Kennedy, Rose

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'''Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy''' (July 22, 1890 – January 22, 1995) married into the Kennedy family and became its matriarch in the 20th century, when its members helped shape [[United States|American]] politics.
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[[Image:rose_kennedy.JPG|thumb|right|250px|Rose Kennedy holding her first son, Joe Jr., [[circa]] 1918]]
[[Image:rose_kennedy.JPG|thumb|right|Rose holding Joe Jr, [[circa]] 1918]]
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'''Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy''' (July 22, 1890 – January 22, 1995) married into the Kennedy family and together with her husband, [[Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.|Joe]], formed a dynasty whose members helped shape [[United States|American]] politics in the twentieth century. The Kennedys became America's equivalent of the "royal family."
  
==Birth==
+
Rose Kennedy raised children who sought to serve the greater purpose: President [[John F. Kennedy]] and Senator and Presidential candidate [[Robert F. Kennedy]] were her sons. Both of these public servants were assassinated very publicly, causing mourning throughout the world. She bore seven other children, two of whom died tragic deaths at the prime of their lives.
She was born '''Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald''' in the North End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, and died at the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts.  She was the eldest child of [[John F. Fitzgerald|John F. "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald]] (a prominent figure in Boston politics who served one term as a member of [[United States Congress|Congress]] and later became the city's mayor), and his wife, Mary Josephine Hannon.
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{{toc}}
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Through her difficulties she maintained her faith, never known to curse God or fate.  
  
The family lived for a time at 39 Welles Avenue in the Ashmont Hill section of Dorchester, Massachusetts, while she attended the local Girl's Latin School. The Victorian, mansard-style home, largest on the street, later burned down. A marker is there, at Welles Avenue and Harley Street, naming it "Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Square". The placement was celebrated by her son, Senator [[Edward M. Kennedy]], in 1992, on Rose's 102nd birthday.  
+
Rose Kennedy lived to be 104 years old.
  
Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy studied at a convent school in Blumenthal, Holland, and graduated from Dorchester High School in 1906.  She attended the [[New England Conservatory]] in Boston, studying piano[http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0920652.html]. Refused by her father permission to attend Wellesley College, Rose enrolled at the Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart (as it was known at that time). With her father she toured Europe in 1908.  They also visited the newly built [[Panama Canal]].
+
== The Kennedy Family ==
 +
'''Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald Kennedy''' was the matriach of "The Kennedy Clan," which was embedded in the [[United States|American]] political culture of the last half of the twentieth century like no other family. Inventors of "Camelot," the Kennedys were perhaps the closest thing to a royal family that America has ever known. They arrived at such a station through ambition, wealth, and fierce family loyalty, coupled with exuberance and glamor, honorable service to the nation, and family tragedies impossible to keep private. No family has had such a powerful hold on the American imagination.
  
==Marriage to Joe Kennedy & their children==
+
Three of their nine children would enter national politics, and one would become the youngest U.S. president to date, only to be assassinated in his first term. Another, a U.S. Attorney General, Senator, and Presidential candidate gunned down in the midst of his campaign. And a third, a Senator forced to withdraw from his Presidential bid following a murky scandal.  
She married [[Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.]] on October 7, 1914, after a courtship of more than 7 years, and they lived at first in nearby Brookline, Massachusetts, in a house that is now a national historic landmark. The Kennedys had the following nine children: Joseph Patrick Kennedy, Jr., John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Rose Marie Kennedy, Kathleen Agnes Kennedy Cavendish, Eunice Mary Kennedy Shriver, Patricia Kennedy Lawford, Robert Francis Kennedy, Jean Ann Kennedy Smith, and Edward Moore Kennedy.
 
