Born in 1925 in Brookline, Massachusetts, Robert F. Kennedy was the seventh of nine children of a close-knit political family. After serving in the military and then graduating from college and law school, Kennedy became campaign manager for his brother John F. Kennedy’s successful bid to reach the U.S. Senate in 1952. Throughout the 1950s Robert Kennedy served on a number of Senate committees as legal counsel and made a name for himself in hearings that investigated labor racketeering. In 1960 he managed John’s successful presidential campaign, and he served in his brother’s administration as attorney general and one of his closest advisers. Robert Kennedy spearheaded the administration’s participation in the civil rights movement, especially the drive to integrate universities and protect the rights of blacks in public accommodations. At the same time he continued his pursuit of labor union corruption, targeting the International Brotherhood of Teamsters president James Hoffa.