David Kennedy
Encyclopedia
David Anthony Kennedy was the fourth of eleven children of Robert F. Kennedy
and Ethel Skakel Kennedy
.
. Kennedy had been knocked over by a wave and was trapped on the bottom by the undertow. His father dove under the water and rescued him, scraping and bruising his own forehead in the process. Frankenheimer gave Senator Kennedy theatrical makeup to hide the bruise while appearing on television hours later. At just after Midnight on June 5, David watched on TV as his father claimed victory in the California presidential primary election; the 12-year-old then watched as the same broadcast reported his father's assassination moments later. The event left an emotional scar on David and he began recreational drug use
shortly thereafter.
A 1973 Jeep
accident, left Kennedy's then-girlfriend, Pamela Kelley, paralyzed. His oldest brother, Joseph Kennedy II had been driving the Jeep and was charged with reckless driving. Kennedy sustained a fractured vertebrae and became addicted to the painkillers he was given in the hospital. He began using heroin intravenously that autumn in his final year at Middlesex School
in Concord, Massachusetts
. Kennedy spent two years as a student at Harvard University
, pursuing a major in American history before dropping out in 1976. He had ambitions of becoming a journalist
and spent several months as an intern for a Tennessee newspaper in 1974. Some staff there were impressed with his aptitude.
In 1974
Kennedy and his siblings were the target of kidnap threats, and were given Secret Service
protection.
After dropping out of Harvard, Kennedy alternated his time between the Kennedy family
home "Hickory Hill
" in McLean, Virginia
and New York
until February 1979, when he moved to New York City full time. He was frequently seen in the Manhattan
disco
s with a succession of attractive women. His most notable involvement was with British actress Rachel Ward
, whom he met in one such establishment in 1979. In his memoir Symptoms of withdrawal: a memoir of snapshots and redemption, cousin Christopher Kennedy Lawford describes Kennedy as his best friend, and devotes much of chapter 10 to their relationship with one another and the extended Kennedy family.
. Kennedy spent 6 weeks in Sussex
, England
under the care of Dr. Margaret Patterson, an addiction specialist, during in the autumn of 1978. Kennedy later moved to Sacramento, California
, while under the guidance of a drug counselor. In the early 1980s, Kennedy became clean and sober and found occasional work through family contacts. Considering a return to Harvard, he moved back east in the autumn of 1982, followed by a 6-month stint with the Boston
based Atlantic Monthly magazine. Kennedy spent time in Spofford Hall, a rehab facility in New Hampshire
in September 1983 in order to curb his drinking before starting school again. While he completed one semester, a return to drug use again forced him to leave. Kennedy remained in Boston with his girlfriend, fashion photographer Paula Sculley.
In the spring of 1984, Kennedy completed a month-long stay at St. Mary's Hospital and Rehabilitation Center in Minneapolis. He flew down to Palm Beach, Florida
on April 19 for Easter, where several members of the Kennedy family had gathered. Kennedy checked into room 107 of the Brazilian Court
hotel and spent the next few days partying. At the insistence of concerned family members, staff went to check on his welfare and found him dead on the floor of his suite from an overdose of cocaine
, Demerol
, and Mellaril
on April 25. Kennedy was interred in the family plot at Holyhood Cemetery in Brookline, Massachusetts
, and was the first of four Kennedy grandchildren reaching adulthood to die. He was later followed in death by his younger brother Michael in 1997 and cousins John F. Kennedy, Jr.
in 1999 and Kara Kennedy Allen in 2011.
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
and Ethel Skakel Kennedy
Ethel Skakel Kennedy
Ethel Skakel Kennedy is the widow of Robert F. Kennedy, who served as Attorney General of the United States and a United States Senator for the state of New York.-Early life:...
.
Life
On June 4, 1968, eleven days before his 13th birthday, Kennedy nearly drowned while he and his siblings were swimming in the Pacific Ocean near the Malibu, California beach house of a Kennedy family friend, Hollywood film director John FrankenheimerJohn Frankenheimer
John Michael Frankenheimer was an American film and television director known for social dramas and action/suspense films...
. Kennedy had been knocked over by a wave and was trapped on the bottom by the undertow. His father dove under the water and rescued him, scraping and bruising his own forehead in the process. Frankenheimer gave Senator Kennedy theatrical makeup to hide the bruise while appearing on television hours later. At just after Midnight on June 5, David watched on TV as his father claimed victory in the California presidential primary election; the 12-year-old then watched as the same broadcast reported his father's assassination moments later. The event left an emotional scar on David and he began recreational drug use
Recreational drug use
Recreational drug use is the use of a drug, usually psychoactive, with the intention of creating or enhancing recreational experience. Such use is controversial, however, often being considered to be also drug abuse, and it is often illegal...
shortly thereafter.
A 1973 Jeep
Jeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
accident, left Kennedy's then-girlfriend, Pamela Kelley, paralyzed. His oldest brother, Joseph Kennedy II had been driving the Jeep and was charged with reckless driving. Kennedy sustained a fractured vertebrae and became addicted to the painkillers he was given in the hospital. He began using heroin intravenously that autumn in his final year at Middlesex School
Middlesex School
Middlesex School is an independent secondary school for grades 9 - 12 located in Concord, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1901 by a Roxbury Latin School alumnus, Frederick Winsor, who headed the school until 1937. Winsor set up a National Scholarship Program for the school, the first of its kind...
in Concord, Massachusetts
Concord, Massachusetts
Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.-History:...
