This Kennedy Brother Could Have Been President
Ted Kennedy was the youngest brother of the ill-fated JFK. With a winning personality and a Kennedy name, he could have followed his older brother straight to the White House. But a never-ending list of scandals derailed his presidential hopes—and sent someone to a watery grave.
1. He Was Born On Washington’s 200th Birthday
Edward “Ted” Moore Kennedy was the youngest of nine children born to Joseph Patrick Kennedy and Rose Fitzgerald in February of 1932. Given that he was born on George Washington’s 200th birthday, and as the youngest member of the wealthy and well-connected Kennedy family, expectations of Ted were high—perhaps, too high.
2. His Parents Expected A Lot Of Him
As his family frequently relocated during his youth, Kennedy’s education was inconsistent—and it showed. He was, at best, an average student. And, even though his parents doted on him as the youngest of their proud brood, they weren’t shy about voicing their disappointment in him, especially when compared to his overachieving older brothers.
Turns out, growing up in the Kennedy household wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.
3. He Suffered Early Tragedies
Tragedy struck early for Ted Kennedy. First, his sister, Rosemary, suffered a botched lobotomy. Then he lost his eldest brother, Joseph Jr, when his plane exploded. A few years later, another airplane crash claimed the life of his socialite sister, Kathleen. If he thought he could escape the Kennedy curse, fate would prove him wrong.
ullstein bild Dtl., Getty Images
4. He Was Huge
Kennedy’s mediocre academic record persisted throughout high school. But he had another talent. Thanks to his towering stature, he made for an exceptional football player. The headmaster at Kennedy’s school called him “absolutely fearless” on the field and said that he “loved contact sports”.
He wasn’t exactly a good sportsman, though.
5. He Cheated On His Exams
Thanks to his family name and sports record, Kennedy managed to make it to Harvard. But that didn’t mean that he turned into an A+ student. In fact, he was quite the opposite. Kennedy conspired with some of his classmates to cheat on his science class's final exam by copying a fellow pupil's work.
Surprisingly, that wasn’t even his worst academic offense.
6. He Was Expelled From Harvard
Despite his, shall we say, “innovative” study habits, Kennedy’s grades continued to fall and he was worried that his bad grades would get him booted from the football team. In an effort to salvage his sports career, he had someone else sit for his Spanish exam. However, when the school found out about his cheating, they showed no mercy—and promptly expelled him.
City of Boston Archives, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
7. He Enlisted In The US Army
Following his expulsion from Harvard, Kennedy enlisted in the US Army. Once again, however, his family connections saved him from the consequences of his actions. Kennedy’s father, possibly still traumatized from the loss of his eldest son, ensured that his wayward youngest child never saw active combat.
There was basically nothing the Kennedy name couldn’t do.
8. He Gave Up A Pro Football Career
Thanks to his two years of service in the US Army, Harvard welcomed Kennedy back and he resumed his college football career. He was so good, in fact, that the coach of the Green Bay Packers asked him if he wanted to play professionally. But Kennedy was determined to enter the family business: politics…and scandals.
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9. He Barely Made It Into Law School
Under a cloud of controversy over his academic record, Kennedy entered the Virginia School of Law. Once again, however, he proved that his real specialty was causing trouble. In an ironic twist, while attending the prestigious law school, Kennedy repeatedly broke the law. It was a pattern of behavior that would, one day, turn lethal.
Fairchild Archive, Getty Images
10. He Started A High-Speed Chase
In an ominous overture to what lay ahead, Kennedy drove through a red light in early 1958. When a highway patrolman began to pursue him, Kennedy switched off his tail lights and sped away, resulting in a high-speed chase. Eventually, the officer managed to pull him over and charged Kennedy with “reckless driving, racing to avoid pursuit and driving without a license”.
Pretty soon he’d be running a race of a different kind.
11. He Connected With “Ordinary Voters”
Kennedy’s first foray into the family business was as his brother John’s 1958 re-election campaign manager. And, despite his personal troubles, he proved that he, too, had the Kennedy touch. Kennedy’s down-to-earth charm made him a hit with the people, delivering a historic win for his brother, and setting him up for the presidency.
Whatever Kennedy set his sights on, he got.