  
==Family==
+
Mrs. Kennedy rarely talked publicly about her personal grief. But it is said she once she remarked to a friend: "Wasn't there a book about Michelangelo called ''The Agony and the Ecstasy''? That's what my life has been."<ref>''John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum,'' [http://www.jfklibrary.org/Historical+Resources/Biographies+and+Profiles/Biographies/Rose+Fitzgerald+Kennedy.htm Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy.] Retrieved January 25, 2007 </ref>
In 1938, President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] named Joseph P. Kennedy Ambassador to the Court of St. James's, and the family stayed in England till World War II broke out. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. served with distinction in World War II and died flying a mission in Europe. [[John F. Kennedy]], Naval veteran, Congressman and then Senator, was elected President of the United States in 1960, and assassinated in 1963. Rosemary Kennedy, the first daughter, was mentally retarded, and her conditon was the source of the many efforts of the Kennedy family on behalf of the mentally retarded. Kathleen Kennedy worked for the American Red Cross in Britain, married William John Robert Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington, in 1944, and died in a plane crash in 1948. Eunice Kennedy married R. Sargent Shriver, Jr., and founded the Special Olympics. Patricia Kennedy was married to actor Peter Lawford. They later divorced. Robert F. Kennedy, Attorney General of the United States and Senator from New York, ran for president in 1968. He did much for the civil rights movement, for the farmworkers, and for the cause of justice. During his campaign, he was assassinated. Jean Kennedy married Stephen Smith, founded Very Special Arts, and was appointed as ambassador to Ireland by President Clinton. Edward Kennedy has served for many years as Senator from Massachusetts.
+
 
 +
== Childhood and education ==
 +
'''Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald,''' born in the North End neighborhood of Boston, [[Massachusetts]], was the eldest child of six born to [[John F. Fitzgerald|John F. "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald]] (a prominent figure in Boston politics who served one term as a member of [[United States Congress|Congress]] and later became the city's mayor), and his wife, Mary Josephine Hannon.
 +
 
 +
The family lived for a time at 39 Welles Avenue, in the Ashmont Hill section of Dorchester, Massachusetts, while she attended the local girl's Latin school. The Victorian, mansard-style home, largest on the street, later burned down. A marker is there, at Welles Avenue and Harley Street, naming it "Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Square." The placement was celebrated by her son, Senator [[Edward M. Kennedy]], in 1992, on Rose's 102nd birthday.
 +
 
 +
She attended the New England Conservatory in Boston, studying piano. From there, she went on to the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Boston, Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart in Purchase, New York, and finally a [[Catholic]] finishing school in the [[Europe]]. Not content with society teas, Rose organized groups to discuss current affairs and taught catechism in Boston's slums.<ref>''Pearson Education—Infoplease,'' [http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0920652.html Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy.] Retrieved January 25, 2007.</ref>
 +
 
 +
With her father, she toured Europe in 1908. They also visited the newly built [[Panama Canal]].
 +
 
 +
== Marriage ==
 +
Rose Fitzgerald married [[Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.]] on October 7, 1914, after a courtship of more than seven  years, and they lived at first in nearby Brookline, Massachusetts, in a house that is now a national historic landmark. In 1929, Joseph and Rose Kennedy bought the summer house they had been renting in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. In time, their children established homes on adjacent properties. The houses and the Cape Cod locale would serve as the backdrop for Kennedy family gatherings over the years.
 +
 
 +
Kennedy's business ventures included banking, stock trading, producing movies and selling liquor. He got out of the [[stock market]] before the crash of 1929—after the major devaluation of everyone else's portfolios, his family was only more wealthy during the [[Great Depression]] of the 1930s.
 +
 
 +
"Was she a fool, I asked myself… or a saint? Or just a better actress than I was?" (Hollywood star Gloria Swanson on Rose Kennedy). Joseph Kennedy's affair with Swanson was widely known. In fact, it seemed there was no effort to hide his constant philandering. It could not have been easy, but Rose chose not to acknowledge it. Swanson recalled, "If she suspected me of having relations not quite proper with her husband, or resented me for it, she never once gave any indication of it." Rose's reaction to her situation was to focus on her [[religion]] while at the same time she is said to have distanced herself from her children.<ref>''PBS—An American Experience,'' [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/kennedys/peopleevents/p_rose.html Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy.] Retrieved January 25, 2007. </ref>
 +
 
 +
An intensely devout [[Roman Catholic]], Rose prayed in her own private retreat at the family compound. Much of her personal time was spent in religious contemplation.
 +
 
 +
In 1938, President [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt|Franklin Roosevelt]] named Joseph Kennedy Ambassador to the Court of St. James's, and the family stayed in [[Great Britain|England]] until [[World War II]] broke out.  
 +
 
