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Robert F. Kennedy Miscellaneous Information

Abortion:  Never took an absolute position on abortion. Although his Catholic background probably predisposed him to oppose abortion, his Senatorial letters to constituents show him to have been aware of the enormous complexities of the issue, to the extent that he did not wish to take a hasty and simplistic stand.

Africa: Began tour of Africa (South Africa included) on 6/1/66

Attorney General, 1/20/1961-8/25/1964. Resigned to run for the U.S. Senate from New York.

Birth date: 11/20/25 in Brookline, MA

Boston Post Articles: Covered Arab-Israeli war (June) and Berlin airlift for the Boston Post in 1948, Japanese Peace Treaty Conference in 1951

Campaigns of John F. Kennedy:
Managed three East Cambridge wards during JFK's 1st Congressional campaign, 1946.
Left Justice Department to manage JFK's Senate campaign.
Managed JFK's attempt to be nominated as vice-president during the 1956 Democratic convention in Chicago.

Capital Punishment:  In letters to constituents throughout 1968 he expressed his strong willingness to support a bill then under consideration for the abolition of the death penalty. He declared this willingness in letters written shortly before his death.

Clinton remarks re Robert F. Kennedy, 6/6/93

Communion, First:  St. Joseph's Church, Bronxville, NY, 4/30/33.

Death:  After victory statement and shortly after midnight 6/5/68 was shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Died 1:44 am, Pacific Time on 6/6/68 at Good Samaritan Hospital in L.A. Body was flown back to NY for requiem high mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral then by train to Washington for burial at Arlington National Cemetery 6/8/68. President Johnson declared 6/9/68 a national day of mourning.

Debate with Ronald Reagan 5/15/67

Education, Early: Attended a large number of schools (at least 12 by his own estimate) due to family movement. Schools included St. Paul's, Portsmouth Priory. Graduated from Milton Academy in 1942 after spending 1 year there.

Eyes: blue

Favorite Recipe: Chocolate roll

Funeral Details

"Gross National Product" Speech:   University of Kansas, 3/18/68

Grave Description

Harvard: Graduated with a B.A. in 1948

Height: 5'10"

Honors: Chosen as one of the ten outstanding young men of 1954 by U.S. Chamber of Commerce 1/8/1955

Internal Security Division: Briefly served as attorney with the Division, then the Criminal Division of the United States Justice Department, 1951-1952

Latin America: Embarked on a three week tour of Latin American (Peru, Chile, Argentina, Brazil) on 11/10/65

Law School: Attended University of Virginia Law School 1948-1951. Graduated 56th in a class of 125. Admitted to the Massachusetts Bar.

Mount Kennedy:  With a three-man team, Robert F. Kennedy reached the summit of the 13,000 foot (up to that point, the highest unclimbed peak in North America) Canadian mountain near the US border on 3/24/65. It was named after President John F. Kennedy on 1/4/1965.

Music played at funeral of:  Adagietto movement from Mahler's Fifth Symphony--New York Philharmonic; "Battle Hymn of the Republic"--Andy Williams; Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah--choir; "Navy Hymn," Excerpt from Verdi's Requiem, Cesar Franck "Panis Angelicus"--Richard Tucker; "In Paradisum"--chorus from Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart. A Gregorian chant was heard during the mass proper, but in English not Latin. Thus the congregation sang "Holy, Holy, Holy" and "Lamb of God" (New York Times, 9 June 1968, by Donald Henahan, p. 53)

Navy Years (10/5/43-5/30/46): Joined Naval Reserve as Apprentice Seaman. Assigned as Seaman 2nd Class to the destroyer Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Spent war years patrolling for submarines in the Caribbean.

imagePrayer card, National day of Mourning (6/9/68)

Presidential Campaign: Announced candidacy for President 3/16/68 in Caucus room , Old Senate Office Building

Primaries, 1968:

     Robert F. Kennedy did not enter NH on 3/12
     Was a write-in in Wisconsin on 4/2 and came in a distant third
     Was a write-in in Pennsylvania on 4/23 and came in a distant second
     Was a write-in in Massachusetts on 4/30 and came in second
     Entered D.C. on 5/7 and won with 62.5%
     Entered Indiana on 5/7 and won with 42.3%
     No one but Stephen Young on ballot in OH on 5/7
     Entered Nebraska on 5/4 and won with 51.7%
     West Virginia on 5/14 only had unpledged delegates at large
     Entered Oregon on 5/28 and lost to McCarthy 44 to 38%
     Entered California on 6/4 and won over McCarthy 46.3 to 41.8%
     Was a write-in in New Jersey on 6/4 and came in second to McCarthy 36.2 to 31.3%
     Entered South Dakota on 6/4 and won over Johnson and McCarthy
     Was not on ballot for 6/11 Illinois primary, although his brother Edward was write-in

Quotations

Senate Campaign: Elected U.S. Senator from NY with vote of 3,823,749 over Kenneth Keating's 3,104,056 on 11/3/1964

Senate Select Committee on Improper Activities: Chief Counsel to Committee in the Labor or Management Field (aka Rackets Committee), 1957. Resigned from committee in 1960 to manage JFK's presidential campaign.

Senate Permanent Subcommittee:  Assistant Counsel on Investigations chaired by Senator Joseph McCarthy, 1953. Resigned July 31, 1953 to work the next eight months as counsel to the Hoover Commission on government reorganization. Rejoined Subcommittee as Minority Counsel in 1954 and later became Majority Chief Counsel under John McClellan.

Social Security Number: 026-24-0879

Speeches

Vietnam: Called for halt of U. S. Bombing in Vietnam on 3/2/67

Wedding: Married Ethel Skakel (b. 4/11/28) at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Greenwich, CT. John F. Kennedy was best man.

Weight: 155 pounds in 1946

 
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Kennedy, Robert F., 1925-1968,Miscellaneous information regarding Robert F. Kennedy's life and career.,