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\"RFK\", \"Robert Kennedy\", and \"Bobby Kennedy\" redirect here. For other uses, see RFK (disambiguation) and Robert Kennedy (disambiguation).

Robert F. Kennedy
Kennedy in 1965

United States Senator from New York
In office January 3, 1965 \u2013 June 6, 1968
Preceded by	Kenneth Keating
Succeeded by	Charles Goodell
64th United States Attorney General
In office January 21, 1961 \u2013 September 3, 1964
President	\n John F. Kennedy \n Lyndon B. Johnson \n
Deputy	\n Byron White \n Nicholas Katzenbach \n
Preceded by	William P. Rogers
Succeeded by	Nicholas Katzenbach
\n
Personal details
Born	Robert Francis Kennedy (1925-11-20)November 20, 1925 Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	June 6, 1968(1968-06-06) (aged 42) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Manner of death	Assassination
Resting place	Arlington National Cemetery
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	\n Ethel Skakel (m. 1950)
Children	11, including Kathleen, Joseph II, Robert Jr., Michael, Kerry, Chris, Max, Douglas, and Rory
Parents	\n Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. \n Rose Fitzgerald \n
Relatives	Kennedy family
Education	\n Harvard University (AB) \n University of Virginia (LLB) \n
Signature	$\"\"$
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Naval Reserve
Years of service	1944\u20131946
Rank	Seaman apprentice
Unit	USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.
Battles/wars	World War II
\n \n \n Robert F. Kennedy's voice \n \n Kennedy on the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Recorded April 4, 1968 \n

Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925 \u2013 June 6, 1968), also known as RFK, was an American politician and lawyer. He served as the 64th United States attorney general from January 1961 to September 1964, and as a U.S. senator from New York from January 1965 until his assassination in June 1968, when he was running for the Democratic presidential nomination. Like his brothers John F. Kennedy and Ted Kennedy, he was a prominent member of the Democratic Party and is considered an icon of modern American liberalism.^[1]\n

Born into the prominent Kennedy family in Brookline, Massachusetts, Kennedy attended Harvard University, and later received his law degree from the University of Virginia. He began his career as a correspondent for The Boston Post and as a lawyer at the Justice Department, but later resigned to manage his brother John's successful campaign for the U.S. Senate in 1952. The following year, Kennedy worked as an assistant counsel to the Senate committee chaired by Senator Joseph McCarthy. He gained national attention as the chief counsel of the Senate Labor Rackets Committee from 1957 to 1959, where he publicly challenged Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa over the union's corrupt practices. Kennedy resigned from the committee to conduct his brother's successful campaign in the 1960 presidential election. He was appointed United States attorney general at the age of 35, one of the youngest cabinet members in American history.^[2] Kennedy served as John's closest advisor until the latter's assassination in 1963.^[3]\n

Kennedy's tenure is known for advocating for the civil rights movement, the fight against organized crime, and involvement in U.S. foreign policy related to Cuba.^[4] He authored his account of the Cuban Missile Crisis in a book titled Thirteen Days. As attorney general, Kennedy authorized the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to wiretap Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference on a limited basis.^[5] After his brother's assassination, he remained in office during the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson for several months. He left to run for the U.S. Senate from New York in 1964 and defeated Republican incumbent Kenneth Keating, overcoming criticism that he was a \"carpetbagger\" from Massachusetts.^[6]^[7] In office, Kennedy opposed U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War and raised awareness of poverty by sponsoring legislation designed to lure private business to blighted communities (i.e., Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration project). He was an advocate for issues related to human rights and social justice by traveling abroad to eastern Europe, Latin America, and South Africa, and formed working relationships with Martin Luther King Jr., Cesar Chavez, and Walter Reuther.\n

In 1968, Kennedy became a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination for the presidency by appealing to poor, African American, Hispanic, Catholic, and young voters.^[8] His main challenger in the race was Senator Eugene McCarthy. Shortly after winning the California primary around midnight on June 5, 1968, Kennedy was shot by Sirhan Sirhan, a 24-year-old Palestinian, in retaliation for his support of Israel following the 1967 Six-Day War. Kennedy died 25 hours later. Sirhan was arrested, tried, and convicted, though Kennedy's assassination, like his brother's, continues to be the subject of widespread analysis and numerous conspiracy theories.^[9]\n