 +
=== Family life and children ===
 +
Joe and Rose had nine children: Joseph Patrick Kennedy, Jr., John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Rose Marie Kennedy, Kathleen Agnes Kennedy Cavendish, Eunice Mary Kennedy Shriver, Patricia Kennedy Lawford, Robert Francis Kennedy, Jean Ann Kennedy Smith, and Edward Moore Kennedy.
 +
 
 +
Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. served with distinction in [[World War II]] and died flying a mission in [[Europe]].  
 +
 
 +
[[John F. Kennedy]], Naval veteran, Congressman and then Senator, was elected President of the [[United States]] in 1960, and was assassinated in Dallas, [[Texas]] in 1963.  
 +
 
 +
Rosemary Kennedy, the eldest daughter, diagnosed with mild retardation, underwent a medical procedure which promised to help her mood swings. The [[lobotomy]] was unsuccessful and she spent the remainder of her life in a Catholic convent. Due to her condition, the Kennedy family made significant contributions on behalf of the mentally handicapped.  
 +
 
 +
Kathleen Kennedy worked for the American Red Cross in [[Great Britain|Britain]], married William John Robert Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington, in 1944, and died in a plane crash in 1948.  
 +
 
 +
Eunice Kennedy married R. Sargent Shriver, Jr., and founded the [[Special Olympics]].  
 +
 
 +
Patricia Kennedy was married to actor [[Peter Lawford]]. They later divorced.  
 +
 
 +
[[Robert F. Kennedy]], Attorney General of the United States and Senator from New York, ran for the office of U.S. President in 1968. He was a great contributor to the [[civil rights]] movement, supporter of the farmworkers, and a voice for the cause of justice. During his campaign, he was assassinated in Los Angeles, [[California]].  
 +
 
 +
Jean Kennedy married Stephen Smith, founded Very Special Arts, and was appointed as ambassador to [[Ireland]] by President [[Bill Clinton|Clinton]].  
 +
 
 +
[[Edward Moore Kennedy]] has served for many years as Senator from Massachusetts. His presidential aspirations were cut short due to what is commonly known simply as "[[Chappaquidick]]," a scandal in which a young political worker drowned in his car after leaving a party with him.
  
 
In 1984, at the age of 94, Rose Kennedy suffered a stroke, which left her confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life.
 
In 1984, at the age of 94, Rose Kennedy suffered a stroke, which left her confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life.
  
==Death and legacy==
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== Death and legacy ==
At her death from complications of [[pneumonia]] at the age of 104 on January 22,1995, Rose Kennedy was the longest-lived Presidential relative in history. She was also the oldest resident of [[Barnstable, Massachusetts]] (population: 55,000), where she was residing at the time of her death. She was well-known for her [[philanthropy|philanthropic]] efforts, as well as leading the Grandparents' Parade at age 90 at the [[Special Olympics]]. Her life and work with the Special Olympics are documented in the Oscar-nominated short documentary ''[[Rose Kennedy: A Life to Remember]]''.
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Ironically, soon after [[John F. Kennedy|John]] took the oath of office as president, Rose's husband Joe suffered a stroke, rendering him mute. For the final eight years of his life, all he could do was watch as his family celebrated triumph and endured tragedy. Two of their sons were assassinated while the nation watched. Joe Kennedy outlived four of his nine children. When he died in 1969, The ''[[New York Times]]'' estimated the value of his estate at half a billion dollars. President Kennedy had said of his father: He "held up standards for us, and he was very tough when we failed to meet those standards. The toughness was important."<ref>''PBS—An American Experience,'' [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/kennedys/peopleevents/p_joe.html Joseph Patrick Kennedy Sr.] Retrieved January 25, 2007.</ref>
  
 +
In contrast to her husband, Rose did not push her own ambitions on her children. Instead, she offered an example of religious and familial duty and personal stoicism. After the death of her son John, she nearly cried. Regaining her self-composure, she declared, "No one will ever feel sorry for me." Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy outlived four of her nine children.<ref>Ibid.</ref>
  
 +
At her [[death]] from complications of [[pneumonia]] at the age of 104, on January 22, 1995, Rose Kennedy was the longest-lived Presidential relative in history. She was also the oldest resident of Barnstable, Massachusetts (population: 55,000), where she was residing at the time of her death. She was well-known for her [[philanthropy|philanthropic]] efforts, as well as leading the Grandparents' Parade at age 90, at the [[Special Olympics]]. Her life and work with the Special Olympics are documented in the Oscar-nominated short documentary, ''Rose Kennedy: A Life to Remember''.
  
