Mary Jo Kopechne’s tragic death at Chappaquiddick in 1969 left Ted Kennedy tainted for the rest of his life. Mary Jo Kopechne was killed in a car accident, driven by United States Senetar, Ted Kennedy who passed away of brain cancer.

An American teacher, a Secretary and a Political Campaign Specialist Mary Jo Kopechne was born on July 26, 1940 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of Gwen, and Joseph Kopechne, an insurance agent / salesman. She graduated from Caldwell College for Women (New Jersey). Mary used to teach at the Mission of St Jude. It was 1963 she moved to Washington, D.C., and started the job of a secretary in George Smathers’ (Senator Florida) office.

She continued with her secretarial job but joined the then New York Senator Mr. Robert F. Kennedy office. There she was legal advisers’ secretary as well as senator’s speechwriters’ secretary. The loyal lady once stayed on her toes all night in March 1967 at Hickory Hill where she had to type a historic and major speech for the senator. The speech was against the Vietnam War.

In 1968, her last few days one must say, she took care of Kennedy’s speeches by selecting appropriate wording and was among the ‘Boiler Room Girls’ as well. This was an honorary title awarded to her and 5 more girls who were confined to a kind windowless atmosphere in Washington headquarters for Kennedy. The voting trends of Democrats and other important issues were monitored by those brave girls constantly.

It was 18 July, 1969 when Kopechne was returning from a party in the Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts. The party in fact was a 4th ‘Reunion’ of the Robert Kennedy’s Campaign Staff, the ‘Boiler Room Girls.’ She and Ted Kennedy, Senator Robert Kennedy’s brother, left at 11:15 pm with an aim to catch a ferry to Edgartown, for Mary. Ted who was driving, could not control the 1967 model Oldsmobile Delmont 88 on a dark bridge and the along with its passengers, plunged into the water.

Ted Kennedy admitted that it was his fault that he took a wrong turn but he just could not understand what actually happened. Somehow or the other, Ted managed to extricate himself before being drowned with the toppled car but poor Kopechne just could not find enough time to free herself and died there.

Here is a photo of Mary Jo Kopechne who died in the car accident.

Mary Jo Kopechne