Kennedy, Edward Moore (1932-2009), a Democrat from Massachusetts, was a member of the United States Senate from 1962 until his death. Kennedy was the Democratic whip (assistant leader) of the Senate from 1969 to 1971. From 1979 to 1981, he served as chairman of the Senate’s Judiciary Committee. He was chairman of the Labor and Human Resources Committee from 1987 to 1995 and from 2001 to 2003. In 2007, he became chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Kennedy was known as a national spokesman and defender of liberal causes. He supported greater government spending on programs to help the poor, the working class, minorities, and disadvantaged groups. In the Senate, he supported arms control, stronger antitrust laws, and tax reform. He also called for a program of national health insurance.
Kennedy was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1980. He lost the nomination to President Jimmy Carter.
“Ted” Kennedy was the youngest child of Joseph P. and Rose Kennedy. His brothers President John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated.
Kennedy was born on Feb. 22, 1932, in Boston. He graduated from Harvard University in 1956 and from the University of Virginia Law School in 1959. He ran in 1962 for the Senate, surprising many people. He was only 30 years old, the minimum age for a senator, but he won easily.
In 1969, Kennedy’s automobile plunged from a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island in Massachusetts, and his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, drowned. Kennedy did not report the accident until hours afterward and was later found guilty of leaving the scene of an accident. The incident damaged Kennedy’s reputation and hampered his political career for years.
In May 2008, Kennedy was hospitalized after suffering a seizure. His doctors said it was caused by a cancerous brain tumor. In June, Kennedy underwent surgery to remove the tumor, and he also received further treatment for the cancer. Kennedy returned to the Senate in November. He died on Aug. 25, 2009. His memoir, True Compass, was published in September 2009, after his death.
See also Kirk, Paul Grattan, Jr.