==Joseph and Rose Kennedy's children today==
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== The "Kennedy Curse" ==
As of November 28 2006, only three of Joseph and Rose Kennedy's nine children are still alive. The only two surviving daughters are 85-year old [[Eunice Kennedy Shriver]] and 78-year old [[Jean Kennedy Smith]], while the only surviving son is 74-year-old [[Edward Kennedy| Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy]].
+
The "Kennedy Curse" refers to a series of unfortunate events that have happened to the Kennedy family. While these events could have happened to any family, some have referred to the continual misfortune of the family as a curse. The improbability of so many repeated instances of misfortune within one family, especially two high-profile political assassinations, has raised questions as to whether the curse results from sheer bad luck or from coordinated violence against the Kennedy family.
  
Of the six deceased children of Joe and Rose Kennedy, the only two to die of natural causes to date are their daughters [[Rose Marie Kennedy]] and [[Patricia Kennedy Lawford]]. Rosemary (who was Joe and Rose's first daughter and third child) underwent a [[lobotomy]] in 1941 at the age of 23 after Joe Kennedy was informed that his daughter's mild mental complications could be cured by such an operation. Unfortunately, the lobotomy went wrong, and Rosemary was left with profound [[mental retardation]]. Rosemary was cared for at St. Coletta's institution in [[Wisconsin]] from 1949 until her death of natural causes on January 7 2005 at the age of 86. Patricia (who was the fourth daughter and sixth child) died from complications due to [[pneumonia]] on September 17 2006 at the age of 82. The surviving children have grown particularly close as the years have passed.
+
There are several theories regarding the origin of the "curse." In Ireland, folklore states that an ancestor must have destroyed a [[fairy]] dwelling, thereby cursing all future generations.
  
==Longevity==
+
Critics of the Curse theory argue that given the sheer size of the family, the number of unfortunate events is not unusual. The "curse" may be seen less as a supernatural phenomenon than simply as an operation of the laws of probability. Moreover, while tragic events occur to a lesser or greater extent in all families, they make headline news when they involve a famous clan. It could also be argued that the Kennedys, owing to their relative wealth, have a lifestyle that is quite different from that of average persons&mdash;most people, for example, do not pilot or fly in private planes&mdash;and consequently, they are more often in greater physical danger.
Four of Joe and Rose Kennedys children might have died young in aircraft accidents and as the result of assassinations, but the longevity comes from Rose Kennedy's side of the family, for at the time of her death in 1995, Rose was 104 years old. She inherited the longevity from both her parents as her father, [[Honey Fitz]], was 87 years old when he died on October 2, 1950, and her mother Mary died on August 8, 1964 at the age of 98. Many people speculate that if any of the surviving Kennedy siblings have inherited their mother's longevity, it will most likely be Eunice, who is, at age 85, noted for her excellent health.
 
  
[[Rosemary Kennedy]], the third child born in the immediate Kennedy family, underwent a [[lobotomy]] in 1941 at age 23 after Joe Kennedy was informed that his daughter's mild mental complications could be cured by such an operation. However, the lobotomy resulted in profound [[mental retardation]]. Rosemary Kennedy was cared for at St. Coletta's in Wisconsin beginning in 1949. Due to the severity of her mental condition, Rosemary became largely detached from the Kennedy clan. However, [[Eunice Kennedy Shriver]], the founder of the [[Special Olympics]] and an advocate for the disabled on Rosemary's behalf, visited her frequently, and beginning in the 1970s Rosemary paid visits to her mother. On January 7, 2005, Rosemary Kennedy died at the age of 86, at the institution where she had spent the last fifty-five years. Hers was the first natural death among the children of Joe and Rose Kennedy. A true testament to the merging of the Kennedy siblings, at her side upon her death were her surviving sisters and her brother, Senator [[Ted Kennedy]].
+
Sadly, many of Joe and Rose Kennedy's grandchildren have died tragic deaths at young ages, as well.
  
==Miscellaneous==
+
== Notes ==
*The [[Rose Kennedy Greenway]] in [[Boston, Massachusetts]] is named AFTER her.
 
