Activists Honored by Caroline Kennedy ’80

Caroline B. Kennedy ’80 was on hand at the Institute of Politics forum last night to present the Sixth Annual New Frontier Award—an honor created in memory of her father John F. Kennedy ’40—to Pennsylvania Congressman Patrick J. Murphy and social entrepreneur Rebecca D. Onie ’98.

In her opening remarks to a packed audience, Kennedy discussed the importance of the award to her family, stating that they had taught her to believe that “you are never too young or too old for public service.”

She not only highlighted the legacy of her father, but also discussed the work of her uncle, Senator Edward M. Kennedy ’54-’56, and aunt Eunice Kennedy Shriver, both of whom passed away this summer.

Murphy, who was the first Iraq War Veteran to serve in the United States Congress, discussed his difficult road from military service to public office as he accepted his award.

“Just like my time in Iraq and my time on the campaign, serving in Congress has tested me, often in ways I could never imagine,” Murphy said.

The congressman also discussed his efforts to repeal the military’s controversial “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy on gay servicemen.

Calling the policy “discriminatory,” Murphy said he was “privileged to be leading the fight” to repeal the measure, first enacted in 1993.

Onie, the other honoree, was recognized for her work with Project HEALTH, a program she co-founded as a Harvard sophomore to help low-income families address various factors which contribute to poor health.

As she accepted her award, Onie discussed her volunteer experiences in Cambridge that ultimately led her to found Project HEALTH, and she linked the organization’s work with the current national debate on healthcare reform.

“Our country right now thinks that health care is a disaster,” she said. “We at Project HEALTH believe that things can be different. Project HEALTH’s model is simple, it’s effective, and it’s cheap.”

Following the ceremony, Kennedy said she was glad to honor individuals whose service addressed ongoing social concerns.

“I think history has a lot to teach us, and I think the values are enduring,” Kennedy said. “We can see that these issues have always been with us but that we’ve made a lot of progress.”

The New Frontier Awards, which are cosponsored by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and the IOP, are given annually at the Forum to two Americans under the age of 40 in recognition of their public service contributions.

—Staff writer Evan T. R. Rosenman can be reached at erosenm@fas.harvard.edu.