 He received his master's degree from Oberlin College and his doctorate from the University of Illinois.Jennings was appointed to the faculty of St. Olaf College in 1953, and became the third director of the internationally renowned St. Olaf Choir in 1968, succeeding founder F. Melius Christiansen and his son-successor, Olaf Christiansen.He retired from St. Olaf College in 1990, turning over the podium to his former student, Anton Armstrong.