Kennedy is a native of Woodstock, Ontario, Canada. He attended college at Cornell University, earning a bachelor's degree in animal science in 1963. While at Cornell, he was a member of the Quill and Dagger society and played for the men's ice hockey team. As a goalkeeper he earned All-Ivy League honors for three consecutive years and attained All-America status in 1963 along with being named Cornell's Outstanding Athlete.
Career
Cornell University
Kennedy served as Cornell's athletic director from 1983 to 1994. While there, Cornell totaled nine team national championships, 36 Ivy League team championships and 102 All-Americans. It was also during his tenure that several upgrades were made to athletic facilities including the press box and playing surface at Schoellkopf Field and construction of the Alberding Field House and the Oxley Equestrian Center.
Kennedy served as athletic director at Kent State University from 1994 to June 30, 2010. Through the 2008–09 season, Kennedy's tenure has seen the Golden Flashes win 251 individual Mid-American Conference titles, 85 MAC team titles, along with 83 All-America honors. All four of Kent State's Reese Trophy wins, awarded for best men's athletic accomplishments in the MAC, occurred under Kennedy with the most recent being in 2009. The women's athletic teams have won the MAC's Jacoby Trophy 5 times under Kennedy with both men and women consistently finishing in the top 3. He oversaw the addition of two varsity sports, women's soccer and women's golf, and major facility upgrades at Dix Stadium, the MAC Center, and Olga Mural Field at Schoonover Stadium. New facilities built during Kennedy's tenure include Murphy-Mellis Field for field hockey, the Ferrara and Page Golf Training and Learning Center for men's and women's golf, the Diamond at Dix for softball, and the Athletic Academic Resource Center for all KSU student-athletes. Kent State was given full certification by the NCAA both in 1997 and 2004. He also oversaw completion of a comprehensive gender equity study, and the formation of two organizations: the National Athletic Development Council which systematically evaluates the various sports programs and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee which provides input on the department's planning process. Kennedy was named the Northeast Region Division I-A Athletic Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics in both 2002 and 2006. He announced in August 2009 that he will retire at the conclusion of the 2009-2010 athletic season.
