Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was the wife of the 35th
president of the United StatesThe President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition...
,
John F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, and served as
First LadyFirst Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state. In the United States, it is also used for the spouse of the governor.-Origin:...
during his presidency from 1961 until his
assassination in 1963The assassination of John F. Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, took place on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time in Dealey Plaza. Kennedy was fatally shot while riding with his wife Jacqueline in a Presidential motorcade...
. She was later married to
GreekThe Greeks , also known as Hellenes, are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions, who can also be found in diaspora communities around the world....
shipping magnate
Aristotle OnassisAristotle Sokratis "Ari"/"Aristo" Onassis was a very prominent Greek shipping magnate of the 20th century...
from 1968 until his death in 1975. In later years she had a successful career as a book editor. She is remembered for her contributions to the arts and historic preservation, her style and elegance, and her stoicism in the wake of President Kennedy's assassination.
Early life
Born Jacqueline Lee Bouvier in
Southampton, New YorkSouthampton is a village in Suffolk County, New York, USA. The village is named after the Earl of Southampton. The Village of Southampton is in the southeast part of the county in the Town of Southampton...
, she was the daughter of
John Vernou Bouvier IIIJohn Vernou Bouvier III was an American socialite and Wall Street stockbroker. He was the father of former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Princess Lee Radziwill...
, a
Wall StreetWall Street is a street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. It runs east from Broadway to South Street on the East River, through the historical center of the Financial District. It is the first permanent home of the New York Stock Exchange; over time Wall Street became the...
stock brokerA stock broker or stockbroker is a regulated professional broker who buys and sells shares and other securities through market makers or Agency Only Firms on behalf of investors.- United States :...
, and his wife Janet Norton Lee. She had a younger sister, Caroline Lee Bouvier, born in 1933, and later known as
Lee RadziwillCaroline Lee Bouvier Canfield Radziwill Ross , best known as Lee Radziwill, is an American socialite, public relations executive, and former actress and interior decorator...
.
Bouvier was of half
IrishIrish Americans are citizens of the United States who trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,495,800 Americans reported Irish ancestry in the 2006 American Community Survey. The only self-reported ancestral group larger than Irish Americans are German Americans...
descent; she was one-sixteenth
FrenchFrench Americans or Franco-Americans are Americans of French descent. About 11.8 million U.S. residents are of French descent, and about 1.6 million speak French at home.An additional 450,000 U.S...
, and also had some
ScottishScottish Americans or Scots Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates in Scotland. Scottish Americans are closely related to Scotch-Irish Americans, descendants of Ulster Scots, and communities emphasize and celebrate a common heritage...
, and
EnglishEnglish Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England. According to 2000 U.S census data, Americans reporting English ancestry made up an estimated 9.4% of the total U.S...
descent. Her mother's ancestry was completely Irish, while her paternal ancestry is distant, with her last French ancestor being Michel Bouvier, a Philadelphia-based cabinetmaker, merchant and real estate
speculatorIn finance, speculation is a financial action that does not promise safety of the initial investment along with the return on the principal sum...
who was her great-great–grandfather and a contemporary of
Joseph Bonapartealign=right|Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte, King of Naples and Sicily, King of Spain and the Indies, Comte de Survilliers was the elder brother of Napoleon I of France, who made him King of Naples and Sicily and later King of Spain as Joseph I of Spain...
and
Stephen GirardStephen Girard was a French-born, naturalized American, philanthropist and banker. He personally saved the U.S...
.
She spent her early years between
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
and
East Hampton, New YorkThe Village of East Hampton is an incorporated village in Suffolk County, New York within the Town of East Hampton, on the South Fork of eastern Long Island...
at the Bouvier family estate, "
LasataLasata was the girlhood summer home of First Lady of the United States Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in East Hampton, New York until she was about 12....
". At a very early age she became an enthusiastic
equestrienneEquestrianism refers to the skill of riding or driving horses. This broad description includes both use of horses for practical, working purposes as well as recreational activities and competitive sports.-Overview of equestrian activities:...
, a sport that would remain a lifelong passion. As a child, she also enjoyed drawing, reading and
lacrosseLacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin that is played using a small solid rubber ball and a long-handled racquet called a crosse or lacrosse stick. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose netting that is designed to hold the lacrosse ball...
.
In 1940, Bouvier's parents divorced. Her father never remarried, but her mother remarried
Standard OilStandard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as an Ohio corporation, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
heir Hugh D. Auchincloss, Jr. in 1942. They had two children, Janet and James Auchincloss. Following their parents' divorce, Bouvier and her sister divided their time between their mother's homes in McLean, Virginia and Newport, Rhode Island and their father's homes in New York City and Long Island.
Education and young adulthood
Bouvier pursued her secondary education at the
Holton-Arms SchoolHolton-Arms is an independent college-preparatory school for girls in grades 3–12, located in Bethesda, Maryland. It is dedicated to “education not only of the mind, but of the soul and spirit.” The School’s motto is Inveniam viam aut faciam or “I will find a way or make one.”The School prides...
in
Bethesda, MarylandBethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
(1942–1944) and
Miss Porter's SchoolMiss Porter's School, sometimes simply referred to as Porter's or Farmington, is a private college preparatory school for girls, aged 14-18, located in Farmington, Connecticut. It was founded by education reformer Sarah Porter in 1843, with an eye to educating the elite young women of the Eastern...
in
Farmington, ConnecticutFarmington is a town located in Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The population was 23,641 at the 2000 census. It is home to the world headquarters of several large corporations including Carrier Corporation, Otis Elevator Company, and Carvel...
