Robert Kennedy
Robert F. Kennedy Kennedy appearing before the Platform Committee, 1964 United States Senator from New York In office January 3, 1965 – June 6, 1968 Preceded by Kenneth Keating Succeeded by Charles Goodell 64th United States Attorney General In office January 20, 1961 – September 3, 1964 President John F. Kennedy (1961–63) Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–64) Preceded by William P. Rogers Succeeded by Nicholas Katzenbach 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. Resting place Arlington National Cemetery Arlington County, Virginia, U.S. 38°52′52″N 77°04′17″W / 38.88118°N 77.07150°W / 38.88118; -77.07150 Political party Democratic Spouse(s) Ethel Skakel (m. 1950–68) (his death) Relations See: Kennedy family Children Kathleen, Joseph, Robert Jr., David, Courtney, Michael, Kerry, Christopher, Max, Douglas, Rory Alma mater Harvard University University of Virginia Profession Lawyer Politician Religion Catholicism Signature Military service Allegiance  United States of America Service/branch U.S. Naval Reserve Years of service 1944–46 Rank Seaman Apprentice Unit USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Battles/wars World War II Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy (November 20, 1925 – June 6, 1968), commonly known by his initials RFK, was an American politician from Massachusetts. He served as a Senator for New York from 1965 until his assassination in 1968. He was previously the 64th U.S. Attorney General from 1961 to 1964, serving under his older brother, President John F. Kennedy and his successor, President Lyndon B. Johnson. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Democratic Party, Kennedy was a leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in the 1968 election. After serving in the U.S. Naval Reserve as a Seaman Apprentice from 1944 to 1946, Kennedy graduated from Harvard College and the University of Virginia School of Law. Prior to entering public office, he worked as a correspondent to the Boston Post and as an attorney in Washington D.C.. 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 corrupt practices of the union, and published The Enemy Within, a book about corruption in organized labor. A prominent member of the Kennedy family, Bobby was the campaign manager for his brother John in the 1960 presidential election and was appointed Attorney General during his presidential administration. He also served as a White House adviser to the president from 1961 to 1963. His tenure is best known for its advocacy for the African-American Civil Rights Movement, crusade against organized crime and the mafia, and involvement in U.S. foreign policy related to Cuba and Indonesia. After his brother's assassination, Kennedy remained in office for a few months until leaving to run for the United States Senate in 1964 where he defeated Republican incumbent Kenneth Keating. In 1968, Kennedy campaigned for the presidency and was a leading Democratic candidate, appealing particularly to black, Hispanic, and Catholic voters. Shortly after midnight on June 5, 1968, after Kennedy defeated Senator Eugene McCarthy in the California presidential primary, he was shot by Sirhan Sirhan, a 24-year old Palestinian, and died the following day.