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Help ID this Political Button
Earlier today I received an email asking for help in identifying this political button.
The query explained that the button is 2-1/4” across and that it was made by Universal Badge, probably in the late 1960s, early 1970s. Since the only “Kennedy” of that generation who served as a member of Congress was JFK and he was in Congress much early, the question becomes, was this from the 1970 Congressional campaign of Lowell’s Bob Kennedy?
Incumbent Congressman Brad Morse had been appointed to the UN by President Nixon and so there was an open seat. Here’s the lineup in the Democratic Primary:
1972 Democratic Primary for the Fifth Congressional District
Glenn M. Cooper of Lowell
John J. Desmond of Lowell
Anthony R. DiFruscia of Lawrence
Helen Gilbride Droney of Lowell
Frederick J. Finnegan of Chelmsford
Robert B Kennedy of Lowell
John F. Kerry of Lowell
Daniel P. Kiley Jr of Lawrence
Paul J. Sheehy of Lowell
Richard Williams of Lowell
Kerry won with 20,771 although he lost the general election to Paul Cronin. Paul Sheehy finished second on the primary with 15,641 votes. Bob Kennedy finished fifth with 5,632 votes. I believe that he was already a state representative when he ran for Congress. He went on to serve multiple terms as a Lowell City Councilor, one term as mayor of Lowell, and several terms as Governor’s Councilor before becoming the director of the Lowell Regional Transit Authority.
So, does anyone recognize the button from that campaign? If not, any suggestions about where it came from? Please post your answer as a comment or by email to me at DickHoweJr[at]gmail.com. Thanks.
Dick: I’m pretty sure that the campaign button would have been from Bobby Kennedy ‘ s congressional campaign in 1972. I served as Bobby ‘ s advertising manager and the font used in the word “Kennedy” was one that I used throughout the campaign. If the button is blue ink on a white background then is is most likely Bobby ‘ s . One note though. Bobby was not a state rep when he ran for congress. He was still a city councillor. We had just come off the Muskie for President campaign and went right into the Congressional csmpaign. Stayed in the same headquarters – Ivy hall on Merrimack St.
He ran for state rep successfully after he finished his term as mayor in Lowell.
Martha Monazynski Welch
Martha, thanks for your comment and for sharing your insider knowledge of the Kennedy for Congress campaign. Thanks also for correcting my chronology. Between serving as a state rep, on the city council, as mayor, as governor’s councilor, as a Congressional candidate, as a member of the charter commission and as LRTA director, Lowell’s Bobby Kennedy served the public in many ways.