(1944–1947). When she made her society debut in 1947, Hearst columnist
Igor CassiniIgor Cassini was an American syndicated gossip columnist for the Hearst newspaper chain. He was the second journalist to write the Cholly Knickerbocker column....
dubbed her Debutante of the Year.
Bouvier spent her first two years of college at
Vassar CollegeVassar College is a private, coeducational, liberal arts college situated in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, USA. Founded as a women's college in 1861, it became coeducational in 1969.-Overview:...
in
Poughkeepsie, New YorkPoughkeepsie is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 42,777 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from the native term, "Uppu-qui-ipis-in," which means "reed-covered hut by the water."...
, and spent her junior year (1949–1950) in
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
at the
University of GrenobleYou may be seeking* Université Joseph Fourier also known as Grenoble I * Université Pierre Mendès-France also known as Grenoble II * Université Stendhal also known as Grenoble III...
and the
SorbonneThe name Sorbonne is commonly used to refer to the historic University of Paris in Paris, France or one of its successor institutions , but this is a recent usage, and "Sorbonne" has actually been used with different meanings over the centuries...
in a program through
Smith CollegeSmith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
. Upon returning home to the United States, she transferred to
George Washington UniversityThe George Washington University is a private, coeducational university located in Washington, D.C...
in
Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790...
, graduating in 1951 with a bachelor of arts degree in French literature. Bouvier's college graduation coincided with her sister's high school graduation, and the two spent the summer of 1951 on a trip through Europe. This trip was the subject of Kennedy's only autobiographical book,
One Special Summer, which is also the only one of her publications to feature her drawings.
Following her graduation, Bouvier was hired as the Inquiring Photographer for
The Washington Times-HeraldThe Washington Times-Herald was an American daily newspaper once published in Washington, D.C.The Times-Herald was created by the 1939 merger of two former Hearst dailies, the Washington Times and the Washington Herald...
. The job involved asking witty questions of people she met; the questions and amusing responses would then appear alongside the interviewee's photograph in the newspaper. During this time, she was engaged to a young stock broker, John Husted, for a period of three months.
Kennedy marriage and family
Bouvier and then-
SenatorThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the lower house being the House of Representatives. The composition and powers of the Senate and the House are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution . Each U.S state is represented by two senators,...
John Kennedy were in the same social circle and often attended the same functions. In May 1952, at a dinner party organized by mutual friends, they were formally introduced for the first time. They began dating soon afterward, and their
engagementAn engagement is a promise to marriage, and also the period of time between proposal and marriagewhich may be lengthy or trivial. During this period, a couple is said to be affianced, betrothed, engaged to be married, or simply engaged...
was officially announced on June 25, 1953.
They were married on September 12, 1953, at St. Mary's Church in
Newport, Rhode IslandNewport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about 30 miles south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States...
. The wedding was performed by
ArchbishopIn Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated bishop. In many Christian Churches, this means that they lead a diocese of particular importance called an archdiocese, or in the Anglican Communion an Ecclesiastical Province, but this is not always the case. An archbishop is equivalent to a bishop in...
Richard Cushing. An estimated 700 guests attended the ceremony and 1,200 attended the reception that followed at
Hammersmith FarmHammersmith Farm is a Victorian mansion and surrounding property located in Newport, Rhode Island, United States and was the childhood home to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The property hosted the wedding reception of Jacqueline and John F. Kennedy...
.
The wedding cake was created by Plourde's Bakery in
Fall River, MassachusettsFall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and 12 miles south of Taunton. The city's population was 91,938 during the 2000 census, making it the eighth largest...
. Kennedy's wedding dress and the dresses of her attendants were created by designer
Ann LoweAnn Lowe was an African American fashion designer who designed the wedding dress for Jacqueline Bouvier when she married John F. Kennedy.She was born in Clayton, Alabama the great granddaughter of a slave and plantation owner...
of
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
. The dress is now housed in the Kennedy Library in Boston, Massachusetts. The two honeymooned in
AcapulcoAcapulco is a city, and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay. It is a port of call for shipping and cruising lines running between Panama and San Francisco, California, United States...
, Mexico and settled in
McLean, VirginiaMcLean is an unincorporated area in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. The community had a total population of 38,929 as of the 2000 census....
.
Kennedy suffered a
miscarriageMiscarriage or spontaneous abortion is the spontaneous end of a pregnancy at a stage where the embryo or fetus is incapable of surviving, generally defined in humans at prior to 20 weeks of gestation...
in 1955 and gave birth to a
stillbornStillborn can refer to stillbirth in medicine. It can also refer to:*Stillborn , from Poland*Stillborn *Stillborn *Stillborn...
baby girl in 1956. That same year, the couple sold their estate,
Hickory HillHickory Hill is a large brick house in McLean, Virginia, in the United States, believed to have been built ca. 1840. The land on which it is built is part of a Lee family tract of land called Langley. General George B. McClellan reportedly commandeered Hickory Hill as temporary headquarters during...
to Robert and Ethel Kennedy and moved to a townhouse on N Street in Georgetown. Kennedy subsequently gave birth to a second daughter, Caroline, in 1957, and a son, John, in 1960, both via Caesarian section.
