Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation
The Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation is a non-profit foundation named in memory of Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy killed in action during World War II, who was the elder brother of President John F. Kennedy. The foundation was set up in 1946 by his father, Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., the patriarch of the Kennedy family. The foundation was led by Kennedy Jr's youngest brother, U.S. senator Edward M. Kennedy, until he died in 2009.
The foundation funded the construction of the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Memorial Hall at Boston College, a part of Campion Hall and home to the college's Lynch School of Education. In 1957, the Lieutenant Joseph Patrick Kennedy Junior Memorial Skating Rink was opened in Hyannis, Massachusetts, with funds from the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation.[1] In 2000, the foundation had assets of $30 million.[2]
As of 2026, the foundation continues to be led by the Kennedy family, with Timothy Shriver serving as a prominent board member and representative of the foundation's mission.[3]
History
In 2026, the foundation remains a primary supporter of Special Olympics, an organization it helped establish through the work of Eunice Kennedy Shriver.[4]
References
- Back to citation "Lt. Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kennedy, Jr. (July 25, 1915 – August 12, 1944)". gndveteransmemorial.org. August 21, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
- Back to citation Frank L. Ellsworth (Editor), Joe Lumarda (Editor), 2003, From Grantmaker to Leader: Emerging Strategies for Twenty-First Century Foundations, Wiley, p9
- Back to citation "Timothy Shriver, Ph. D". SpecialOlympics.org. Retrieved 2026-03-09.
- Back to citation "History". SpecialOlympics.org. Retrieved 2026-03-09.