Ethel Kennedy, widow of former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, was a graduate of Manhattanville College in Purchase, now Manhattanville University. She died Oct. 10 at age 96 from complications due to a stroke she had suffered a few days before. Her maiden name was Skakel and she grew up with her family in Greenwich.
Ethel and her family moved to Greenwich in the early 1930s when she was age 5. Her father George Skakel was in the coal business and became wealthy enough to afford a mansion on Lake Avenue. She attended Greenwich Academy, a college-preparatory school for girls.
Later, while attending Manhattanville, Ethel Skakel met her classmate Jean Kennedy’s brother, Robert. Ethel graduated in 1949 and she married Robert Kennedy in 1950. According to her college yearbook page from 1949, Ethel majored in English and minored in History. She was in the dramatics club during her sophomore, junior and senior years and played hockey in all four years as well as being on the school’s tennis squad in her junior year. She was described in her yearbook write-up as having “a heart of gold.”
In 2020, the trustees of Manhattanville awarded Ethel Kennedy an honorary doctorate of humane letters. Her daughter, Kerry Kennedy, accepted the degree on her mother’s behalf and delivered a commencement speech in which she shared words of inspiration drawing on her mother’s legacy. That same year, the doctoral program at Manhattanville’s School of Education established the Ethel Kennedy Award for Human Rights Leadership as part of the program’s 10-year anniversary, to further honor Mrs. Kennedy by recognizing others’ shared passion for promoting human rights, particularly within the field of education.
“Ethel Kennedy embodied unwavering courage, compassion, and a commitment to social responsibility,” said Manhattanville University President Frank D. Sánchez. “It is a source of pride that Manhattanville, and the incredibly strong women who founded it, played a part in shaping the values that she held throughout her life. Ethel had a tremendous impact on the world and will be fondly remembered by all those who knew her and by the countless people who were inspired by her.”
