Former President Joe Biden receives lifetime achievement award at Kennedy Institute in Boston

Source: CBS News

Updated on: October 27, 2025 / 6:15 AM EDT


Former President Joe Biden received the lifetime achievement award at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute in Boston Sunday night, saying that it was "one of the most meaningful honors" he had ever received. The event marked Biden's first public appearance since completing a round of cancer treatment a week ago.

The institute honored Biden as part of its tenth anniversary celebration. It noted his contributions to public service, including his election to the Senate in 1972, his time as vice president under Barack Obama, and his eventual election as the 46th president. Biden is the first-ever recipient of the award and was introduced by Kennedy's widow, Victoria Kennedy.

"I want to tell you how much this means to me, to receive an award that honors the legacy of my friend Teddy Kennedy, who was by my side for every consequential moment of my political life," Biden said at the event. "He made such a profound difference in my personal life."

Biden explained that Kennedy helped him in his Senate campaign and continued to help through the death of his first wife, Neilia Hunter Biden, and his daughter, Naomi Christina Biden. "I was planning to give up my seat in the Senate," Biden explained. "Teddy wouldn't let me give up."

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/boston-kennedy-institute-joe-biden-lifetime-achievement/