*The [[Rose Kennedy Cocktail]] is a popular drink in bars in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States.
 
*Although she is listed as the oldest resident of Barnstable, Massachusetts, she was declared a legal resident of Florida upon her death to take advantage of Florida's more favorable estate tax laws. She had not left her Hyannis home for over a decade prior to her demise, but her heirs successfully argued that the Kennedy Estate in Palm Beach, Florida was her legal residence.{{citationneeded}}
 
*According to [[Michael J. Nelson]] of ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]'', when he apologized to her for jokes about her age, she replied he shouldn't apologize &mdash; she found her own longetivity funny as well.
 
 
 
== Footnotes ==
 
 
<references/>
 
<references/>
  
== Sources and Further Reading ==
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== References ==
* Gibson, Barbara; Latham, Caroline, ''Life with Rose Kennedy'', New York, NY, Warner Books, 1986, ISBN 0446513253 - ISBN 9780446513258 OCLC: 13011129
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* Gibson, Barbara and Caroline Latham. ''Life with Rose Kennedy.'' New York: Warner Books, 1986. ISBN 0446513253
* Gibson, Barbara; Schwarz, Ted, ''Rose Kennedy and her family: the best and worst of their lives and times'', Secaucus, N.J., Carol Publishing Group, 1995, ISBN 1559722991 - ISBN 9781559722995 OCLC: 32590261
+
* Gibson, Barbara and Ted Schwarz. ''Rose Kennedy and Her Family: The Best and Worst of Their Lives and Times.'' Secaucus, N.J.: Carol Publishing Group, 1995. ISBN 1559722991
* Higham, Charles, ''Rose: the life and times of Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy'', New York, Pocket Books, 1995, ISBN 0671890263 - ISBN 9780671890261 OCLC: 32142396  
+
* Higham, Charles. ''Rose: The Life and Times of Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy.'' New York: Pocket Books, 1995. ISBN 0671890263   
* Kennedy, Rose Fitzgerald, ''Times to Remember'', Garden City, N.Y., Doubleday, 1974, ISBN 0385016255 - ISBN 9780385016254 OCLC: 754634
+
* Kennedy, Rose Fitzgerald. ''Times to Remember.'' Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1974. ISBN 0385016255  
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
*[http://www.nps.gov/jofi/index.htm  John Fitzgerald Kennedy] ''National Park Service Historic Site'', Retreived January 24, 2007
+
All links retrieved December 16, 2022.
*[http://www.bwht.org/northend2.html Rose Kennedy's Birthplace]''Boston Women's Heritage Trail'', Retreived January 24, 2007
+
*[http://www.nps.gov/jofi/index.htm  John Fitzgerald Kennedy] ''National Park Service Historic Site''
* McCombs, Phil, January 25, 1995 [http://www-tech.mit.edu/V114/N66/kennedy.66w.html Hundreds Gather in North End to Pay Respects to Rose Kennedy] ''The Washington Post'', Retreived January 24, 2007
+
* McCombs, Phil, January 25, 1995 [http://www-tech.mit.edu/V114/N66/kennedy.66w.html Hundreds Gather in North End to Pay Respects to Rose Kennedy] ''The Washington Post'',  
* Sidey, Hugh, June 14, 1999 [http://www.time.com/time/time100/heroes/profile/kennedys01.html  The Kennedys: With its mix of political triumph and human tragedy, their saga enthralled the nation and made them America's most powerful family] ''The Time 100'', Retreived January 24, 2007
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[[Category:Biography]]
 
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Latest revision as of 19:16, 16 December 2022

Rose Kennedy holding her first son, Joe Jr., circa 1918

Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy (July 22, 1890 – January 22, 1995) married into the Kennedy family and together with her husband, Joe, formed a dynasty whose members helped shape American politics in the twentieth century. The Kennedys became America's equivalent of the "royal family."

Rose Kennedy raised children who sought to serve the greater purpose: President John F. Kennedy and Senator and Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy were her sons. Both of these public servants were assassinated very publicly, causing mourning throughout the world. She bore seven other children, two of whom died tragic deaths at the prime of their lives.

Through her difficulties she maintained her faith, never known to curse God or fate.

Rose Kennedy lived to be 104 years old.

