Joseph Sr. expected his eldest son , Joseph Jr. , to go into politics and to ultimately be elected president . Joseph Jr. was elected as a delegate to the 1940 Democratic National Convention , and enlisted in the Navy after the U.S. entered World War II . Joseph Jr. was killed in 1944 when the bomber he was piloting exploded in flight . It then fell upon John , who had considered a career as a journalist — he had authored a book and did some reporting for Hearst Newspapers — to fulfill his father 's desire to see the family involved in politics and government . After returning from Navy service , John served in the U.S. House of Representatives representing the 11th congressional district of Massachusetts from 1947 to 1953 , and then as U.S. Senator until his election as President in 1960 . During John 's administration , Robert served as attorney general ; his brother-in-law Sargent Shriver served as director of the new Peace Corps , and Ted was elected to the Senate . Among the Kennedy administration 's accomplishments : the Alliance for Progress , the Peace Corps , peaceful resolution to the Cuban Missile Crisis , the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963 , the 24th Amendment ending the poll tax , and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 . The family was the subject of intense media coverage during and after the Kennedy presidency , often emphasizing their relative youth , allure , education , and future in politics . Ted served in the Senate with his brother Robert , and was serving in the Senate when his nephew , Joseph P. II , and son , Patrick J. , served in the U.S. House of Representatives
1940 Democratic National Convention
1940 Democratic National Convention
Kennedy family