State Library and Archives of Florida, Wikimedia Commons
12. He Met His First Wife
While still a law school student, Kennedy met his first wife, Joan Bennett, while attending the opening ceremonies for a gymnasium that his family donated. As a model and beauty queen, Bennett seemed like a perfect match for Kennedy. However, their love story was not the kind of fairy tale that Camelot promised.
13. His Father Saved His Marriage
Unlike Kennedy, Bennett didn’t come from a political family and expressed her reservations about taking things any further. Not to mention, there was that little problem of the budding Kennedy family curse. However, when Bennett expressed that she was getting cold feet, Kennedy’s father urged the couple to proceed with their nuptials.
Things for the Kennedy family were just heating up.
Wide World Photos, Wikimedia Commons
14. He Helped Get JFK Elected
Kennedy managed to help get his brother, John, elected to the White House in 1960—and he officially became president in 1961. His hands-on campaign management style delivered the Western states and changed the fate of the family forever. Most importantly, however, John’s election win meant that his Senate seat was up for grabs—and all eyes turned to Ted.
CWO Donald Mingfield, U. S. Army Signal Corps, Wikimedia Commons
15. He Was Inferior To His Brothers
Kennedy’s father immediately turned his attention to the youngest of the brood to fill his brother’s empty Senate seat. However, at first, Kennedy seemed to want to distance himself from his brothers. “The disadvantage of my position,” he lamented, “is being constantly compared with two brothers of such superior ability”.
He would just have to prove himself.
United states Sentate, Wikimedia Commons
16. He Stepped Into The Spotlight
Kennedy wasn’t the only one who doubted his abilities; his older brothers also thought that he should avoid stepping into the spotlight. However, that only made Kennedy more defiant and he began working as a district attorney to beef up his resume before launching a campaign of his own. For the first time in his life, success wouldn’t come easily.
United States Congress, Wikimedia Commons
17. He Met With A Soviet Spy
As a Massachusetts DA, Kennedy went on a nine-nation tour of Latin America. True to form, however, he couldn’t stay out of trouble. According to FBI reports, while on the tour, Kennedy met with a retired Soviet spy and frequented bordellos and other houses of ill repute at odd hours. Somehow, that didn’t derail his senatorial ambitions.
Bettmann Archive, Wikimedia Commons
18. His Family Name Didn’t Actually Help Him
When Kennedy launched his senatorial campaign, for the first time in his life, his last name actually held him back. Kennedy’s primary opponent campaigned with the slogan, “Don't you think that Teddy is one Kennedy too many?” However, there was no denying that Ted Kennedy had something special.
19. His Inexperience Was His Asset
Kennedy’s lack of experience and claims of nepotism dogged him throughout his campaign with his Republican opponent saying, “The office of United States Senator should be merited, and not inherited”. Voters, however, didn’t seem to care. With 55 percent of the vote, Ted Kennedy joined his brothers in politics—and the family curse.
City of Boston Archives, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
20. He Had More Potential Than Any Other Kennedy
Kennedy didn’t waste any time making a name for himself in Washington DC beyond the family brand. While Vice President Lyndon B Johnson publicly feuded with Kennedy’s other brothers, he had nothing but positive things to say about the youngest member of the dynasty. Johnson claimed that Kennedy “had the potential to be the best politician in the whole family”.
He was very nearly the only politician in the whole family.
U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Picryl
21. He Learned That His Brother Was Gone
November 22, 1963 changed the course of American politics and put Kennedy on a crash course with destiny. While presiding over the Senate, an aide presented him with the worst news imaginable: President John F Kennedy, his eldest surviving brother, had just been shot. But that wasn't the worst part.
Later, he learned from his other brother, Robert, that John didn’t make it. The Kennedy curse was getting closer. In fact, it was already his turn.
22. He Was In A Horrific Plane Crash
Given his family’s history with planes, one might imagine that Kennedy would have avoided flying at all costs. However, on June 19, 1964, he boarded an Aero Commander 680 in bad weather. Not surprisingly, the private plane took a nosedive somewhere above Southampton, Massachusetts just as it was making its final approach.
The wreckage was unimaginable.