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|
| Arabella Kennedy |
August 23, 1956 |
August 23, 1956 |
Stillborn A stillbirth occurs when a fetus which has died, in the uterus or during labor or delivery, exits a woman's body. The term is often used in distinction to live birth or miscarriage. Most stillbirths occur in full term pregnancies....
daughter |
| Caroline Bouvier Kennedy |
November 27, 1957 |
|
Married to Edwin Schlossberg Edwin Arthur Schlossberg , founder and principal of ESI Design, is an internationally recognized designer, author and artist. Schlossberg specializes in designing interactive, participatory experiences, beginning in 1977 with the first hands-on learning environment in the U.S. for the Brooklyn...
; has two daughters and a son. She is the last surviving child of Jacqueline and John F. Kennedy. |
| John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr. |
November 25, 1960 |
July 16, 1999 |
Lawyer and journalist. Married to Carolyn Bessette. Both Kennedy and his wife died in a plane crash, as did Lauren Bessette, Carolyn's sister, on July 16, 1999, off Martha's VineyardMartha's Vineyard is an island off the south of Cape Cod in New England. The islands both forming a part of the Outer Lands region....
in a Piper Saratoga II HPThe Piper PA-32R is a six-seat, high-performance, single engine, all-metal fixed-wing aircraft produced by Piper Aircraft. The design began life as the Piper Lance, a retractable gear version of the Piper Cherokee Six. Later models are known as Saratogas...
piloted by Kennedy. |
| Patrick Bouvier Kennedy Patrick Bouvier Kennedy was the youngest child of United States President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy and brother to Caroline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr....
|
August 7, 1963 |
August 9, 1963 |
Died from hyaline membrane disease at the age of two days, which is now more commonly called infant respiratory distress syndrome Infant respiratory distress syndrome , also called neonatal respiratory distress syndrome or respiratory distress syndrome of newborn, previously called hyaline membrane disease, is a syndrome caused in premature infants by developmental insufficiency of surfactant production and structural...
. |
Campaign for Presidency
On January 2, 1960, John F. Kennedy announced his candidacy for the Presidency and launched his nationwide campaign. Though she had initially intended to take an active role in the campaign, Kennedy learned that she was pregnant shortly after the campaign was launched. Due to previous problem pregnancies, her doctor instructed her to stay at home. From Georgetown, Kennedy participated in her husband's campaign by answering letters, taping TV
commercialA television advertisement or television commercial is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organisation that conveys a message. Advertisement revenue provides a significant portion of the funding for most privately owned television networks...
s, giving televised and printed
interviewAn interview is a conversation between two or more people where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee.- Employment-related :* Job interview* Case interview...
s, and writing a weekly syndicated newspaper column, "Campaign Wife."
As First Lady
In the general election on November 8, 1960, John F. Kennedy narrowly beat Republican
Richard NixonRichard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States and is the only president to resign the office. He was also the 36th Vice President of the United States ....
in the 1960 presidential election. Two weeks later, Kennedy gave birth to son John Jr. by Caesarean delivery. When her husband was sworn in as president on January 20, 1961, Kennedy became, at age 31, one of the youngest First Ladies in history, behind
Frances Folsom ClevelandFrances Clara Folsom Cleveland Preston was the wife of the President of the United States Grover Cleveland and First Lady of the United States from 1886 to 1889 and again from 1893 to 1897. Becoming First Lady at age 21, she is so far the youngest First Lady...
and Julia Tyler.
Kennedy ranks among the most popular of First Ladies. Her youth, intelligence, and cultivation set her apart from her recent predecessors, much as the same qualities set her husband apart from his. Like any First Lady, Kennedy was thrust into the spotlight; she did not mind giving interviews or being photographed, although she preferred to maintain as much privacy as possible for herself and her children.
Social success
As First Lady, Kennedy devoted much of her time to planning social events at the White House and other state properties, inviting artists, writers, scientists, poets, and musicians to mingle with politicians, diplomats, and statesmen. Some of her decisions in decorating and entertaining have become standard practice; for instance, Kennedy replaced the large, U or E shaped table setup of past administrations with smaller, round tables that seated eight. This arrangement is now fairly customary in White House entertaining.
Perhaps due to her skill at entertaining, Kennedy proved quite popular among international dignitaries. When Soviet Premier Khrushchev was asked to shake President Kennedy's hand for a photo, Krushchev said, "I'd like to shake her hand first."
White House restoration
The restoration of the White House was Jacqueline Kennedy's first major project. She was dismayed during her pre-inauguration tour of the White House to find little of historic significance in the house. The rooms were furnished with undistinguished pieces that she felt lacked a sense of history. Her first efforts, begun her first day in residence (with the help of society decorator
Sister ParishSister Parish was an American interior decorator and socialite. She was the first interior designer brought in to decorate the Kennedy White House, a position that was soon usurped by French interior designer Stéphane Boudin...
