who astounded grandchildren with his ability to name each president of the United States in chronological order. And he felt as strongly about the virtues of compound interest as he did the afternoon nap. He was a generous provider whose only expectation was a "thank you" card. He spoke softly but wielded immense sway. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

Nonno Ken is survived by his three children, Ken and Hilarie (Blumenthal), Mary and Dan (Bruggeman), Sally and John (Sorich), grandchildren - Emma (Moraya), Lucien (Lucy), August (Hanna), Laila (Marc), Kaya (Calum), Elias (Lee), and Murphy (Lilli) and four great-grandchildren, Luna, Bianca, Rio and Bonnie. A celebration in his honor, along with pie, poetry and song, will be held in the fall. Details forthcoming. Memorials preferred to Minnesota Historical Society.