Kennedy: the name—perhaps more than that of any other American family—is inextricably linked to U.S. history in the 20th Century. Generations of Kennedys have now shared a deep commitment to public service. Some have even gone as far as to call the Kennedys “America’s First Family,” or “America’s Royal Family.” The patriarch of that family is now the youngest of Joseph P. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy’s nine children—Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA).

Born into a world of privilege in 1932, Senator Kennedy has never been far from the theater of world events. In 1937, he accompanied his family to Europe— where his father served as Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Ambassador to the Court of St. James while Hitler tightened his grasp on the continent and the world prepared for war. The Kennedy family later attended the coronation of Pope Pius XII at the Vatican, where seven year-old Edward M. Kennedy received his First Holy Communion from the Pope himself.

This life of great triumphs has also been marked with great tragedies, including the death of his eldest brother Joseph in World War II, the assassinations of his brothers President John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, the death of his sister Kathleen in a plane crash, and the deaths of three nephews. He has also helped two of his children—Ted and Kara—successfully fight battles with cancer.

Perhaps these tragedies have helped Senator Kennedy understand the plight of the common man. Throughout his years in public service, he has been a champion of those in need, fighting for legislation to improve the lives of his constituents and all Americans.

On October 24, 2003, Senator Edward M. Kennedy delivered the 2003-2004 Peltason Lecture on Democracy, hosted by the Center for the Study of Democracy at UCI. In doing so, he joined the ranks of previous distinguished lecturers Ambassador Jeanne J. Kirkpatrick, Senator Alan K. Simpson, and Senator Paul Simon.

Senator Kennedy’s speech, titled “Health Policy and Economic Security,” opened with a tribute to the Peltasons who, in his words, “have devoted their lives to the understanding of democratic institutions, and played such a vital part in making this campus the great university that it is today. It is fitting that this is called the Peltason Lecture on Democracy. And I am especially grateful that the Peltasons could be here tonight.

“It is a privilege to be here with all of you at this distinguished university,” he continued. “They say universities are such great storehouses of knowledge, because every student entering school brings a little knowledge in, and no graduate takes any knowledge out. But I know that is not true here at the University of California, Irvine, home of Peter the Anteater.”

Many admire Senator Kennedy; others disagree with his stance on certain issues. However, few would accuse him of not speaking his mind. True to form, his speech at UCI highlighted points close to his heart. In doing so, he criticized President George W. Bush’s international policy—including the war in Iraq—as well as the current administration’s policies on healthcare and education.

Also true to form, the 72 year-old Senator highlighted the optimism and determination that drive him to continue working well beyond the age of retirement. “If we harness the spirit of American optimism,” he concluded, “we can meet our goals and reflect our great values of justice and equality of opportunity in this new time. Thank you all again for this great honor and thank you for all you do so well for the young men and women of this great state.”

After his speech, which was met with resounding applause from the overflow audience, Senator Kennedy conducted an interview with The Social Science Journal. Click here to read the interview.

To view or read Senator Edward M. Kennedy’s speech, please visit http://hypatia.ss.uci.edu/democ/kennedy

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