Mary Jo Kopechne was an American political campaign staffer born on July 26, 1940, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Georgetown University and worked for Robert F. Kennedy during his 1968 presidential campaign. Kopechne was known for her intelligence and dedication to public service. On July 18, 1969, she tragically died in a car accident involving Edward M. Kennedy, a prominent U.S. Senator and member of the Kennedy family. The incident occurred on Chappaquiddick Island in Massachusetts, leading to significant media attention and controversy surrounding the circumstances of her death and Kennedy's actions afterward.