), were to make the family quarters attractive and suitable for family life and included the addition of a kitchen on the family floor and rooms for her children. Upon almost immediately exhausting the funds appropriated for this effort, she established a fine arts committee to oversee and fund the restoration process; she also asked early American furniture expert
Henry du PontHenry Francis du Pont , Harvard 1902, married 1916 Ruth Wales was an American horticulturist, an expert on early American furniture and decorative arts – particularly of the Federal furniture, and a member of the prominent du Pont family.Born at Winterthur, Delaware, he was the only son of Henry...
to consult.
Her skillful management of this project was hardly noted at the time, except in terms of gossipy shock at repeated repainting of a room, or the high cost of the antique Zuber wallpaper panels installed in the family dining room ($12,000 in donated funds), but later accounts have noted that she managed the conflicting agendas of Parish, du Pont, and Boudin with seamless success; she initiated publication of the first White House guidebook, whose sales further funded the restoration; she initiated a Congressional bill establishing that White House furnishings would be the property of the
Smithsonian InstitutionThe Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its shops and its magazines...
, rather than available to departing ex-presidents to claim as their own; and she wrote personal requests to those who owned pieces of historical interest that might be donated to the White House.
On February 14, 1962, Mrs. Kennedy took American television viewers on a tour of the
White HouseThe White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., it was built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the late Georgian style and has been the residence of every...
with
Charles CollingwoodCharles Collingwood was a pioneering CBS television newscaster.Born in Three Rivers, Michigan, Collingwood graduated from Deep Springs College and Cornell University and in 1939 received a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford University. Collingwood was a protege of Edward R...
of
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is an American television network, one of television's original "big three", which also include NBC and ABC. Like NBC, CBS started out as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System...
. In the tour she said, "I just feel that everything in the White House should be the best—the entertainment that's given here. If it's an American company you can help, I like to do that. If not—just as long as it's the best." Working with Rachel Lambert Mellon, Mrs. Kennedy oversaw redesign and replanting of the
White House Rose GardenThe White House Rose Garden is a garden bordering the Oval Office and the West Wing of the White House. The garden is approximately 125 feet long and 60 feet wide...
and the East Garden, which was renamed the
Jacqueline Kennedy GardenThe Jacqueline Kennedy Garden is located at the White House south of the East Colonnade. The garden balances the Rose Garden on the west side of the White House Complex.-History:...
after her husband's assassination. Her efforts on behalf of restoration and preservation at the White House left a lasting legacy in the form of the
White House Historical AssociationThe White House Historical Association, founded in 1961 through efforts of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy is a private, non-profit organization with a mission to enhance the public's understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of the White House, the official home and principal workplace of the...
, the
Committee for the Preservation of the White HouseThe Committee for the Preservation of the White House is an advisory committee charged with the preservation of the White House, the official home and principal workplace of the President of the United States...
which was based upon her White House Furnishings Committee, a permanent Curator of the White House, the
White House Endowment TrustThe White House Endowment Trust, sometimes also called the White House Endowment Fund, is a private, non-profit, tax-exempt fund established to finance the ongoing restoration and refurbishment of the state rooms at the White House, the official home and principal workplace of the President of the...
, and the
White House Acquisition TrustThe White House Acquisition Trust is a private, non-profit, tax-exempt fund established to finance the purchase of fine art and decorative arts for the White House, the official home and principal workplace of the President of the United States. The fund is funded by private donation, through...
.
Broadcasting of the White House restoration greatly helped the Kennedy administration. The United States sought international support during the Cold War, which it achieved by affecting public opinion. Mrs. Kennedy’s celebrity and high profile status made viewing the tour of the White house very desirable. The tour was taped and distributed to 106 countries since there was a great demand from the elite as well as people in power to see the film. In 1962 at the 14th Annual Emmy Awards (NBC, May 22), Bob Newhart emceed from the Hollywood Palladium; Johnny Carson from the New York Astor Hotel; and NBC newsman David Brinkley hosted at the Sheraton Park Hotel in Washington D.C. and took the spotlight as a special Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Trustees Award was given to Jacqueline Kennedy for her CBS-TV tour of the White House. Lady Bird Johnson accepted for the camera-shy First Lady. The actual Emmy statuette is on display in the Kennedy Library located in Boston, Massachusetts. Focus and admiration for Jacqueline Kennedy took negative attention away from her husband. By attracting worldwide public attention, the First Lady gained allies for the White House and international support for the Kennedy administration and its Cold War policies.
Foreign trips
Before the Kennedys visited France, a television special was shot in French with Mrs. Kennedy on the White House lawn. When the Kennedys visited France, she'd already won the hearts of the French people, impressing the French public with her ability to speak French. At the conclusion of the visit,
TimeTime is an American newsmagazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong. As of 2009, Time no longer publishes a Canadian advertiser edition...
magazine seemed delighted with the First Lady and noted, "There was also that fellow who came with her." Even President Kennedy joked, "I am the man who accompanied Jacqueline Kennedy to Paris — and I have enjoyed it!"
At the urging of
John Kenneth GalbraithJohn Kenneth "Ken" Galbraith, OC was a Canadian-American economist. He was a Keynesian and an institutionalist, a leading proponent of 20th-century American liberalism and progressivism...
, President Kennedy's ambassador to India, Mrs. Kennedy undertook a tour of India and Pakistan, taking her sister
Lee RadziwillCaroline Lee Bouvier Canfield Radziwill Ross , best known as Lee Radziwill, is an American socialite, public relations executive, and former actress and interior decorator...
along with her, which was amply documented in photojournalism of the time as well as in Galbraith's journals and memoirs. At the time, Ambassador Galbraith noted a considerable disjunction between Mrs Kennedy's widely-noted concern with clothes and other frivolity and, on personal acquaintance, her considerable intellect.