SDASM Archives, Wikimedia Commons
23. He Survived A Total Wreck
Kennedy’s plane crashed into an orchard, leaving a terrifying scene of carnage in its wake. Tragically, the pilot, along with one of Kennedy’s aides, perished in the accident. However, by some miracle, Kennedy himself survived the wreckage. That’s not to say that he was unscathed.
Senator Edward Kennedy In Air Crash (1964), British Pathé
24. He Had Grievous Injuries
Kennedy only barely survived the horrific crash. Senator Birch Bayh, who had also been flying aboard the doomed plane, was well enough to pull the injured Kennedy from the smoking crash. In the end, he survived with three fractured vertebrae, broken ribs, and a punctured lung. But it wasn’t all bad.
Warren K. Leffler, Wikimedia Commons
25. He Dedicated His Life To Health Care
Kennedy ended up in the hospital for several months, slowly recovering from his injuries. And he couldn’t have been happier to have escaped his family’s dreaded curse. Even though the plane crash left him with lifelong pain, he turned the accident into an opportunity by dedicating his political career to expanding health care.
He was about to get another powerful ally.
Kennedy Recovers After '64 Plane Crash, ABC News
26. He Lost His Last Brother And Best Friend
In 1968, Kennedy’s eldest surviving brother, Robert, entered the 1968 presidential election against his advice. He should have listened. While Kennedy was in San Francisco stumping for his brother, Robert was fatally attacked in Los Angeles. The loss of his last brother was more than he could bear.
Sven Walnum, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
27. He Was The Very Image Of Grief
Even though Kennedy had always been somewhat envious of his brothers’ accomplishments, he had loved them all dearly, especially Robert. So when he lost his last surviving brother, a piece of him was gone forever. One close family friend recalled seeing Kennedy at his brother’s hospital bedside: “I have never, ever, nor do I expect ever, to see a face more in grief”.
He was grieving more than just his brother.
Yoichi Okamoto, Wikimedia Commons
28. He Was Petrified Of The Presidency
With all three of his older brothers tragically gone, Kennedy knew what lay ahead of him: the White House. But, given the family curse, it also meant an early grave. As Time magazine put it, Kennedy “had a fatalistic, almost doomed feeling about the prospect” of becoming president of the United States. But it didn’t seem like he had a choice.
Marion S. Trikosko, U.S. News & World Report Magazine, Wikimedia Commons
29. He Didn’t Want To Get Shot
As far as Kennedy was concerned, if he ever ran for president, he would be as good as gone. He understood all too well the dangers of the office of president of the United States, especially for anyone named Kennedy. Ironically, a terrible scandal might have saved his life—but ended another.
Los Angeles Times, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
30. He Hosted A Problematic Party On Chappaquiddick Island
On a pleasant evening in mid-July 1969, Kennedy hosted a party that would alter the course of his life forever—and not necessarily for the better. He threw a Chappaquiddick Island party in honor of the “Boiler Room Girls” who had previously worked with his brother, Robert. As the soirée wrapped up, he left with 28-year-old Mary Jo Kopechne in his 1967 Oldsmobile Delmont 88.
Then things turned ugly.
31. He Took The Wrong Turn
According to the official story, Kennedy took a wrong turn while driving Kopechne to the ferry landing that would take her back to the mainland and Martha’s Vineyard. However, the wrong turn proved to be more than just an inconvenience. Instead of taking him to the ferry landing, the road led Kennedy and Kopechne to the treacherous Dike Bridge—and doom.
32. He Drove Off A Bridge
As Kennedy recalled it, he lost control of the vehicle while crossing the narrow bridge. And, because Dike Bridge didn’t have guardrails, his Oldsmobile slipped off the road and fell into the Poucha Pond inlet below. With a terrible crash into the tidal waters, the car, Kennedy, and Kopechne began to slip beneath the surface.
33. He Tried To Save Kopechne
As the waters filled the cabin, Kennedy managed to escape from the sinking vehicle. But, when he reached the surface, he couldn’t find any sign of Kopechne which could only mean one thing: She was still in the car. According to Kennedy’s account of events, he dove back beneath the waters up to eight times to save her.
It was all to no avail.
