Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was married to Emily Ruth Black from 1982 to 1994. Together, they had two kids, namely Robert Francis Kennedy III and Kathleen Alexandra Kennedy. Kennedy Jr. later married Mary Kathleen Richardson and had four children with her. Mary was found dead on May 16, 2012 and her death was later confirmed to be a suicide. On August 2, 2014, Kennedy Jr. married Cheryl Hines and the two have been living together ever since.

Kennedy Jr. is a licensed falconer, who has been training hawks from a very young age. He is also a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and raptor propagator and has served as the president of ‘New York State Falconry Association.’ He is also an expert whitewater kayaker and has organized many white-water expeditions, including the ones to unexplored rivers, such as The Apurímac River.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was born on January 17, 1954, in Washington, D.C., United States of America. He is the third-born child of Ethel Skakel Kennedy and Robert Francis Kennedy. He spent his childhood at the famous ‘Hickory Hill’ in Virginia, along with his siblings.

Though he was born into a family of famous politicians, Kennedy Jr. had a tough childhood as he had to witness the assassination of his uncle and that of his father at a very young age. While John F. Kennedy was murdered when Kennedy Jr. was just nine years old, his father Robert Francis Kennedy was killed when he was in his early teens.

Young and disturbed, Kennedy Jr. took to the streets post his father’s death and was eventually arrested in Hyannis, Massachusetts for possessing marijuana. However, he quickly got his act together and managed to secure his diploma from ‘Palfrey Street School.’

He then went to the famous ‘Harvard College,’ from where he graduated with a ‘Bachelor of Arts’ degree in 1976. He also attended ‘The University of Virginia School of Law’ to earn himself ‘The Juris Doctor’ degree. He also has a ‘Master of Laws’ degree, which he earned from ‘Pace University.’

Kennedy Jr. began his career in 1983, when he started serving as the Assistant District Attorney. In 1984, he joined the famous non-profit environmental organization, ‘Riverkeeper.’ After joining as an investigator, he became the senior prosecuting attorney of the organization and was eventually admitted to the New York bar.

A good percentage of the total environmental enforcement lawsuits of ‘Riverkeeper’ was litigated and supervised by Kennedy Jr. He also served as a board member of another organization called ‘Long Island Soundkeeper.’ As a part of these environmental organizations, he had to fight against the administration of many cities and industries.

Kennedy Jr. played a crucial role in ending the practice of shooting lead shots into the Long Island Sound, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. The act, which was practiced by ‘Skeet Gun Club’ and ‘Remington Arms Trap,’ was ended after Kennedy’s landmark victory.

He filed lawsuits to shut down ‘New York Athletic’ clubs and Pelham Bay landfill, claiming the facilities were causing troubles to those who visit Long Island Sound. He also filed a number of lawsuits against municipalities and industries that were discharging pollution into the environment.

In 1987, Kennedy Jr. came up with ‘Environmental Litigation Clinic’ and made it a part of ‘Pace University School of Law.’ He then served as the supervising attorney and co-director of the program for the next three decades. The clinic then became responsible for prosecuting a number of companies and governments for polluting Hudson River and Long Island Sound.

Thanks to Kennedy’s heroic acts and noble intention, many film-makers have come up with numerous films and documentaries based on Kennedy’s works. In 1998, a film-maker named Les Guthman directed a movie titled ‘The Hudson Riverkeepers,’ which focuses on Kennedy and his environmental works.

In 2000, Guthman directed another movie titled ‘The Waterkeepers,’ which was similar to ‘The Hudson Riverkeepers.’ In 2008, Kennedy Jr. appeared in an IMAX documentary film titled ‘Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk.’ In the film, Kennedy Jr. appears along with his daughter and his anthropologist.

In 2004, Kennedy Jr. appeared in another documentary film titled ‘Indian Point: Imagining the Unimaginable,’ which was directed by his sister and film-maker, Rory Kennedy. Apart from writing articles for various leading publications, he has also written or edited at least 10 books, including three children’s books. Two of his books have made it to the list of ‘New York Times bestsellers.’