Kenneth O'Donnell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kenny O'Donnell
White House Appointments Secretary
In office January 20, 1961 – November 22, 1963
President	John F. Kennedy
Preceded by	Thomas Stephens (Appointments Secretary) Wilton Persons (Chief of Staff)
Succeeded by	W. Marvin Watson
Personal details
Born	Kenneth Patrick O'Donnell (1924-03-04)March 4, 1924 Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	September 9, 1977(1977-09-09) (aged 53) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Resting place	Holyhood Cemetery
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Helen Sullivan ​ ​ (m. 1947; died 1977)​ Asta Steinfatt ​ (m. 1977)​
Children	5
Parents	Alice Guerin Cleo Albert O'Donnell
Education	Harvard University (BA) Boston College (LLB)
Military service
Branch/service	United States Army Air Forces
Years of service	1942–1945
Battles/wars	World War II

Kenneth Patrick O'Donnell (March 4, 1924 – September 9, 1977) was an American political helper and a close friend of President John F. Kennedy. He worked as a special assistant and appointments secretary for President Kennedy from 1961 until Kennedy's death in November 1963.

O'Donnell was also good friends with Kennedy's younger brother, Robert F. Kennedy. He was part of a group of close advisors to President Kennedy, sometimes called the "Irish Mafia." After President Kennedy's death, O'Donnell also helped President Lyndon B. Johnson until 1965. He later advised Robert Kennedy during his campaign for president in 1968.

Early Life and Education

Kenny O'Donnell was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, and grew up in Boston. His parents were both Catholic and had Irish family roots. His father, Cleo Albert O'Donnell, was a famous football coach for many years at the College of the Holy Cross.

O'Donnell finished high school during World War II. He then joined the U.S. Army Air Forces from 1942 to 1945. He flew 30 missions as a bombardier, which is someone who drops bombs from an airplane. He flew in a B-17 plane and was shot down over Belgium. He was captured, but he managed to escape. For his bravery, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal.

After the war, O'Donnell studied at Harvard University from 1946 to 1949. There, he became roommates and football teammates with Robert F. Kennedy. O'Donnell even became the captain of the Harvard football team in 1948. He and Robert Kennedy remained close friends for life. After Harvard, O'Donnell studied law at Boston College Law School.

Working with the Kennedys

O'Donnell's friendship with Robert Kennedy led him to work with the Kennedy family in politics. In 1946, Robert Kennedy asked him to help with his older brother John F. Kennedy's first campaign for Congress. In 1952, O'Donnell and Robert Kennedy worked together again to help John get elected to the United States Senate.

O'Donnell then became an unpaid political observer for John Kennedy in Massachusetts. In 1957, he became an assistant lawyer for a special Senate committee. He worked there for Robert Kennedy, who was the main lawyer for the committee.

In 1958, O'Donnell joined Senator John Kennedy's team. He became a key organizer and advisor during Kennedy's campaign for president in 1960. The next year, he became President Kennedy's special assistant and Appointments Secretary. This meant he helped manage the President's schedule and important meetings. He also advised the President during big events like the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.

O'Donnell helped plan President Kennedy's trip to Dallas in November 1963. He was in a car right behind the President's car when Kennedy was shot. This event was very hard for O'Donnell, and he felt sad about it for a long time.

After President Kennedy's death, O'Donnell continued to work as a presidential aide for Lyndon B. Johnson until early 1965. He then decided to run for governor of Massachusetts in 1966, but he did not win. In 1968, he managed Robert Kennedy's campaign when Robert ran for president.

Robert Kennedy's death in June 1968 was another very sad event for O'Donnell. After this, he joined Hubert Humphrey's campaign for president. In 1970, he tried again to become governor of Massachusetts, but he was not successful.

In 1972, O'Donnell and his friend David Powers wrote a book together about President Kennedy. The book was called Johnny We Hardly Knew Ye: Memories of John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

Family Life

While he was at Harvard, Kenny O'Donnell married Helen Sullivan in 1947. They had five children together: Kenneth Jr., twins Kathleen and Kevin, Mark, and Helen. After Helen passed away, he married Asta Hanna Helga Steinfatt, who was from Germany. O'Donnell died a few months after his second marriage.

Later Years and Passing

On August 11, 1977, Kenny O'Donnell was admitted to Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. He passed away on September 9, 1977, at the age of 53. His family asked that the cause of his death not be shared publicly.

On September 12, 1977, a funeral service was held for O'Donnell at the Blessed Sacrament Roman Catholic Church in Jamaica Plain. Many important people attended, including former Boston mayor John F. Collins and several members of the Kennedy family, like President Kennedy's wife, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

About His Life

In 1998, Kenny O'Donnell's daughter, Helen O'Donnell, wrote a book about her father. It was called A Common Good: The Friendship of Robert F. Kennedy and Kenneth P. O'Donnell. The book tells the story of her father's close friendship with Robert Kennedy.

Portrayals in Media

See also

In Spanish: Kenneth O'Donnell para niños