Apex Entertainment, Chappaquiddick (2017)
34. He Left Kopechne To Drown
What Kennedy did next defies explanation. After his alleged repeated attempts to rescue Kopechne from the submerged car, Kennedy simply swam to shore, returned to the party, and then quietly told a few of his friends what had happened. It wasn’t until the next day that he reported the incident to the authorities.
By that time, it was too late.
35. He Pled Guilty
When Kennedy reported the accident to authorities late the following morning, they had already made a terrible discovery: Kopechne’s lifeless body. This time, his Kennedy name wouldn’t be enough to get him out of trouble. A week after the tragic accident, Kennedy pleaded guilty to fleeing the scene. He would be lucky to get off with his freedom.
July 25, 1969: Ted Kennedy addresses Chappaquiddick accident, ABC News
36. His Version Of Events Didn’t Add Up
The diver who recovered Kopechne’s body cast doubt on the official storyline as Kennedy had recounted it. According to the diver, the position of Kopechne’s body when he found her was not consistent with her having drowned. Rather, he claimed that she had suffocated. And that wasn’t all.
Apex Entertainment, Chappaquiddick (2017)
37. He Left Unanswered Questions
Even though a judicial inquest following the Chappaquiddick incident found no wrongdoing on Kennedy’s part, it didn’t exactly absolve him either. The judge presiding over the case had found that Kennedy’s story left an air of mystery in its wake. There were still so many unknowns, especially considering that it didn't seem as though Kennedy had been entirely truthful.
Apex Entertainment, Chappaquiddick (2017)
38. His Punishment Was Political
The Chappaquiddick accident grabbed national headlines as the latest addition to the ongoing Kennedy family saga. The ensuing fallout from the accident, including a suspended two-month sentence, just about dashed Kennedy’s hopes of ever winning the White House. Even the presiding judge commented that Kennedy’s political punishment would be “far beyond anything this court can impose”.
His personal punishment was even worse.
Apex Entertainment, Chappaquiddick (2017)
39. His Wife Suffered Three Miscarriages
Kennedy and his wife Bennett had previously suffered two miscarriages. And at the time of the Chappaquiddick incident, Bennett was pregnant again and hoping to carry to term. In yet another devastating blow to Kennedy, however, the stress of the incident supposedly resulted in yet another failed pregnancy—at least, according to Bennett herself.
Bill Golladay, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
40. He Asked His Voters What He Should Do
The Chappaquiddick incident scandalized Kennedy’s already somewhat tarnished reputation. But he was prepared to fall on his sword. Kennedy appealed to his Massachusetts electorate, asking if he should resign from the Senate or stay on and seek re-election in the coming year. His voters’ response was surprising.
Bundesarchiv, B 145 Bild-F033699-0003, Wegmann, Ludwig, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
41. He Still Had Loyalists
Kennedy’s Senate colleagues called for his resignation, but his voter base proved their loyalty to the family name. In a stunning turn of events, despite the controversy and tragic outcome of the Chappaquiddick incident, Kennedy surged to victory in 1970 with 62 percent of the vote.
But that was just the Senate. The White House was another thing altogether.
United Press International, Wikimedia Commons
42. He Put His Family First
The Chappaquiddick incident did little to derail Kennedy’s presidential prospects. In fact, early polling for the 1972 race suggested that he could still win the Democratic Party’s nomination. Even so, Kennedy refused to run, claiming that “it feels wrong in my gut” and instead prioritizing his family and his fatherless nieces and nephews.
The Kennedy curse wasn’t done with him yet.
Hans Peters for Anefo, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
43. He Nearly Lost His Son
Shortly after the 1972 presidential election, Kennedy received even more bad news. His son, Edward Kennedy Jr, had bone cancer. The diagnosis led to the amputation of his leg and a highly-publicized experimental treatment regimen. For once, however, there was some good news on the horizon.
44. His Marriage Began To Crumble
Kennedy’s son, Edward Jr, made a miraculous recovery and even returned to skiing less than a year later. However, whereas Kennedy was accustomed to his family’s habit of jumping from crisis to crisis, his wife was not. Slowly, the cracks in his marriage widened as Bennett fell into addiction. He still couldn’t escape his fate—or his past.
