Remembering Bobby Kennedy

Robert F. Kennedy (1925-1968)

We remember this week the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. Bobby Kennedy (November 20, 1925 – June 6, 1968) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 64th U.S. Attorney General and as US Senator for New York until his assassination in June 1968. Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, the seventh child of Joseph and Rose Kennedy. After serving in the US Naval Reserves as a seaman apprentice from 1944 to 1946, Kennedy returned to Harvard University and graduated in 1948. He received his law degree from the University of Virginia and was admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1951. He was the US Attorney General between January 20, 1961 and September 3, 1964. He became the US Senator for New York from January 3, 1965 – June 6, 1968. In 1968, Kennedy was a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination for the presidency; he appealed especially to poor, African American, Hispanic, Catholic and young voters. He had defeated Senator Eugene McCarthy in the California and South Dakota presidential primaries. Shortly after midnight on June 5, 1968, Kennedy was mortally wounded by Shirhan Shirhan, a 24-year-old Palestinian, because he had advocated American support for Israel following the 1967 Six-Day War.

Bobby and Ethel with 10 of their children

Bobby was married to Ethel and they had 11 children, with his wife being pregnant with their 11 th child when he was killed. Kennedy's Catholicism was central to his politics and personal attitude to life and its purpose; he inherited his faith from his family. He was more religious than his brothers and approached his duties with a Catholic worldview. Throughout his life, he made reference to his faith, how it informed every area of his life, and how it gave him the strength to re-enter politics following his older brother's assassination.