Boiler Room Girls
Encyclopedia
The "Boiler Room Girls" were the female members of Senator
Robert F. Kennedy's
1968 presidential campaign
staff. While an American political campaign often makes calls from a phone bank
that has much in common with a marketing boiler room
, this group actually had desks in space designed as a mechanical room
of the building the campaign used.
Six of them, listed in descending order of age (in 1968), were the following:
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Robert F. Kennedy's
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
1968 presidential campaign
United States presidential election, 1968
The United States presidential election of 1968 was the 46th quadrennial United States presidential election. Coming four years after Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson won in a historic landslide, it saw Johnson forced out of the race and Republican Richard Nixon elected...
staff. While an American political campaign often makes calls from a phone bank
Phone bank
Phone bank can mean:*A collection of telephones within an organization such as a call centre.*A banking institution that does business solely or mostly via telephone. See telephone banking....
that has much in common with a marketing boiler room
Boiler room (business)
In business, the term boiler room refers to a busy centre of activity, often selling questionable goods by telephone. It typically refers to a room where salesmen work using unfair, dishonest sales tactics, sometimes selling penny stock or committing outright stock fraud...
, this group actually had desks in space designed as a mechanical room
Mechanical room
A mechanical room or a boiler room is a room or space in a building dedicated to the mechanical equipment and its associated electrical equipment. Unless a building is served by a centralized heating plant, the size of the mechanical room is usually proportional to the size of the building...
of the building the campaign used.
Six of them, listed in descending order of age (in 1968), were the following:
- Mary Jo KopechneMary Jo KopechneMary Jo Kopechne was an American teacher, secretary, and political campaign specialist who died in a car accident in Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts on July 18, 1969, while a passenger in a car being driven by U.S. Senator Edward M...
, 28, who died a year after RFK's campaign, off Chappaquiddick IslandChappaquiddick IslandChappaquiddick Island is a small island off the eastern end of the larger island of Martha's Vineyard and is part of the town of Edgartown, Massachusetts. The island's name became internationally recognized following the July 18, 1969 incident, for which U.S. Senator Edward M...
in 1969 in a highly-publicized and controversial car accident involving her driver, Senator Edward M. KennedyTed KennedyEdward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
, who pleaded guilty after leaving the scene of an accident; - Mary Ellen Lyons, a graduate of Regis CollegeRegis CollegeRegis College is a Roman Catholic liberal arts and sciences college located in Weston, Massachusetts. Founded as a women’s college in 1927, Regis became co-educational in 2007.-History:...
in Weston, MassachusettsWeston, MassachusettsWeston is a suburb of Boston located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States in the Boston metro area. The population of Weston, according to the 2010 U.S. Census, is 11,261....
, sister of Nance Lyons, and now practicing attorney in BostonBostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
; - Nance Lyons, 26, a graduate of College of the Sacred Heart in Newton, MassachusettsNewton, MassachusettsNewton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
, sister of Mary Ellen Lyons, and now a practicing attorney in BostonBostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
; - Esther NewbergEsther NewbergEsther Newberg is an American literary agent and former aide to Senator Robert F. Kennedy during his 1968 presidential campaign.-Political career:...
, 26, now a New YorkNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
literary agentLiterary agentA literary agent is an agent who represents writers and their written works to publishers, theatrical producers and film producers and assists in the sale and deal negotiation of the same. Literary agents most often represent novelists, screenwriters and major non-fiction writers...
and executive - Susan Tannenbaum, 24, now a retired lobbyist in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and wife of a Washington lawyer; and - Rosemary "Cricket" Keough (now Rosemary Keough Redmond Kerrebrock), 23, a graduate of Manhattanville CollegeManhattanville CollegeManhattanville College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college offering undergraduate and graduate degrees, located in Purchase, New York. Founded in 1841 it was known initially as Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart...
and Boston UniversityBoston UniversityBoston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
who went on to be partner in a Lincoln, MassachusettsLincoln, MassachusettsLincoln is a town in the historic area of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,362 at the 2010 census, including residents of Hanscom Air Force Base that live within town limits...
law firmLaw firmA law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
with her late husband.
External links
- Who's who at the Kennedy inquest - time.com, September 5, 1969