The Kennedy Family

Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald Kennedy was the matriach of "The Kennedy Clan," which was embedded in the American political culture of the last half of the twentieth century like no other family. Inventors of "Camelot," the Kennedys were perhaps the closest thing to a royal family that America has ever known. They arrived at such a station through ambition, wealth, and fierce family loyalty, coupled with exuberance and glamor, honorable service to the nation, and family tragedies impossible to keep private. No family has had such a powerful hold on the American imagination.

Three of their nine children would enter national politics, and one would become the youngest U.S. president to date, only to be assassinated in his first term. Another, a U.S. Attorney General, Senator, and Presidential candidate gunned down in the midst of his campaign. And a third, a Senator forced to withdraw from his Presidential bid following a murky scandal.

Mrs. Kennedy rarely talked publicly about her personal grief. But it is said she once she remarked to a friend: "Wasn't there a book about Michelangelo called The Agony and the Ecstasy? That's what my life has been."[1]

Childhood and education

Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald, born in the North End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, was the eldest child of six born to John F. "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald (a prominent figure in Boston politics who served one term as a member of Congress and later became the city's mayor), and his wife, Mary Josephine Hannon.

The family lived for a time at 39 Welles Avenue, in the Ashmont Hill section of Dorchester, Massachusetts, while she attended the local girl's Latin school. The Victorian, mansard-style home, largest on the street, later burned down. A marker is there, at Welles Avenue and Harley Street, naming it "Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Square." The placement was celebrated by her son, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, in 1992, on Rose's 102nd birthday.

She attended the New England Conservatory in Boston, studying piano. From there, she went on to the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Boston, Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart in Purchase, New York, and finally a Catholic finishing school in the Europe. Not content with society teas, Rose organized groups to discuss current affairs and taught catechism in Boston's slums.[2]

With her father, she toured Europe in 1908. They also visited the newly built Panama Canal.

Marriage

Rose Fitzgerald married Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. on October 7, 1914, after a courtship of more than seven years, and they lived at first in nearby Brookline, Massachusetts, in a house that is now a national historic landmark. In 1929, Joseph and Rose Kennedy bought the summer house they had been renting in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. In time, their children established homes on adjacent properties. The houses and the Cape Cod locale would serve as the backdrop for Kennedy family gatherings over the years.

Kennedy's business ventures included banking, stock trading, producing movies and selling liquor. He got out of the stock market before the crash of 1929—after the major devaluation of everyone else's portfolios, his family was only more wealthy during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

"Was she a fool, I asked myself… or a saint? Or just a better actress than I was?" (Hollywood star Gloria Swanson on Rose Kennedy). Joseph Kennedy's affair with Swanson was widely known. In fact, it seemed there was no effort to hide his constant philandering. It could not have been easy, but Rose chose not to acknowledge it. Swanson recalled, "If she suspected me of having relations not quite proper with her husband, or resented me for it, she never once gave any indication of it." Rose's reaction to her situation was to focus on her religion while at the same time she is said to have distanced herself from her children.[3]

An intensely devout Roman Catholic, Rose prayed in her own private retreat at the family compound. Much of her personal time was spent in religious contemplation.

In 1938, President Franklin Roosevelt named Joseph Kennedy Ambassador to the Court of St. James's, and the family stayed in England until World War II broke out.

Family life and children

Joe and Rose had nine children: Joseph Patrick Kennedy, Jr., John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Rose Marie Kennedy, Kathleen Agnes Kennedy Cavendish, Eunice Mary Kennedy Shriver, Patricia Kennedy Lawford, Robert Francis Kennedy, Jean Ann Kennedy Smith, and Edward Moore Kennedy.

Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. served with distinction in World War II and died flying a mission in Europe.

John F. Kennedy, Naval veteran, Congressman and then Senator, was elected President of the United States in 1960, and was assassinated in Dallas, Texas in 1963.

Rosemary Kennedy, the eldest daughter, diagnosed with mild retardation, underwent a medical procedure which promised to help her mood swings. The lobotomy was unsuccessful and she spent the remainder of her life in a Catholic convent. Due to her condition, the Kennedy family made significant contributions on behalf of the mentally handicapped.

Kathleen Kennedy worked for the American Red Cross in Britain, married William John Robert Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington, in 1944, and died in a plane crash in 1948.

