Robert E. Kennedy was born in Portland, Oregon but lived most of his childhood in San Diego, California, graduating from Herbert Hoover High School in 1933.
from San Diego State University in 1938 with a Bachelor of Arts in English with minors in history and economics.
Naval training programs on the Cal Poly campus, instructed cadets in communications.
During his long tenure as faculty and administrator at Cal Poly, Robert Kennedy represented the college on numerous state and national education councils, including the Chancellor's Council of Presidents and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU).
On January 5, 1981, the CSUC Trustees voted to name the Robert E. Kennedy Library in honor of his long and dedicated service to Cal Poly.