Biography kennedy ted

He was elected to the Senate when he was 30, and continued to work in Congress throughout his life. Though marked by scandal, Kennedy was viewed as an icon of political progressivism and liberal thought by the time of his death, on August 25, The youngest of nine children, Ted grew up in a privileged, Irish Catholic family steeped in tradition.

His father, millionaire businessman Joseph P. Kennedyheld many important posts in and out of government. As a result, the family moved frequently to accommodate Joesph's various posts. The children also changed schools often; by the age of 11, young Ted had already transferred schools 10 times. Despite his busy job, Joseph was careful to put his family first, always writing letters and sending telegrams when he was away, and welcoming any interruptions to his work that had to do with matters involving his children.

Ted's mother, Rose, was the member of the family who enforced a high level of academic performance in her children. Both parents, however, discouraged idleness and emphasized the importance of healthy competition and success. Dinner was often the staging ground for various quizzes on politics, history, and literature. Discussion and debate were highly encouraged.

This taught Ted at an early age to immerse himself in his education and worldly pursuits. But Ted preferred sports to academics and lagged behind his brothers and sisters in school performance, so he learned other ways to hog the spotlight.

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He quickly became the family jester and an extrovert, always cracking jokes, planning family outings, and charming strangers with his friendly nature. As the baby he also developed a close emotional bond with both his parents. Their soft spot for their youngest child also took the pressure off of him to perform as rigorously as his elder siblings.

This sense of lowered expectations would later haunt Kennedy as he tried to make his way into the professional world. Tragedy would also mar Ted Kennedy's early life. Inhis father secretly had his older, developmentally delayed sister Rosemary lobotomized. The operation failed, and the family had her permanently institutionalized. Several years later, inbrother Joe Jr.

Inhis sister, Kathleen, died in a private plane crash over the French Alps. These incidents, and the others to soon follow, would become part of what was later referred to as "The Kennedy Curse. InTed entered Milton Academy, an exclusive college prep boarding school eight miles south of Boston. At Milton, Ted immersed himself in athletics, drama, debate, and the glee club.

While he performed well, he failed to be a standout student when compared to his over-achieving brothers. His father rode him relentlessly about his grades as well as his weight, and encouraged his son to push himself harder. Ted graduated inand followed his brothers to Harvard University. The youngest Kennedy immediately immersed himself in Harvard's football team, but that Spring, he discovered that he was failing his Spanish class.

In order to stay on the team, he would have to pass his final Spanish exam. Ted was expelled when, in desperation, he had another student take a Spanish exam in his place.

Biography kennedy ted: Ted Kennedy was a

The school would allow the boys to return in two years if they demonstrated good biography kennedy ted. Kennedy's slogan was: "I can do more for Massachusetts. He won despite or perhaps partially because of suffering a critical back injury in a plane crash in June which incapacitated him throughout the campaign. Though he was Robert's senior in the Senate, Edward remained— partially by choice—in the former's shadow during the mids.

But in he scored his first major legislative victory, leading the fight for passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which ended the national origins quota system. Kennedy began to speak out against the Vietnam War byfocusing mainly on the need for draft reform and the U. After visiting South Vietnam in early he became more critical, yet managed to stay on good terms with the administration of President Lyndon Johnson.

Kennedy's life was strongly affected by his brother Robert's assassination in June After a period of withdrawal, he became more strident in denouncing the Vietnam War and in pressing for selected social reforms. Though he resisted efforts to draft him for the Democratic nomination which went to Hubert Humphreyhis actions clearly established him as heir to the "Kennedy legacy.

The year began well for Kennedy, with his election as Senate majority whip in January. Six months later, however, his career suffered a devastating—some thought fatal—blow when, following a party he drove his car off a narrow bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, resulting in the drowning of his companion, Mary Jo Kopechne. Kennedy's failure to report the accident for nearly nine hours was harshly condemned by press and public alike.

In a televised speech a week later he asked the voters to advise him as to whether he should remain in office. The response was positive, as was the local court's verdict: Kennedy's sentence— for leaving the scene of an accident—was suspended. Chappaquiddick provided grist for several pot-boiling books and posed a lasting threat to Kennedy's presidential hopes, but it did not hamper him in the Senate.

He energetically opposed Nixon's ABM anti-ballistic missile deployment proposal, backed various measures to end the Vietnam War, and led the fight for the year-old vote. After winning easy re-election inhowever, Kennedy lost his majority whip post to Senator Robert Byrd by a close vote in Freed from the constraints of his formal leadership post, he resumed more energetically than ever his outspoken opposition to the Nixon administration.

Suspected of harboring hopes for the Democratic presidential nomination, he again renounced any such ambitions. He did not attend the convention and refused nominee George McGovern's offer of the vice-presidential nomination. In the s Kennedy became closely identified with the issues of handgun control and compulsory national health insurance his book, In Critical Condition, was a sweeping indictment of the U.

He also took strong positions favoring bussing for racial balance, amnesty for Vietnam-era draft evaders, and the right of women to receive federal assistance for abortions.

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He was well aware that his views were controversial, once remarking that he would "love to campaign against" his record. Kennedy dispelled the inevitable rumors of his availability for the presidency inannouncing in late that he would not run—despite his commanding position in the early polls. Running instead for re-election to the Senate inhe won with an impressive 70 percent of the vote.

On June 5,tragedy struck again when year-old Senator Robert Kennedy, who had just won the Democratic presidential primary in Californiawas assassinated in Los Angeles. On July 18,Ted Kennedy was involved in a controversial event that would mar the rest of his career. Kennedy did not report the incident to the authorities for nearly 10 hours, claiming the delay was due to the fact that he had suffered a concussion and was exhausted from attempting to rescue Kopechne.

The year-old senator pled guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and received a two-month suspended sentence. However, Kennedy was plagued by questions about his behavior. In NovemberTed Kennedy announced he would run against President Jimmy Carter for the Democratic presidential nomination. Kennedy won primaries in New York, California and eight other states, but his campaign was disorganized and hurt by lingering questions about Chappaquiddick.

For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die. Some historians have called Ted Kennedy one of the most effective legislators in the history of the U. During nearly 47 years on Capitol Hill, his office wrote some 2, bills, over of which became law.

Additionally, more than bills that he co-sponsored became law. A skilled orator and gifted storyteller, Kennedy was known for his ability to collaborate with Democrats and Republicans alike. He successfully fought for legislation concerning education, immigration reform, increases to the federal minimum wage, voting rights, AIDS care, various consumer protections and equal rights for minorities, the disabled, women and gay Americans.

Inhe found out he had glioblastomaa rare form of brain cancer. Despite the cancer, he campaigned for Barack Obama and sometimes appeared in the Senate. He died from the biography kennedy ted at his home in Hyannis PortMassachusetts just before midnight on August 25, Contents move to sidebar hide. Page Talk. Read Change Change source View history.

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