United States Congressman. He gained notability after being elected to the United States House of Representative as an Opposition Party candidate in the Thirty-fourth Congress serving from March 4, 1855 to March 3, 1857. He represented the entire population of St. Louis, Missouri along with the northern part of the surrounding county. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection with Francis Preston Blair Jr winning the election. Born one of ten children of Preston and Margaret Kennett, he was educated in private schools in Kentucky until the age of fifteen when his father had financial difficulties. Serving in the State of Kentucky, he was the deputy county clerk of Pendleton County from 1822 to 1823 and served as county clerk from Campbell County in 1824. He attempted to study law while working. The next year, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri where he had a position as clerk in a mercantile establishment and later a partner becoming financial secured, thus abandoned any hopes of a law career. Later, he was engaged in lead mining and manufacture of shot in Jefferson and St. Francois counties, but returned in 1842 to St. Louis serving as city alderman from 1843 to 1846. He built a beautiful home called the "Fairview." As his health was declining, he refused reelection to traveled to Europe, returning to St. Louis in 1849. At this point, he served as vice president of the Pacific Railroad Company. During a Cholera epidemic, in which 8,000 of 63,000 citizens of St. Louis died, he led in the crisis resolving many of the problems. As a candidate of the Whig Party, he was elected to the office of mayor of St. Louis serving from 1850 to 1853. As the president of the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad in 1853, he benefited St. Louis' economy by providing the needed lines for transportation. He married twice: Martha Boyce, who died young, and a cousin, Agnes Kennett. He was the father of one daughter and eight sons. During his term as United States Congressman with an anti-slavery position, he witnessed a divided Congress over the issue of slavery, not only in words but physical attacks between congressmen., hence little actual business was accomplished. He supported bills that would appropriate funds for Missouri, but many did not pass. He retired from public service in 1857. Selling his St. Louis home in 1859, he left for Europe a few years later and died in Paris, France in 1873. His remains were repatriated to Missouri. The city of Kennett, Missouri was named in his honor.