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John A. Kennedy (Illinois politician)

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John A. Kennedy
Portrait from the 1965–1966 Illinois Blue Book
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives
from the at-large district
In office
January 13, 1965 – January 11, 1967
Personal details
Born
John Allen Kennedy

(1921-12-29)December 29, 1921
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedAugust 17, 1997(1997-08-17) (aged 75)
Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
ResidenceWinnetka, Illinois

John Allen Kennedy (December 29, 1921 – August 17, 1997) was an American politician and businessman.

Early life and education

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Kennedy was born on December 29, 1921, in Chicago. He attended Lane Tech College Prep High School[1] and received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering degree from Northwestern University.[2]

Military and business career

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Kennedy served in the United States Navy as an engineer from 1943 to 1946. He served at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 1943, working on the Manhattan Project.[2][1] He then served in the Pacific for two years repairing electronics.[2]

After the war, Kennedy worked for Motorola from 1946 to 1949. He then founded James Electronics, a manufacturer of electronic components.[2]

Kennedy served on numerous boards, including those of the St. Elizabeth's, St. Anne's, and St. Francis hospitals. He was a trustee at Barat College and at Northwestern's Technological Institute.[1]

Political career

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In 1962, Kennedy ran for Illinois's 13th congressional district, but lost to Republican candidate Donald Rumsfeld.[1] Kennedy was the co-founder and vice-chairman of the Winnetka Democratic Club.[2]

Kennedy was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in the 1964 election,[2] which was held at-large due to the legislature's failure to redistrict. Kennedy was nominated for the Democratic Party's ticket due to his name's similarity to the recently-slain John F. Kennedy, to whom he was unrelated.[3]

Kennedy chaired Lyndon B. Johnson's 1965 Task Force on Intergovernmental Information. He also helped create Illinois's Management Information Division during his time in the legislature.[1]

Kennedy ran for Illinois's 1st Senate district in the 1966 Illinois Senate election, but lost to the Republican incumbent W. Russell Arrington.[4][5]

Personal life and death

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Kennedy lived in Winnetka, Illinois. He had four sons and five daughters with his wife Mary Ann Bremner.[1][2] He died on August 17, 1997, at the Saint Francis Hospital of Evanston.[1]

Electoral history

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1962 Illinois's 13th congressional district election[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Donald Rumsfeld 139,230 63.52%
Democratic John A. Kennedy 79,419 36.23%
Write-in 542 0.25%
Total votes 219,191 100%
1966 Illinois's 1st Senate district election[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican W. Russell Arrington (incumbent) 55,080 70.54%
Democratic John A. Kennedy 23,005 29.46%
Total votes 78,085 100%

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Heise, Kenan (August 19, 1997). "John A. Kennedy, Ex-lawmaker". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Powell, Paul (ed.). Illinois Blue Book (1965-1966 ed.). p. 239. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  3. ^ Pearson, Rick; Hardy, Thomas (December 17, 1991). "Ruling Rekindles Visions of '64 'Bedsheet' Ballot". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on March 2, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  4. ^ Yuenger, James (May 15, 1966). "Hopefuls Enter Local Primary Races". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Official Vote of the State of Illinois". Illinois State Board of Elections. 1966. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  6. ^ "Official Vote of the State of Illinois". Illinois State Board of Elections. 1962. Retrieved September 20, 2023.