Kennedy family

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The Irish Catholic political dynasty, John, Robert, and Edward Kennedy
The Irish Catholic political dynasty, John, Robert, and Edward Kennedy

The Kennedy family is a prominent Irish-American family in American politics and government descending from the marriage of Joseph P. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. The predominantly Democratic family is known for its US-style political liberalism. The best known Kennedy is the late President of the United States John F. Kennedy.

The Kennedys are often compared to the Adams, Bush, and Taft families as among the most influential American political families. The Kennedy, Bush, and Adams families all have strong roots in the New England region of the United States of America. The Kennedy Compound is located in Hyannis, Massachusetts.

Some commentators in the early 1960s made predictions that President John F. Kennedy would be first of a dynasty in the White House. But these predictions were not borne out, and the idea largely dropped off the public's radar after Senator Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1968 and Senator Edward Kennedy was involved in a drunk-driving incident (in which a passenger in his car was killed) in 1969. However, a number of Kennedy family members have held high office since then.

The Kennedy family has had a long history of tragic, untimely deaths. Most famously, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. Previously, his older brother Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. was killed (in a plane explosion) on a special mission toward occupied Europe in World War II. His brother, Robert F. Kennedy, was assassinated in 1968, while campaigning for the Democratic nomination for the presidency.

Prior to that, the late president's sister Kathleen was killed in a plane crash. Much later, in the 80s and 90s, 2 of Robert Kennedy's 11 children, Michael Kennedy and David Kennedy, as well as JFK's only surviving son, John F. Kennedy Jr., would each pass away at relatively young ages.

Contents

[edit] Family tree

[edit] First generation

The family patriarch was Patrick J. Kennedy (18581929) who married Mary Augusta Hickey. Patrick Kennedy was a politician involved in the local Democratic Party.

[edit] Second generation

In 1914, their son, Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. (18881969), married Rose Fitzgerald (18901995), the daughter of Boston Mayor John F. Fitzgerald. Joe Sr. served as United States Ambassador to the Court of St. James's (United Kingdom) in the years leading up to World War II.

[edit] Third generation

Together Rose and Joe Sr. had nine children:

[edit] Fourth generation

  1. Arabella Kennedy 1956 - stillborn
  2. Caroline Bouvier Kennedy (b. 1957) - a lawyer, the co-founder of the Profiles in Courage Award, the president of the Kennedy Library foundation, and the chairwoman of the American Ballet Theatre.
  3. John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Jr. (1960-1999) - a lawyer and publisher of George magazine, who was killed in a plane crash on July 16, 1999.
  4. Patrick Bouvier Kennedy (1963), who was born prematurely and died from infant respiratory distress syndrome two days after his birth
  1. Robert Sargent Shriver III (b.1954) - an attorney and President of RSS Inc., a Beverly Hills music, film and philanthrophic company. Currently, he is also a Santa Monica city councilman.
  2. Maria Owings Shriver (b.1955) - Former TV newsanchor and current First Lady of California and wife of Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
  3. Timothy Perry Shriver- (b.1959) chairman of Special Olympics
  4. Mark Kennedy Shriver (b.1964) - a delegate in the Maryland state legislature for two consecutive terms.
  5. Anthony Paul Kennedy Shriver (b.1965) activist for mental retardation. Founded the "Best Buddies" movement in Miami where he currently lives.
  1. Christopher Kennedy Lawford - professional actor.
  2. Sydney Maleia Lawford
  3. Victoria Francis Lawford
  4. Robin Elizabeth Lawford
  1. Kathleen Hartington Kennedy Townsend - former lieutenant governor of Maryland, unsuccessful candidate for Maryland governor in 2002.
  2. Joseph Patrick Kennedy II - former U.S. representative from Massachusetts.
  3. Robert Francis Kennedy, Jr. - environmentalist and political commentator, attorney and law professor at Pace University School of Law. He is best known for his many successful litigations to prevent water pollution, primarily in the New York area.
  4. David Anthony Kennedy - died of a drug overdose in 1984
  5. Mary Courtney Kennedy
  6. Michael LeMoyne Kennedy - died in a skiing accident
  7. Mary Kerry Kennedy - ex-wife of Andrew Cuomo, who is the son of former New York Governor Mario Cuomo
  8. Christopher George Kennedy - president of Merchandise Mart commercial properties based in Chicago
  9. Matthew Maxwell Taylor Kennedy
  10. Douglas Harriman Kennedy
  11. Rory Elizabeth Katherine Kennedy
  1. Stephen Edward Smith, Jr.
  2. William Kennedy Smith - 1991 rape acquittal, physician, activist against land mines
  3. Amanda Mary Smith
  4. Kym Maria Smith
  1. Kara Anne Kennedy
  2. Edward Moore Kennedy, Jr.
  3. Patrick Joseph Kennedy - current U.S. Representative from Rhode Island

