Sargent Shriver, a Kennedy brother-in-law and founder of a Chicago-based national center on poverty law, has died.

He was 95.

Shriver dedicated his life to those in need.

President John F. Kennedy put Shriver in charge as the Peace Corp’s first director.

Shriver helped lead President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty and worked with other social programs such as Head Start and the Special Olympics.

In 1967, he founded a national center on poverty law. Based in Chicago, it delivers legal services to low-income people. A decade ago, the center renamed itself after Shriver.

John Bouman is president of the nonprofit Shriver National Center on Poverty Law. He said Shriver stayed involved until he became too sick.

“He came to our fundraisers every year and was a featured speaker and a marvelous drawing card and a wonderful guy. No one could work a room like him, an exuberant, optimistic, interesting guy,” Bouman said.

In 1972, the Democratic Party nominated Shriver as its vice presidential candidate.

Shriver also served as U.S. ambassador to France from 1968 to 1970.