Mary Jo Kopechne would be 65 today

Mary Jo Kopechne, the daughter of an insurance salesman, was born in the village of Forty Fort, Pennsylvania, on 26th July 1940. After graduating from Caldwell College for Women in New Jersey, she moved to Washington where she worked as a secretary for George Smathers and Robert Kennedy. During this time she shared an apartment with Nancy Carole Tyler, who worked for Bobby Baker.

On 17th July, 1969, Kopechne joined several other women who had worked for the Kennedy family at the Edgartown Regatta. She stayed at the Katama Shores Motor Inn on the southern tip of Martha's Vineyard. The following day the women traveled across to Chappaquiddick Island. They were joined by Edward Kennedy and that night they held a party at Lawrence Cottage. At the party was Kennedy, Kopechne, Susan Tannenbaum, Maryellen Lyons, Ann Lyons, Rosemary Keough, Esther Newburgh, Joe Gargan, Paul Markham, Charles Tretter, Raymond La Rosa and John Crimmins.

Kopechne and Kennedy left the party at 11.15pm. Kennedy had offered to take Kopechne back to her hotel.

A drunk Teddy Kennedy drove his car into the water at Chappaquiddick, Martha's Vineyard. In spite of having life guard training, Kennedy left his passenger Mary Jo Kopechne in the car while he swam to safety. Mary Jo drowned.

With money and power, Teddy Kennedy received  probation and a year's suspension of his driver's license. For some unexplainable reason the people of Massachusetts still continue to re-elect the slimewad to the Senate.

Posted by Danny Carlton at July 26, 2005 08:48 AM