While in
Karachiis the largest city, main seaport and the financial capital of Pakistan, and the capital of the province of Sindh. It is the 3rd largest city in the world by population and 20th largest city of the world, in terms of metropolitan population. It is Pakistan's premier centre of banking, industry, and...
she found some time to take a ride on a camel with her sister. In
LahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. Historically the main city of the undivided Punjab, it is often called the Garden of Mughals because of its rich Mughal heritage...
, Pakistani President
Ayub KhanMuhammad Ayub Khan , N.Pk., H.Pk., HJ, psc, was the first military ruler of Pakistan, serving as the President of Pakistan...
presented Mrs. Kennedy with a much-photographed horse,
SardarSardar is a title of Persian origin, used for military or political leaders.The word's cognate in Persian, Sardâr, means commander. Literally sar means "head" while dâr means "holder" in Persian...
(the
UrduUrdu is a Central Indo-Aryan language of the Indo-Iranian branch, belonging to the Indo-European family of languages. It is one of the two official languages of Pakistan. It is also one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of five Indian states...
term meaning ‘leader’). Subsequently this gift was widely misattributed to the king of
Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia , is an Arab country and the largest country of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Jordan on the northwest, Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south...
, including in the various recollections of the Kennedy White House years by President Kennedy's friend, journalist and editor Benjamin Bradlee. It has never become clear whether this general misattribution of the gift was carelessness or a deliberate effort to deflect attention from the USA's preference for Pakistan over India. While at a reception for herself at
Shalimar GardensThe Shalimar Gardens , sometimes written Shalamar Gardens, is a Persian garden and it was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in Lahore, modern day Pakistan. Construction began in 1641 A.D. and was completed the following year...
, Mrs. Kennedy told guests "all my life I've dreamed of coming to the Shalimar Gardens. It's even lovelier than I'd dreamed. I only wish my husband could be with me." While in Lahore, she had a friendly chat with
IranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran is a country in Western Asia. The name Iran has been in use natively since the Sassanid period and came into international use from 1935, before which the country was known internationally as Persia...
ian Empress
Farah PahlaviEmpress Farah of Iran , is the widow of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, and only Empress of modern Iran.Though the titles and distinctions of the Iranian Imperial Family were abolished by the new government, she often is styled...
, whom many compared to Mrs. Kennedy.
Death of youngest son
Early in 1963, Kennedy became pregnant again and curtailed her official duties. She spent most of the summer at the Kennedys' rented home on Squaw Island, near the family's
Cape CodCape Cod, often referred to as simply the Cape, and called Cape of Keel by early Norse explorers, is a peninsula in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States. It is coextensive with Barnstable County...
compound at Hyannis Port, where she went into premature labor on August 7, 1963. She gave birth to a boy,
Patrick Bouvier KennedyPatrick Bouvier Kennedy was the youngest child of United States President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy and brother to Caroline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr....
, via emergency Caesarian section at Otis Air Force Base, five and a half weeks prematurely. His lungs were not fully developed, and he died at Boston Children's Hospital of hyaline membrane disease (now known as respiratory distress syndrome) on August 9, 1963. The couple was devastated by the loss of their infant son, and that tragedy brought them closer together than ever before.
Assassination and funeral of John F. Kennedy
On November 21, 1963, the First Couple left the White House for a political trip to Texas, stopping in San Antonio, Houston, and Fort Worth that day. After a breakfast on November 22, the Kennedys flew from
Carswell Air Force BaseCarswell Air Force Base, is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base located about five miles northwest central of Fort Worth, Texas, United States; the air force base is mostly within the Fort Worth city limits and has portions within Westworth and White Settlement...
to Dallas's Love Field on
Air Force OneSAM 26000 was the first of two Boeing VC-137C United States Air Force aircraft that were specifically configured and maintained for the use of the President of the United States. It used the callsign Air Force One when the President was on board, at other times it normally used the callsign SAM 26000...
, accompanied by Texas Governor
John ConnallyJohn Bowden Connally, Jr. was an influential American politician, serving as Governor of Texas, Secretary of the Navy under President John F. Kennedy, and as Secretary of the Treasury under President Richard M. Nixon...
and his wife
NellieIdanell Brill "Nellie" Connally was the First Lady of Texas from 1963 to 1969.-First Lady of Texas:Born in Austin, Texas, she was wife of John Connally, who served as Governor of Texas and later as Secretary of the Treasury.-Death of President Kennedy:At the time of her death in 2006, she was the...
. A
motorcadeA motorcade is a procession of vehicles. The term motorcade is a neologism coined by Lyle Abbot , and is formed after cavalcade on the false notion that "-cade" was a suffix meaning "procession"...
was to take them to the Trademart where the President was scheduled to speak at a lunch. Mrs. Kennedy was seated next to her husband in the limousine, with the Governor and his wife seated in front of them. Vice President Johnson and his wife followed in another car in the motorcade.
After the motorcade turned the corner onto Elm Street in
Dealey PlazaDealey Plaza , in the historic West End district of downtown Dallas, Texas , is the location of the assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963...
