"I DREAM THINGS THAT NEVER WERE & SAY, WHY NOT?"

ROBERT FRANCIS KENNEDY BORN

Brookline, Massachusetts (JFK+50) On November 20, 1925, the seventh child of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., Robert Francis Kennedy, was born in  Brookline, Massachusetts. RFK served in the United States Navy in WWII.  He earned a degree in government from Harvard in 1948 and in 1950, married Ethel Skakel.

In 1951, Bob Kennedy earned a degree from the University of Virginia Law School and in 1952 served as manager for brother John's campaign for the Senate.  In 1953, Bob was on the staff of Joseph McCarthy's subcommittee on investigations and later was Chief Counsel for the Senate Rackets Committee.

In 1960, RFK managed Jack's successful presidential campaign and in 1961 became attorney general.  In that position, the JFK Library says that Bobby became JFK's "closest adviser and confidant."

After JFK's death, RFK was elected as a United States senator from the state of New York and in 1968, after having won the California primary in a bid to win the Democratic nomination for President, RFK was shot in Los Angeles.

Robert Kennedy died on June 6, 1968 and was laid to rest in the Kennedy plot at Arlington National Cemetery.   During his presidential campaign, RFK spoke out against the war in Vietnam and championed the cause of the poor and downtrodden.  In most of his speeches he paraphrased the words of George Bernard Shaw by saying....

'Some men see things as they are and say why.  I dream things that never were and say, why not?'

J. Edgar Hoover RFK

May 7, 1963

Photo by Cecil Stoughton

JFK Library Image

"I DREAM THINGS THAT NEVER WERE AND SAY WHY NOT"

ROBERT F. KENNEDY BORN IN BROOKLINE

Brookline, Massachusetts (JFK+50) On November 20, 1925, Robert Francis Kennedy was born here in Brookline.  RFK was the seventh child of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.

Like his older brothers Joe Jr. and Jack, Bobby Kennedy served in the United States Navy in WWII.  He earned a degree in government from Harvard in 1948.  In 1950, Robert F. Kennedy married Ethel Skakel of Greenwich, Connecticut.

A year later, RFK received a law degree from the University of Virginia Law School and in 1952 served as manager for John F. Kennedy's successful campaign for the Senate.  The following year, Bob was on the staff of Joseph McCarthy's subcommittee on investigations and later was chief counsel for the Senate Rackets Committee.

In 1960, RFK managed Jack's successful presidential campaign and in 1961 became President Kennedy's attorney general.  In that position, the JFK Library says that Bobby became JFK's "closest adviser and confidant."

After JFK's death, RFK was elected as a United States senator from the state of New York.  In 1968, after having won the California primary in a bid to win the Democratic nomination for President, Robert F. Kennedy was shot in Los Angeles.

RFK died on June 6, 1968 and was laid to rest in the Kennedy plot at Arlington National Cemetery.   During his presidential campaign, RFK spoke out against the war in Vietnam and championed the cause of the poor and downtrodden.  In most of his speeches he paraphrased the words of George Bernard Shaw by saying....

'Some men see things as they are and say why.  I dream things that never were and say, why not?'

J. Edgar Hoover RFK

May 7, 1963

Photo by Cecil Stoughton

JFK Library Image

  

ROBERT F. KENNEDY

ROBERT F. KENNEDY WAS BORN 89 YEARS AGO TODAY

Brookline, Massachusetts (JFK+50) The seventh child of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., Robert Francis Kennedy was born 89 years ago today, on November 20, 1925 in here  Brookline, Massachusetts.  

Like his older brothers Joe Jr. and Jack, Bobby Kennedy served in the United States Navy in WWII.  He earned a degree in government from Harvard in 1948.  In 1950, Robert F. Kennedy married Ethel Skakel of Greenwich, Connecticut.

A year later, RFK received a law degree from the University of Virginia Law School and in 1952 served as manager for John F. Kennedy's successful campaign for the Senate.

In 1953, Bob was on the staff of Joseph McCarthy's subcommittee on investigations and later was Chief Counsel for the Senate Rackets Committee.

In 1960, RFK managed Jack's successful presidential campaign and in 1961 became President Kennedy's attorney general.  In that position, the JFK Library says that Bobby became JFK's "closest adviser and confidant."

Bobby, Ted and JFK

August 28, 1963

Photo by Cecil Stoughton

NARA Image

After JFK's death, RFK was elected as a United States senator from the state of New York.  In 1968, after having won the California primary in a bid to win the Democratic nomination for President, Robert F. Kennedy was shot in Los Angeles.

RFK died on June 6, 1968 and was laid to rest in the Kennedy plot at Arlington National Cemetery.  He was 42 years old.

During his presidential campaign, RFK spoke out against the war in Vietnam and championed the cause of the poor and downtrodden.

In most of his speeches he paraphrased the words of George Bernard Shaw by saying....

'Some men see things as they are and say why.  I dream things that never were and say, why not?'

J. Edgar Hoover RFK

May 7, 1963

Photo by Cecil Stoughton

JFK Library Image

JOHNNY, I HARDLY KNEW YE X

July 23, 2012

"JOHNNY, I HARDLY KNEW YE" X

Knoxville, Tennessee (JFK+50) Today we continue our report of Chapter 12 of the book by Kenneth P. O'Donnell & David F. Powers with Joe McCarthy.  It is published by Little, Brown & Company.

The title of Chapter 12 is "Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ye"


Kenneth O'Donnell discusses JFK's speech to the combined houses of the Irish Parliament which was the 1st ceremony in the DAIL's legislative chamber to be shown on national television.


Kenny describes it as a speech with "flashes of easy wit, graceful literary quotations, moving praise of Ireland's courageous history, its contributions to culture & to America........just the kind of talk that IRELAND wanted to hear from him."


Mr. O'Donnell points out that it was in this speech that President Kennedy 1st used a quotation from GEORGE BERNARD SHAW.*

        George Bernard Shaw (1925)




The quotation was to be later "taken up" by Robert Kennedy in the 1968 Presidential campaign & is "now often credited to Bobby instead of Shaw."


JFK said:


"This is an extraordinary country.  George Bernard Shaw, speaking as an Irishman, summed up an approach to life:


'Other people see things, & say why.  But I dream things that never were, & I say, why not?'"**


*George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), born in Dublin was an author & playwright.  In 1912-13, he wrote PYGMALION which would later be the basis for the musical 'My Fair Lady'.


**Bobby's quotation was altered slightly:


"Some people see things as they are & say why.  I dream things that never were, & say, why not?"