. Kennedy spent two years as a student at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, pursuing a major in American history before dropping out in 1976. He had ambitions of becoming a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and spent several months as an intern for a Tennessee newspaper in 1974. Some staff there were impressed with his aptitude.
In 1974
Kennedy and his siblings were the target of kidnap threats, and were given Secret Service
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
protection.
After dropping out of Harvard, Kennedy alternated his time between the Kennedy family
Kennedy family
In the United States, the phrase Kennedy family commonly refers to the family descending from the marriage of the Irish-Americans Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald that was prominent in American politics and government. Their political involvement has revolved around the...
home "Hickory Hill
Hickory Hill (McLean, Virginia)
Hickory Hill is a large brick house in McLean, Virginia, in the United States, believed to have been built ca. 1840 . The land on which it is built is part of a Lee family tract of land called Langley. General George B...
" in McLean, Virginia
McLean, Virginia
McLean is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. The community had a total population of 48,115 as of the 2010 census....
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
until February 1979, when he moved to New York City full time. He was frequently seen in the Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
s with a succession of attractive women. His most notable involvement was with British actress Rachel Ward
Rachel Ward
Rachel Claire Ward, AM is a British actress, columnist, film director, and screenwriter who has primarily pursued her career in Australia.-Early life:...
, whom he met in one such establishment in 1979. In his memoir Symptoms of withdrawal: a memoir of snapshots and redemption, cousin Christopher Kennedy Lawford describes Kennedy as his best friend, and devotes much of chapter 10 to their relationship with one another and the extended Kennedy family.
Health problems and death
Kennedy was diagnosed twice with bacterial endocarditis, an inflammation of the heart often associated with the use of intravenous drugs. As well as experiencing drug overdoses in 1976 and 1978, he also had some skirmishes with the law, including speeding offenses and a DUIDUI
DUI is a three letter acronym that may stand for:* Driving under the influence * Democratic Union for Integration — the largest ethnic Albanian party in the Republic of Macedonia* Data Use Identifier...
. Kennedy spent 6 weeks in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
under the care of Dr. Margaret Patterson, an addiction specialist, during in the autumn of 1978. Kennedy later moved to Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, while under the guidance of a drug counselor. In the early 1980s, Kennedy became clean and sober and found occasional work through family contacts. Considering a return to Harvard, he moved back east in the autumn of 1982, followed by a 6-month stint with the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
based Atlantic Monthly magazine. Kennedy spent time in Spofford Hall, a rehab facility in New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
in September 1983 in order to curb his drinking before starting school again. While he completed one semester, a return to drug use again forced him to leave. Kennedy remained in Boston with his girlfriend, fashion photographer Paula Sculley.
In the spring of 1984, Kennedy completed a month-long stay at St. Mary's Hospital and Rehabilitation Center in Minneapolis. He flew down to Palm Beach, Florida
Palm Beach, Florida
The Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
on April 19 for Easter, where several members of the Kennedy family had gathered. Kennedy checked into room 107 of the Brazilian Court
The Brazilian Court
The Brazilian Court Hotel & Beach Club is a historic luxury hotel in Palm Beach, Florida, United States which opened on New Year's Day in 1926....
hotel and spent the next few days partying. At the insistence of concerned family members, staff went to check on his welfare and found him dead on the floor of his suite from an overdose of cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
, Demerol
Pethidine
Pethidine or meperidine Pethidine (INN) or meperidine (USAN) Pethidine (INN) or meperidine (USAN) (commonly referred to as Demerol but also referred to as: isonipecaine; lidol; pethanol; piridosal; Algil; Alodan; Centralgin; Dispadol; Dolantin; Mialgin (in Indonesia); Petidin Dolargan (in Poland);...
, and Mellaril
Thioridazine
Thioridazine is a piperidine typical antipsychotic drug belonging to the phenothiazine drug group and was previously widely used in the treatment of schizophrenia and psychosis...
on April 25. Kennedy was interred in the family plot at Holyhood Cemetery in Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
, and was the first of four Kennedy grandchildren reaching adulthood to die. He was later followed in death by his younger brother Michael in 1997 and cousins John F. Kennedy, Jr.
John F. Kennedy, Jr.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Jr. , often referred to as John F. Kennedy, Jr., JFK Jr., John Jr. or John-John, was an American socialite, magazine publisher, lawyer, and pilot. The elder son of U.S. President John F...
in 1999 and Kara Kennedy Allen in 2011.
External links
- David Kennedy website
- Growing Up Kennedy: The Third Generation Comes of Age by Harrison Rainie and John Quinn, 1983
- LifeLife (magazine)Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
special issue, The Kennedys: The Third Generation, 1997. - RFK: A Candid Biography of Bobby Kennedy by C. David Heymann (Pages 516 - 521), 1998
- Searching For The Impossible: The Quest To End All Addiction by Dr. Meg Patterson (pages 152-163), 2006.
- The Kennedys: An American Drama by Peter Collier and David Horowitz, 1984.