45. He Finally Ran For President
Despite previously saying that his decision not to run for president was “final”, Kennedy entered the 1980 primary race against Jimmy Carter. Despite Carter’s abysmal approval rating, the incumbent president firmly believed he could defeat Kennedy. Carter would have to get in line behind the skeletons in Kennedy’s closet.
National Archives and Records Administration, Wikimedia Commons
44. His Past Came Back To Haunt Him
With Kennedy finally throwing his hat into the presidential ring, the media rekindled their interest in the scandalous Chappaquiddick incident. This was just one of the factors that caused Kennedy’s presidential campaign to flounder. However, some speculated that the prodigal Kenney son had sabotaged his own presidential ambitions.
Laura Patterson, Wikimedia Commons
45. His Heart Wasn't In It
Writing in Life magazine, Chris Whipple claimed that Kennedy’s campaign was “consciously or otherwise, an act of political self-destruction,” and concluded, “His heart just wasn't in it”. The abysmal conclusion of the campaign spoke for itself.
White House Photographic Collection, Wikimedia Commons
46. His Marriage Fell Apart
1982 should have been the year that Kennedy followed in his brother’s footsteps right to the White House. Instead, his campaign fell to pieces within months—and then his marriage followed. After years of a troubled relationship and with the White House clearly out of reach, Kennedy and Bennett called it quits. That wasn’t the only dream Kennedy gave up on.
Hans Peters for Anefo, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
47. He Was All About Public Service
Democratic hopes that Kennedy would one day enter the White House ended in 1988 when he firmly stated that he would not run again. And what he said cast doubt on whether he ever, truly, wanted the presidency. “I know this decision means I may never be president,” Kennedy explained, "But the pursuit of the presidency is not my life. Public service is”.
Maureen Keating, Wikimedia Commons
48. His Was On A Bad List
Kennedy’s legislative success and dedication to public service came at a great personal cost. Throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s, he developed a reputation for heavy drinking, drastic and erratic weight fluctuations, and scandalous womanizing. In fact, Kennedy became so synonymous with deviant behavior that female Senate staffers put him on an informal list of men to be wary of.
49. He Became A Tabloid Fixture
Following the collapse of his presidential prospects and personal relationships, Kennedy’s scandals dominated the headlines. In 1989, paparazzi photographed him doing the deed on a motorboat. Meanwhile, a GQ profile exposed his drinking and reckless behavior, Newsweek even went so far as to call him “the living symbol of the family flaws”.
Little did he know, the end to his curse was just around the corner.
Eric Draper, Chief Official White House Photographer, Wikimedia Commons
50. His Wife Broke His Curse
In 1991, Kennedy met a well-known Washington lawyer named Victoria Reggie. As the daughter of a loyal Kennedy ally, Reggie saw past the Kennedy name and the family's many scandals. When the couple got married in 1992, the press credited her with bringing balance to his previously chaotic existence, allowing him to get back to his work in the Senate.
John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
51. He Became The Family Patriarch
While Kennedy was free from the family curse, his nephew was not: John F Kennedy Jr perished in a plane crash. After delivering a rousing and touching speech at his nephew’s funeral, one thing became apparent: Ted Kennedy was the Kennedy. As the Boston Globe put it, “Teddy, the baby of the family[…]had become the steady, indispensable patriarch, the one the family turned to in good times and bad”.
Sadly, an era was coming to an end.
John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
52. He Passed the Torch
While Kennedy never made it to the White House himself, his stature within the Democratic Party made him a kingmaker. So, when he endorsed Barack Obama in 2008, it was, as Kennedy put it, “time again for a new generation of leadership”. Touchingly, Kennedy compared Obama to his beloved brothers. It was certainly the beginning of a new chapter in American politics.
Sage Ross, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
53. He Had A Wonderful Life
Kennedy’s health deteriorated rapidly after endorsing Obama. In fact, Kennedy suffered a seizure at Obama’s inaugural luncheon, casting a somewhat tragic shadow over the celebratory affair. Nevertheless, until his final breath in August of 2009, in spite of his difficulty speaking, Kennedy repeated a simple message during his last days on earth: “I've had a wonderful life”.
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