Patrick Joseph Kennedy
Patrick Joseph Kennedy II is an American retired politician and mental health advocate. From 1995 to 2011, he served as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Rhode Island's 1st congressional district, and was one of the first two Generation X members of Congress when he took office in 1995.
Kennedy is the second son of Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, and is a nephew of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy and former U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy. He graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Providence College. Kennedy was elected to the Rhode Island House of Representatives in 1989, becoming the youngest member of the Kennedy family to hold elected office. He was then elected to represent Rhode Island's 1st congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was repeatedly re-elected, serving from January 3, 1995, to January 3, 2011. In the House, Kennedy served on the Armed Services and Natural Resources Committees before being appointed to the Appropriations Committee.
Kennedy is the second son of Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, and is a nephew of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy and former U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy. He graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Providence College. Kennedy was elected to the Rhode Island House of Representatives in 1989, becoming the youngest member of the Kennedy family to hold elected office. He was then elected to represent Rhode Island's 1st congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was repeatedly re-elected, serving from January 3, 1995, to January 3, 2011. In the House, Kennedy served on the Armed Services and Natural Resources Committees before being appointed to the Appropriations Committee.