Eunice Kennedy married R. Sargent Shriver, Jr., and founded the Special Olympics.

Patricia Kennedy was married to actor Peter Lawford. They later divorced.

Robert F. Kennedy, Attorney General of the United States and Senator from New York, ran for the office of U.S. President in 1968. He was a great contributor to the civil rights movement, supporter of the farmworkers, and a voice for the cause of justice. During his campaign, he was assassinated in Los Angeles, California.

Jean Kennedy married Stephen Smith, founded Very Special Arts, and was appointed as ambassador to Ireland by President Clinton.

Edward Moore Kennedy has served for many years as Senator from Massachusetts. His presidential aspirations were cut short due to what is commonly known simply as "Chappaquidick," a scandal in which a young political worker drowned in his car after leaving a party with him.

In 1984, at the age of 94, Rose Kennedy suffered a stroke, which left her confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life.

Death and legacy

Ironically, soon after John took the oath of office as president, Rose's husband Joe suffered a stroke, rendering him mute. For the final eight years of his life, all he could do was watch as his family celebrated triumph and endured tragedy. Two of their sons were assassinated while the nation watched. Joe Kennedy outlived four of his nine children. When he died in 1969, The New York Times estimated the value of his estate at half a billion dollars. President Kennedy had said of his father: He "held up standards for us, and he was very tough when we failed to meet those standards. The toughness was important."[4]

In contrast to her husband, Rose did not push her own ambitions on her children. Instead, she offered an example of religious and familial duty and personal stoicism. After the death of her son John, she nearly cried. Regaining her self-composure, she declared, "No one will ever feel sorry for me." Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy outlived four of her nine children.[5]

At her death from complications of pneumonia at the age of 104, on January 22, 1995, Rose Kennedy was the longest-lived Presidential relative in history. She was also the oldest resident of Barnstable, Massachusetts (population: 55,000), where she was residing at the time of her death. She was well-known for her philanthropic efforts, as well as leading the Grandparents' Parade at age 90, at the Special Olympics. Her life and work with the Special Olympics are documented in the Oscar-nominated short documentary, Rose Kennedy: A Life to Remember.

The "Kennedy Curse"

The "Kennedy Curse" refers to a series of unfortunate events that have happened to the Kennedy family. While these events could have happened to any family, some have referred to the continual misfortune of the family as a curse. The improbability of so many repeated instances of misfortune within one family, especially two high-profile political assassinations, has raised questions as to whether the curse results from sheer bad luck or from coordinated violence against the Kennedy family.

There are several theories regarding the origin of the "curse." In Ireland, folklore states that an ancestor must have destroyed a fairy dwelling, thereby cursing all future generations.

Critics of the Curse theory argue that given the sheer size of the family, the number of unfortunate events is not unusual. The "curse" may be seen less as a supernatural phenomenon than simply as an operation of the laws of probability. Moreover, while tragic events occur to a lesser or greater extent in all families, they make headline news when they involve a famous clan. It could also be argued that the Kennedys, owing to their relative wealth, have a lifestyle that is quite different from that of average persons—most people, for example, do not pilot or fly in private planes—and consequently, they are more often in greater physical danger.

Sadly, many of Joe and Rose Kennedy's grandchildren have died tragic deaths at young ages, as well.

Notes

  1. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. Retrieved January 25, 2007
  2. Pearson Education—Infoplease, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. Retrieved January 25, 2007.
  3. PBS—An American Experience, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. Retrieved January 25, 2007.
  4. PBS—An American Experience, Joseph Patrick Kennedy Sr. Retrieved January 25, 2007.
  5. Ibid.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Gibson, Barbara and Caroline Latham. Life with Rose Kennedy. New York: Warner Books, 1986. ISBN 0446513253
  • Gibson, Barbara and Ted Schwarz. Rose Kennedy and Her Family: The Best and Worst of Their Lives and Times. Secaucus, N.J.: Carol Publishing Group, 1995. ISBN 1559722991
  • Higham, Charles. Rose: The Life and Times of Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. New York: Pocket Books, 1995. ISBN 0671890263
  • Kennedy, Rose Fitzgerald. Times to Remember. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1974. ISBN 0385016255

External links

All links retrieved December 16, 2022.

Credits

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