Judge

Parents: David Stewart Kennedy (1834–1898) and Nancy Wills Kelly (1837–1921). Married: Katherine Herine Fuller (1870–1949).

Children: None recorded. Kinship: First cousin three times removed of the post–World War II Smith generation.

Early Life and Education Archie Goodwill Kennedy was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, the son of a Presbyterian minister. In 1878 the family moved to Illinois, where Archie attended Sandwich High School and later the State Normal University at Normal. He graduated from Monmouth College in 1892 and began reading law under Judge Carnes in DeKalb, Illinois.

Legal Training and Career Kennedy was admitted to the bar in 1894 and continued his studies at the Chicago Law School, from which he graduated in 1899. His early legal work reflected both energy and ambition. He served as city attorney for DeKalb and then as state’s attorney for DeKalb County from 1900 to 1904. Governor Charles Deneen later appointed him judge of the Illinois Court of Claims. A Republican, Kennedy also served twelve years as city judge. His tenure on the Cook County Circuit and Superior Courts was notable for his efficiency: he was credited with aiding in the disposition of approximately 4,000 cases.

Civic Involvement Beyond his judicial work, Kennedy was active in civic life. He served as president of the DeKalb County Bar Association, as a member and later president of the DeKalb Township High School Board, and as a member of the local hospital board. He was also a charter member of the Salvation Army board and belonged to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

Religious and Personal Life Judge Kennedy was a member of the First Congregational Church of DeKalb, Illinois, where he was an active supporter and from which he was buried in 1943. His life reflected the Midwestern blend of public service, religious conviction, and civic duty characteristic of his generation of professional men descended from the Scots-Irish Kennedys of Pennsylvania.