[edit] Family tree

 
 
 
 
James Kennedy
(c. 1770 - c. 1840)
 
Maria Kennedy
(c. 1775 - 1835)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Patrick Kennedy
(c. 1823 - 1858)
 
Bridget Murphy
1824 - 1888
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mary L Kennedy
(1851-1926)
 
Joanna L Kennedy
(1852-1926)
 
John Kennedy
(1854-1855)
 
Margaret M Kennedy
(1855-1929)
 
Patrick Joseph Kennedy
(1858 – 1929)
 
Mary Augusta Hickey
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.
(1888 – 1969)
 
Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy
(1890 – 1995)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Joseph Patrick Kennedy Jr.
(1915 – 1944)
 
John F. Kennedy
(1917 – 1963)
 
 
Rosemary Kennedy
(1918 – 2005)
 
Kathleen Cavendish, Marchioness of Hartington
(1920 - 1948)
 
 
Eunice Kennedy Shriver
(born 1921)
 
 
Patricia Kennedy Lawford
(1924 - 2006)
 
 
Robert F. Kennedy
(1925 – 1968)
 
 
Jean Kennedy Smith
(born 1928)
 
 
Ted Kennedy
(born 1932)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
(1929 - 1994)
 
 
 
 
 
 
William John Robert Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington
(1917 – 1944)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Joan Bennett Kennedy
(born 1936)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Arabella Kennedy
(1956 - 1956)
 
Caroline Kennedy
(born 1957)
 
John F. Kennedy, Jr.
(1960 – 1999)
 
Patrick Bouvier Kennedy
(1963 - 1963)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Kara Kennedy
(born 1960)
 
Edward Kennedy, Jr.
(born 1961)
 
Patrick J. Kennedy
(born 1967)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sargent Shriver
(born 1915)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stephen Edward Smith
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Robert Sargent Shriver III
(born 1954)
 
Maria Shriver
(born 1955)
 
Timothy Perry Shriver
(born 1959)
 
Mark Kennedy Shriver
(born 1964)
 
Anthony Paul Kennedy Shriver
(born 1965)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Peter Lawford
(1923 – 1984)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stephen Edward Smith, Jr.
 
William Kennedy Smith
(born 1960)
 
Amanda Mary Smith
 
Kym Maria Smith
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Christopher Lawford
(born 1955)
 
Sydney Maleia Lawford
 
Victoria Francis Lawford
 
Robin Elizabeth Lawford
 
 
 
 
 
Ethel Skakel Kennedy
(born 1928)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend
(born 1951)
 
Joseph Patrick Kennedy II
(born 1952)
 
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
(born 1954)
 
David Kennedy
(1955 – 1984)
 
Courtney Kennedy Hill
(born 1956)
 
Michael Kennedy
(1958 – 1997)
 
Kerry Kennedy
(born 1959)
 
Christopher George Kennedy
born 1963)
 
Matthew Maxwell Taylor Kennedy
(born 1965)
 
Douglas Harriman Kennedy
(born 1967)
 
Rory Kennedy
(born 1968)
John Francis Fitzgerald (1863-1950) Mary Josephine Hannon (1865-1964)

[edit] See also

[edit] External links