, Mrs. Kennedy heard what she thought to be a motorcycle
backfiringA Back-fire or backfire is an explosion produced by a running internal combustion engine that occurs in the intake or exhaust system rather than inside the combustion chamber...
, and did not realize that it was a gunshot until she heard
Governor ConnallyJohn Bowden Connally, Jr. was an influential American politician, serving as Governor of Texas, Secretary of the Navy under President John F. Kennedy, and as Secretary of the Treasury under President Richard M. Nixon...
scream. Within 8.4 seconds, two more shots had rung out, and she leaned toward her husband. The final shot struck the President in the head. Mrs. Kennedy, who had been thrust into a state of shock by the disaster, climbed out of the back seat and half crawled over the trunk of the car (she later had no recollection at all of having done this). Her Secret Service agent,
Clint HillClinton J. Hill is a former United States Secret Service agent who was in the presidential motorcade during the John F. Kennedy assassination. After Kennedy was shot, Hill ran from the car immediately behind the presidential limousine and leapt onto the back of it, holding on while the car raced...
, later told the
Warren CommissionThe President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy, known unofficially as the Warren Commission, was established on November 29, 1963, by Lyndon B. Johnson to investigate the assassination of United States President John F. Kennedy on November 22. Its 888-page final report was...
that he thought she had been reaching for a piece of the President's skull that had blown off. Hill ran to the car and leapt onto it, directing Mrs. Kennedy back to her seat. The car rushed to Dallas's Parkland Hospital, and on arrival there, the president's body was rushed into a trauma room. Mrs. Kennedy, for the moment, remained in a room for relatives and friends of patients just outside.
A few minutes into her husband's treatment, Mrs. Kennedy, accompanied by the President's doctor, Admiral George Burkley, left her folding chair outside Trauma Room One and attempted to enter the operating room. Nurse Doris Nelson stopped her and attempted to bar the door to prevent Mrs. Kennedy from entering. She persisted, and the President's doctor suggested that she take a sedative, which she refused. "I want to be there when he dies," she told Burkley. He eventually persuaded Nelson to grant her access to Trauma Room One, saying "It's her right, it's her prerogative".
Later, when the casket arrived, the widow removed her wedding ring and slipped it onto the President's finger. She told aide Ken O'Donnell, "Now I have nothing left."
After the president's death, Mrs. Kennedy refused to remove her blood-stained clothing, and regretted having washed the blood off her face and hands. She continued to wear the blood-stained pink suit as she went on board Air Force One and stood next to Johnson when he took the oath of office as President. She told
Lady Bird JohnsonClaudia Alta "Lady Bird" Taylor Johnson was First Lady of the United States from 1963 to 1969 during the presidency of her husband Lyndon B. Johnson. Throughout her life, she was an advocate for beautification of the nation's cities and highways and conservation of natural resources and she made...
, "I want them to see what they have done to Jack."
Mrs. Kennedy took an active role in planning the details of the
state funeralThe state funeral of John F. Kennedy took place during the three days that followed his assassination on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas....
for her husband, which was based on Abraham Lincoln's. The funeral service was held at
St. Matthew's CathedralSt. Matthew's Cathedral, or variations on the name, may refer to:In Canada:*St. Matthew's Anglican Cathedral, Brandon, ManitobaIn the United States:*Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, Washington D.C....
, Washington D.C., and the burial at
Arlington National CemeteryArlington National Cemetery, in Arlington County, Virginia is a military cemetery in the United States, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a descendant of Martha Washington. The...
; the widow led the procession there on foot and would light the eternal flame at the grave site, a flame that had been created at her request. Lady Jean Campbell reported back to
The London Evening Standard: "Jacqueline Kennedy has given the American people… one thing they have always lacked: Majesty." The widow was not unaware of the powerful effect she was making. Though Mrs. Kennedy was deeply distraught by the loss, she also showed a steely determination to make this the solemn outgoing show of her husband's era; Lyndon Johnson was practically eclipsed on November 25.
Following the assassination and the media coverage which had focused intensely on her during and after the burial, Mrs. Kennedy stepped back from official public view. She did, however, make a brief appearance in Washington to honor the
Secret ServiceThe United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that falls under the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
agent,
Clint HillClinton J. Hill is a former United States Secret Service agent who was in the presidential motorcade during the John F. Kennedy assassination. After Kennedy was shot, Hill ran from the car immediately behind the presidential limousine and leapt onto the back of it, holding on while the car raced...
, who had climbed aboard the limousine in Dallas to try to shield her and the President.
Life following the assassination
A week after the assassination, Mrs. Kennedy was interviewed in Hyannisport on November 29 by Theodore H. White of
Life magazine. In that session, she compared the Kennedy years in the White House to
King ArthurKing Arthur is a legendary British leader who, according to medieval histories and romances, led the defense of Britain against the Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and his historical existence is debated...
's mythical
CamelotCamelot is the most famous castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and eventually came to be described as the fantastic capital of Arthur's realm and a symbol of the fabulous Arthurian...
, commenting that the President often played the title song of
Lerner and LoeweLerner and Loewe are the American musical comedy writing team of lyricist and librettist Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick Loewe.Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, more commonly known as Fritz, met in 1942 at an exclusive club where, according to Loewe, after mistakenly taking a wrong turn...
