Kenneth Irvine Chenault was born in Mineola, New York his parents were Hortenius and Anne Chenault. Mr. Chenault was the second of four children. His parents were unimpressed by the quality of education afforded to African American students at Hempstead’s public schools. Mr. Chenault and his siblings attended Waldorf School of Garden City. He attended the school from kindergarten through twelfth grade and served as class president each of his last four years at the school. In his senior year, he also was captain of the school’s basketball, soccer, and track teams. He graduated from high Bowdoin College in Maine, with a bachelor’s degree in history. Three years later after graduating from Bowdoin, he continued his studies at Harvard University