Paul Kirk was sworn into the Senate seat vacated by the recent death of Ted Kennedy on September 25, 2010, as many of the Kennedy family looked on. Ted Kennedy held the seat for 5 decades until his death on August 25th, 2010. [1]

Their mother, Rose, was the eldest daughter of John Francis Fitzgerald (1863-1850), a son of Irish immigrants who succeeded in politics. He was twice Mayor of Boston, a Massachusetts State Senator, and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for two different districts. John F. Fitzgerald and his political contemporary, Patrick J. Kennedy, can be considered “Generation one” of the Kennedy clan. Rose Fitzgerald married Joseph Kennedy, the eldest son of Patrick to become Generation two.

Rose and Joseph’s children were encouraged - in fact, required - to discuss the events of the day intelligently every night at dinner, no matter their age. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/26/AR2009082601018.html Deeply competitive, this generation of a family steeped in politics, have lived through fame, infamy, disaster, triumph and romance. Community service, especially politics, has been the theme of the Kennedy family.