's musical recording before retiring to bed. She also quoted
Queen GuinevereGuinevere was the legendary queen consort of King Arthur. She was most famous for her love affair with Arthur's chief knight Sir Lancelot, which first appears in Chrétien de Troyes' Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart...
from the musical, trying to express how the loss felt.
The steadiness and courage of Kennedy during her husband's assassination and funeral won her admiration around the world. Following his death, Kennedy and her children remained in their quarters in the White House for two weeks, preparing to vacate. Kennedy and her children spent the winter of 1964 in Averell Harriman's home in the
Georgetown section of Washington, D.C.Georgetown is a neighborhood located in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C., along the Potomac River waterfront. Founded in 1751, the city of Georgetown substantially predated the establishment of the city of Washington and the District of Columbia. Georgetown retained its separate...
, before purchasing her own home on another block of the same street. Later in 1964, In the hope of having more privacy for her children , Mrs. Kennedy decided to acquire an apartment on Fifth Avenue in New York and sold her new Georgetown house; she also sold the the country home in Atoka, Virginia, where she and President Kennedy had intended to retire. She spent a year in mourning, making few public appearances; during this time, Caroline told one of her teachers that her mother cried frequently.
Mrs. Kennedy perpetuated her husband's memory by attending selected memorial dedications. These included the 1967 christening of the
NavyThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
aircraft carrierAn aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power great distances without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
(decommissioned in 2007), in Newport News, Virginia, and a memorial in Hyannisport, Massachusetts. They also included the dedication of the United Kingdom's official memorial to President Kennedy at
RunnymedeRunnymede is a water-meadow alongside the River Thames in the English county of Surrey, and just over west of central London. It is notable for its association with the sealing of the Magna Carta, and as a consequence is the site of a collection of memorials.-Topography:The name Runnymede is used...
, England and the dedication of a park near
New RossNew Ross is a town located in southwest County Wexford, in the southeast of Ireland. In 2006 it had a population of 7,709 people, making it the fourth largest town in the county after Wexford, Gorey and Enniscorthy....
,
IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
. She oversaw plans for the establishment of the
John F. Kennedy LibraryThe John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is the presidential library and museum of the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy. It is located on Columbia Point in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, USA, next to the Boston campus of the University of...
, which is the repository for official papers of the Kennedy Administration. Original plans to have the library situated in
Cambridge, MassachusettsCambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, a nexus of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Notably, Cambridge is home to two internationally prominent...
, near
Harvard UniversityHarvard University is a private university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1636 by the colonial Massachusetts legislature, Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and currently comprises ten separate academic units...
, proved problematic for various reasons, so it is situated in Boston. The finished library, designed by I.M. Pei, includes a museum and was dedicated in Boston in 1979 by President
Jimmy CarterJames Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981 and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
.
Onassis marriage
During her widowhood, Jacqueline was romantically linked by the press to a few men, notably David Ormsby-Gore and
Roswell GilpatricRoswell Leavitt Gilpatric , was a prominent New York City corporate attorney and government official who served as Deputy Secretary of Defense from 1961–64, when he played a pivotal role in the high-stake strategies of the Cuban Missile Crisis, advising President John F...
, but nothing came out of it. So when the news of her marriage to
Aristotle OnassisAristotle Sokratis "Ari"/"Aristo" Onassis was a very prominent Greek shipping magnate of the 20th century...
broke out, it came as a total shock to the world. Her motives for the marriage are open for debate, but beyond financial security, it is reasonable to believe that at that point in her life she desperately needed an escape from the Kennedys and the United States, as she came to fear for her life and that of her children after the assassination of her brother-in-law
Robert F. KennedyRobert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician. He was a younger brother of President John F. Kennedy and acted as one of his advisers during his presidency. From 1961 to 1964, he was the U.S...
in June 1968.
The wedding took place on October 20, 1968, on
SkorpiosSkorpios is a private island in the Ionian Sea off the western coast of Greece and just to the east of the island of Lefkada. The 2001 census reported a population of two inhabitants...
, Onassis's private island in the
Ionian SeaThe Ionian Sea is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Adriatic Sea. It is bounded by southern Italy including Calabria, Sicily and the Salento peninsula to the west, and by southwestern Albania, including Saranda and Himara, and a large number of Greek islands, including Corfu, Zante,...
, Greece. Jacqueline gave up Secret Service protection and her Franking Privilege, to which a widow of a president of the United States is entitled, after her marriage to Onassis.
For a time, the marriage brought her much adverse publicity and seemed to tarnish the image of the grieving presidential widow, and she became the target of
paparazziPaparazzi is a plural term for photographers who take unstaged and/or candid photographs of celebrities caught unaware. Paparazzi take photos of celebrities at moments when the subjects do not expect to be photographed, such as when they shop, walk through a city, eat at a restaurant, or swim or...
who were following her everywhere much to her displeasure and dismay. Despite it all, the marriage initially seemed successful enough, the couple dividing their time between New York City, Paris and Skorpios.
