Brigadier General Kenneth Wade Kennedy was born in Nacogdoches to Joseph and Maddie Kennedy on September 3, 1918. He is the brother of Joseph Kennedy, one of the co-discoverers of plutonium. Kenneth graduated as valedictorian from Nacogdoches High School in 1935, and attended Stephen F. Austin for a short time before being accepted into West Point. He graduated from there with a BS in Civil and Military Engineering, and Military History. In 1944 he went to the Army Command and General Staff College. He graduated from MIT in 1947 with a Masters in Civil Engineering. He then attended the Armed Forces Staff College in 1957 and the Army War College in 1962, where he became Director of the International Relations Course.  He fought during World War II and was Shore Party Commander in the invasion of North Africa in 1942. He also served as an engineer advisor during the Greek Insurgency of 1949, and was decorated by King Paul of Greece. He also fought in the Korean War, as well as spent a year in Vietnam. During peace time, Kenneth was involved in projects in Japan and Greece for the Army Corps of Engineers. He received many medals and awards throughout his 30 year military career. In 1983, after retiring from the United States Army, he became a city council member in Lakeway, Texas. He married Audrey Ruth Smith in the 1940s, and together they had children, including a daughter that died at age four. Kenneth Kennedy passed away on June 25, 2009.