Edward M. Kennedy letter and Kennedy family photograph

Edward M. Kennedy (February 22, 1932 – August 25, 2009) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States senator from Massachusetts for almost 47 years, from 1962 until his death in 2009. A member of the Democratic Party and the prominent political Kennedy family, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died. He is ranked fifth in United States history for length of continuous service as a senator. Kennedy was the younger brother of President John F. Kennedy and U.S. attorney general and U.S. senator Robert F. Kennedy.

The Kennedy family is an American family prominent in politics, public service and business, particularly during the 20th Century. Joseph P. Kennedy, industrialist and politician, and his wife Rose, daughter of former Boston Mayor John F. “Honeyfitz” Fitzgerald, purchased a large home on the water in Hyannis Port in the 1920’s. That home was the base for their nine children, Joseph Jr. John F. “Jack,” Rosemary, Kathleen, Eunice, Patricia, Robert F. “Bobby,” Jean and Edward M. “Ted“” during their lives in the U.S. Embassy in London, World War II, the U.S. Senate, presidential campaigns and the White House.

Sources: "Edward M. Kennedy" Wikipedia. Accessed 7 August 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Kennedy

John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum website. Accessed 7 August 2023. https://jfkhyannismuseum.org/kennedys-american-family/