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Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925-March 7, 2008) was an American Politician who served as Vice President of the United States from 1973 until 1977. He was also a Senator from Massachusetts from 1965 until 1973 and again from 1983 until 2001.

Early Life

He was born on November 20, 1925 to Joseph Kennedy Sr. of the Massachusetts Kennedy Political Family, he was the third oldest son. He attended Harvard Law School from 1943 and passed the bar in 1945. He married Ethel Skakel in 1950 and had 8 children with her. In 1950 he ran for State Senator from Massachusetts with the massive Kennedy funds he won in a landslide. In 1956 when the Kennedys had a stranglehold of Massachusetts political life Robert ran for Mayor of Boston, he won in a landslide against George S. Lodge.


Mayor of Boston

Kennedy started a the “Build a Barrack” which started a Citywide job program which converted old military barracks shipped in from France and Italy and made them into low-income housing. During his re-election he made a big social step when he chose Royal L. Bollings as his Vice Mayor and the first African American Vice Mayor. In 1960 he was shot at when he was mistaken for his brother Joseph while he was running for President. This left him limping for the year. In 1964 his brother Jack was confirmed as attorney general in the Cabinet of George Smathers. So Robert was decides to be sworn in instead of him. Bollings was sworn in as Mayor of Boston.

Senator

After his swearing in Robert was very much in line with the democratic Government, even though Laborers held the Senate for the only time in history under Lyndon B. Johnson. On April 9th, 1966 he was offered to ride with his brother Jack and President Smathers during a visit to Dallas, he accepted and whilst driving past a grassy knoll President Smathers was shot through the heart which then went into Robert’s left shoulder. The President passed away and Robert lost most of his motor function in his left hand. He sponsored statewide implementation of his “Build a Barrack” program in 1967. He was also instrumental in the choosing of his brother-in-law Sargent Shriver for the Vice Presidency in 1968. In 1970 he was up for re-election against Conservative James F. Buckley and won in a landslide with 76% of the votes.

Vice President

In 1971 his brother-in-law Vice President Sargent Shriver announced his candidacy for President, as a Kennedy he was an establishment Democrat so he was easily nominated. Robert was nominated for Vice President to reach the younger and Liberal voters. They ran up against Republican Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan and Labor George McGovern and Mike Gravel. They won with 284 electoral votes and 42 million popular votes, the biggest issue of the campaign was that Shriver and Kennedy were family so nepotism was often used in campaign ads.

1976 Presidential Election

Return to the Senate

Retirement and Death


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