Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Make a sustaining gift today to support local journalism!

Joe Kennedy III Given Ted Kennedy's Law School Diploma, 55 Years Later

The late U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy graduated from the University of Virginia's law school 55 years ago. But he skipped his graduation ceremony to work on his brother John's presidential campaign — and never picked up his diploma.

The university held onto it. This weekend, his great nephew, U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III gave a commencement speech at UVA. He says, the night before at dinner, the dean told him, "We still have the degree. Can you take it?"

“I was stunned," Kennedy said. "I was very very moved, hadn’t expected it or anticipated it. It was a surprise. I, like most people, had assumed that he had gotten his diploma."

Kennedy says he plans to give the diploma to his great uncle's widow, Vicki, for the Edward M. Kennedy Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Copyright 2014 GBH

Sarah Birnbaum is WGBH Radioââ

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.