JFK, Jr. at Brown University (posted July 19, 1999)

I arrived at Brown in Fall, 1982 just in time for John Kennedy, Jr.'s senior year. Although I never had him in class, I used to see him around campus. He had a reputation as someone who did not trade on his celebrity name and who wanted a typical undergraduate experience. When he arrived at Brown, his mother laid down the law with university officials. She did not want a lot of press attention during his time at the university. Local journalists pretty much complied with this request. There were few newspaper or television stories about him while he was at Brown. No tabloid reporters or photographers lurked around the corner seeking an expose. The result was that he had exactly the type of undergraduate experience he and his mother wanted. He appeared in a few student theatrical productions. He organized a protest or two against South Africa. He attended classes and had fun.

The only time the press really descended on the family was at graduation time. With the presence of Jackie and other Kennedy members, reporters gleefully covered John's graduation in May, 1983. A rented limousine ferried the family from event to event, amidst crowds of gawking on-lookers. People strolled past the Kennedy table at the campus dance that weekend to get a glimpse of Jackie's stunning all-black outfit. Family members gathered at Political Science at one point that weekend to celebrate the teaching excellence of John's constitutional law professor and advisor.

It took John several years to sort out his future direction. After settling on law, graduating from New York University Law School and working in the New York office of the District Attorney, John shifted to the world of magazine publishing. Here, he found his real joy and niche would he could contribute. It was a position that allowed him to combine his celebrity appeal with a platform for public service, all without the confining features of elective politics. It is terribly sad that we will never discover what great things he could have done with the rest of his life.