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v t e Robert F. Kennedy
November 20, 1925 \u2013 June 6, 1968\n \n 64th United States Attorney General, 1961\u20131964 \n United States senator from New York, 1965\u20131968 \n
Life	\n 1948 Palestine visit \n Senate Committee investigation of Labor and Management \n Cuban Missile Crisis\n ExComm \n Civil rights\n Freedom Riders \n Voter Education Project \n Baldwin\u2013Kennedy meeting \n 1964 Democratic National Convention \n Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation \n Mississippi Delta tour \n Kennedy Compound \n Hickory Hill home \n	$\"\"$
Electoral	\n 1964 U.S. Senate election \n 1968 presidential campaign\n primaries \n Boiler Room Girls \n
Speeches	\n Law Day Address (1961) \n Day of Affirmation Address (1966) \n Conflict in Vietnam and at Home (1968) \n University of Kansas (1968) \n Ball State (1968) \n On the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (1968) \n \"On the Mindless Menace of Violence\" (1968) \n
Books	\n The Enemy Within (1960) \n The Pursuit of Justice (1964) \n To Seek a Newer World (1967) \n Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis (1969) \n
Assassination	\n Sirhan Sirhan \n Ambassador Hotel \n Conspiracy theories \n Gravesite \n
Legacy and memorials	\n Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building \n Robert F. Kennedy silver dollar \n Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights\n Human Rights Award \n Journalism Award \n Book Award \n Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium \n Brooklyn Memorial \n Landmark for Peace Memorial \n Arch of Dignity, Equality, and Justice \n Kennedy\u2013King College \n Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools \n Robert F. Kennedy Bridge \n
Popular culture	\n Robert F. Kennedy in media \n Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment (1963 documentary) \n Robert Kennedy Remembered (1968 documentary) \n \"Abraham, Martin and John\" (1968 song) \n The Missiles of October (1974 docudrama) \n Kennedy (1983 miniseries) \n Blood Feud (1983 film) \n Prince Jack (1985 film) \n Robert Kennedy and His Times (1985 miniseries) \n Hoover vs. The Kennedys (1987 miniseries) \n Thirteen Days (2000 film) \n RFK (2002 film) \n Bobby (2006 film) \n RFK Must Die (2007 documentary) \n The Kennedys (2011 miniseries) \n Ethel (2012 documentary) \n Killing Kennedy (2013 film) \n Jackie (2016 film) \n Bobby Kennedy for President (2018 miniseries) \n
Family, family tree	\n Ethel Skakel (wife) \n Kathleen Kennedy (daughter) \n Joseph Patrick Kennedy (son) \n Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (son) \n Michael LeMoyne Kennedy (son) \n Kerry Kennedy (daughter) \n Christopher G. Kennedy (son) \n Max Kennedy (son) \n Douglas Harriman Kennedy (son) \n Rory Kennedy (daughter) \n Maeve Kennedy McKean (granddaughter) \n Joseph P. Kennedy III (grandson) \n Max Kennedy Jr. (grandson) \n Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. (father) \n Rose Kennedy (mother) \n Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. (brother) \n John F. Kennedy (brother \n presidency) \n Rosemary Kennedy (sister) \n Kathleen Kennedy Cavendish (sister) \n Eunice Kennedy Shriver (sister) \n Patricia Kennedy Lawford (sister) \n Jean Kennedy Smith (sister) \n Ted Kennedy (brother) \n Patrick J. Kennedy (grandfather) \n Mary Augusta Kennedy (grandmother) \n John F. Fitzgerald (grandfather) \n
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Early life

Naval service (1944\u20131946)

Further study and journalism (1946\u20131951)

College and law school

The Boston Post

Senate committee counsel and political campaigns (1951\u20131960)

JFK Senate campaign and Joseph McCarthy (1952\u20131955)

Stevenson aide and focus on organized labor (1956\u20131960)

Senate Rackets Committee

JFK presidential campaign (1960)

Attorney General of the United States (1961\u20131964)

Nomination and confirmation

Organized crime and the Teamsters

Juvenile delinquency

Civil rights

U.S. Steel

Berlin

Cuba

Japan

Assassination of John F. Kennedy

1964 vice presidential candidate

The \"Bobby problem\"

Democratic National Convention

Kennedy's political future

U.S. Senate (1965\u20131968)

1964 election

Tenure

Vietnam

1968 presidential campaign

Assassination

Funeral

Burial

Personal life

Wife and children

Attitudes and approach

Relationship with family members

Religious faith and Greek philosophy

Legacy

Honors

Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.

Publications

Depictions in media

See also

References

Notes

Works cited

Further reading

External links

Robert F. Kennedy

Talks

General Forum