JFK SWORN IN AS UNITED STATES SENATOR
Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) Today marks the swearing-in of the newly elected Congress of the United States. On this day in 1953, John F. Kennedy was sworn in as United States Senator representing the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He would be sworn in again after election to a second 6 year term on January 3, 1959.*
In his first election to the United States Senate, Representative John F. Kennedy, a 35 year old three term 11th district congressman, narrowly defeated incumbent Republican Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. in the fall election.
The Lodge family had ruled political life in the Commonwealth for many years and JFK's grandfather, John F. Fitzgerald, had been defeated by Cabot Lodge's grandfather for the United States Senate in 1916.
The Senate election of 1952 marked the end of the Lodge dynasty and the beginning of the Kennedy dynasty in Massachusetts. Since 1953, no member of the Lodge family has held political office in the Commonwealth.
Senator Kennedy served on the Government Operations and Labor as well as the Public Welfare committees during his 1st term. The other senator representing Massachusetts was Republican Leverett Saltonstall.
*The text of the oath for United States Senators is as follows:
Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) Today marks the swearing-in of the newly elected Congress of the United States. On this day in 1953, John F. Kennedy was sworn in as United States Senator representing the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He would be sworn in again after election to a second 6 year term on January 3, 1959.*
In his first election to the United States Senate, Representative John F. Kennedy, a 35 year old three term 11th district congressman, narrowly defeated incumbent Republican Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. in the fall election.
The Lodge family had ruled political life in the Commonwealth for many years and JFK's grandfather, John F. Fitzgerald, had been defeated by Cabot Lodge's grandfather for the United States Senate in 1916.
The Senate election of 1952 marked the end of the Lodge dynasty and the beginning of the Kennedy dynasty in Massachusetts. Since 1953, no member of the Lodge family has held political office in the Commonwealth.
Senator Kennedy served on the Government Operations and Labor as well as the Public Welfare committees during his 1st term. The other senator representing Massachusetts was Republican Leverett Saltonstall.
After being sworn in for his second Senate term, Senator Kennedy, age 41, joined the 86th Congress as a member for the Foreign Relations Committee, the Public Welfare Committee and the Joint Economic Committee.
*The text of the oath for United States Senators is as follows:
"I do solemly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign & domestic; that I will bear true faith & allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well & faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God."
SOURCE
United States Senate, www.senate.gov/
SOURCE
United States Senate, www.senate.gov/
