9. Joseph Kennedy
Joseph Kennedy, the son of Robert and Ethel Kennedy, was the second of 11 children. Joseph was named after his grandfather. He was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. Unfortunately, Joseph’s early years were troublesome, getting expelled from multiple private schools. Not only did Joseph have trouble at school, but he also had physical disputes with his siblings and cousins on a regular basis. To add to Joseph’s problems, his father died when he was only 15 years old. In 1972, Joseph was on an airplane that was hijacked. Fortunately, all passengers survived. The following year, Joseph rolled his Jeep; the accident caused fractures to his brother David Kennedy and paralyzed David’s girlfriend. As a result, Joseph temporarily lost his driver’s license, due to reckless driving. To repay Pam Kelley, David’s girlfriend, the Kennedy family covered her medical treatment and continued care.
In an effort to get his life together, Joseph returned to school and earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts – Boston. After graduation, he served on a nonprofit organization that provided relief to low-income families struggling to pay for home utilities. Joseph then carried on the family legacy and was elected House of Representatives for the 8th congressional district of Massachusetts, where he resided for 13 years.