ASHINGTON - Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg will make a rare speech at the Democratic National Convention next month to recall her father's memory, while Senator Edward M. Kennedy will assume his traditional role as party motivator.
The Kennedy oratorical one-two punch will also mark a set of family highs and lows: the 40th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's winning the Democratic nomination in Los Angeles, and the first anniversary of the death of John F. Kennedy Jr. In 1988, the younger Kennedy addressed Democrats at the Atlanta convention that nominated Massachusetts Governor Michael S. Dukakis.
In recent months, Kennedy Schlossberg has emerged from seclusion to assume a more prominent family role, handing out the annual ''Profile in Courage Award'' at the Kennedy presidential library in May and attending a Tall Ships party July 4 in New York aboard the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy. She christened the ship when she was 7 years old.
Nonetheless, the speech is a rarity for Kennedy Schlossberg, an attorney and mother of three who covets her privacy.
Family intimates and an aide to Vice President Al Gore, this year's nominee, said yesterday that the Democrats' return to the city where President Kennedy was nominated spurred the sole survivor of his immediate family to speak.
Aides are considering having Kennedy Schlossberg and her uncle address the convention during TV prime time on Tuesday, Aug. 15, although details are still under discussion. The senator always plays a prominent role at the conventions, but this year's setting and anniversary are expected to trigger a wave of nostalgia.
''I think what you're going to see is Caroline giving a shorter address linking back to her father, and the senator having a much more fiery address to motivate the Democratic troops,'' said a party source, speaking on condition of anonymity. ''That's certainly what the convention needs.''
Gore enjoyed a bounce this year after the senator endorsed him in Boston and then twice visited Iowa and New Hampshire on the vice president's behalf.
Will Keyser, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Democrat, said: ''The Democratic Party is very interested in having Senator Kennedy play a prominent role in Los Angeles. The details are still being worked out.''
Gore spokesman Mark Fabiani confirmed that Kennedy Schlossberg would speak, but he would not discuss the details. Her role was first reported yesterday on NBC's ''Today.''
The speaking roles for Kennedy Schlossberg and her uncle have parallels with the appearance by her brother and Senator Kennedy in 1988.
During the Atlanta convention, John F. Kennedy Jr. brought the delegates to their feet with his introduction, a speech that prompted speculation about his political future.
''Over a quarter of century ago, my father stood before you to accept the nomination for the presidency of the United States,'' John F. Kennedy Jr. said 12 years ago. ''So many of you came into public service because of him and in a very real sense, it is because of you he is with us today.''
Senator Kennedy went on to deliver his famous ''Where was George?'' attack on then-Vice President George Bush, the father of this year's Republican candidate, Texas Governor George W. Bush.
