As chief counsel of the Senate Racket Committee in the late 1950s, Kennedy had achieved national prominence for his investigations of Teamsters leaders Dave Beck and Jimmy Hoffa. He was appointed Attorney General by his brother John in 1960. In 1964, Robert Kennedy was elected to the Senate from New York.

Gardner Cox drew sketches for this portrait in February 1968, when the Senator was deciding whether to run for the presidency.

Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, gift of Gardner Cox.