Sorensen on Kennedy: The 'Kid Brother' Who Grew Up

Going from "kid brother" to senior statesman was an extraordinary journey for Ted Kennedy, matching the similar journeys taken by his brothers John and Robert

Terry Ashe / Time & Life Pictures / Getty

Senator Edward Kennedy

When I first met Ted Kennedy 55 years ago, he did not initially seem to be much more than the "kid brother" — fun, funny, friendly, but not a major part of the genial Kennedy dinner-table conversations on policy and politics. When I last met with him, in the summer of 2008, he was the Senate's next-to-eldest statesman convening a breakfast meeting to discuss his plan to establish a research institute or foundation for the scholarly study of the Senate and its role and history in American public life. I took that opportunity to present to him a copy of my...

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