Then tragedy struck again, Onassis's only son
AlexanderAlexander S. Onassis was the only son of Aristotle Onassis and Athina Livanos , also known as Tina. He had one sibling, Christina Onassis, the mother of Athina.- Early life :...
died in a plane crash in January 1973. The once invincible Onassis was left a broken and disillusioned man and the marriage turned sour. His health began deteriorating rapidly and he died in Paris, on March 15, 1975. Her legacy was severely limited under Greek law, which limited how much a non-Greek surviving spouse could inherit. After two years of legal battle, Jacqueline eventually accepted from
Christina OnassisChristina Onassis was the daughter of the billionaire Aristotle Onassis and Athina Livanos.-Early life:...
, Onassis's daughter and sole heir, a settlement of $26,000,000, waiving all other claims to the Onassis estate.
Later years
Onassis's death in 1975 made Mrs. Onassis, then 46, a widow for the second time. Now that her children were older, she decided to find work that would be fulfilling to her. Since she had always enjoyed writing and literature, in 1975 Jacqueline accepted a job offer as an editor at
Viking PressViking Press is an American publishing company currently owned by Penguin Books. It was founded in New York City on March 1, 1931 by Harold K. Guinzburg and George S. Oppenheim...
. But, in 1978, the President of Viking Press, Thomas H. Guinzburg, authorized the purchase of the Jeffrey Archer novel
Shall We Tell the President?Shall We Tell The President? is a 1977 book by English author Jeffrey Archer.In its original version, a plot to kill the president of the United States, Edward Kennedy, is foiled by an FBI agent working with the head of the FBI. A love story complicates the plot. The book includes descriptive...
, which was set in a fictional future presidency of Edward M. Kennedy and described an assassination plot against him. Although Guinzburg cleared the book purchase and publication with Mrs. Onassis, upon the publication of a negative Sunday New York Times review which asserted that Mrs. Onassis held some blame for its publication, she abruptly resigned from Viking Press the next day. She then moved to Doubleday as an associate editor under an old friend, John Sargent, living in New York City,
Martha's VineyardMartha's Vineyard is an island off the south of Cape Cod in New England. The islands both forming a part of the Outer Lands region....
and the
Kennedy CompoundThe Kennedy Compound or Hyannis Port Historic District is the name given to six acres of waterfront property on Cape Cod along Nantucket Sound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, United States....
in
Hyannis, MassachusettsHyannis is the largest of seven villages in the Town of Barnstable, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. Also it is the commercial and transportation hub of Cape Cod and was designated an urban area as a result of the 1990 census...
. From the mid 1970s until her death, her companion was
Maurice TempelsmanMaurice Tempelsman is a Belgian-American businessman and diamond merchant. He moved to the United States as a child and attended New York public schools and New York University...
, a Belgian-born industrialist and
diamondIn mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is the second most stable form of carbon, after graphite; however, the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is...
merchant who was long separated from his wife.
She also continued to be the subject of much press attention, most notoriously involving the photographer
Ron GalellaRon Galella is an American photographer, known as a pioneer paparazzo. Dubbed "Paparazzo Extraordinaire" by Newsweek, he is regarded as the most controversial celebrity photographer in the world, willing to take great risks to get the perfect shot...
. He followed her around and photographed her as she went about her day-to-day activities, obtaining candid, iconic photos of her. She ultimately obtained a restraining order against him and the situation brought attention to
paparazziPaparazzi is a plural term for photographers who take unstaged and/or candid photographs of celebrities caught unaware. Paparazzi take photos of celebrities at moments when the subjects do not expect to be photographed, such as when they shop, walk through a city, eat at a restaurant, or swim or...
-style photography.
Among the many books she edited was
Larry GonickLarry Gonick is a cartoonist best known for The Cartoon History of the Universe, a history of the world in comic book form, which he has been publishing in installments since 1977...
's
The Cartoon History of the UniverseThe Cartoon History of the Universe was an ongoing book series about the history of the world. It was written and illustrated by American cartoonist, professor, and mathematician Larry Gonick. The final two volumes, published in 2007 and 2009, were named The Cartoon History of the Modern World...
. He expressed his gratitude in the acknowledgments in Volume 2. Mrs. Onassis's continuing charisma is indicated by the delight the Canadian author
Robertson DaviesWilliam Robertson Davies, CC, O.Ont, FRSC, FRSL was a Canadian novelist, playwright, critic, journalist, and professor...
took in discovering that at a commencement exercise at an American university at which he was being honored, Jacqueline Kennedy was on hand, circulating among the honorees.
Jacqueline Onassis also appreciated the contributions of African-American writers to the American literary canon and encouraged
Dorothy WestDorothy West was a novelist and short story writer who was part of the Harlem Renaissance. She is best known for her novel The Living Is Easy, about the life of an upper-class black family.- Early years :...
, her neighbor on
Martha's VineyardMartha's Vineyard is an island off the south of Cape Cod in New England. The islands both forming a part of the Outer Lands region....
and the last surviving member of the
Harlem RenaissanceThe Harlem Renaissance refers to the flowering of African American cultural and intellectual life during the 1920s and 1930s. At the time, it was known as the "New Negro Movement", named after the 1925 anthology The New Negro edited by Alain Locke...
, to complete
The Wedding: a multi-generational story about race, class, wealth, and power in the United States. The novel received great literary acclaim when it was published by Doubleday in 1995 and
Oprah WinfreyOprah Gail Winfrey is an American media personality, actress, television producer, literary critic and magazine publisher, best known for her self-titled, multi-award winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history...
introduced the story in 1998 to millions of Americans via a television film of the same name starring
Halle BerryHalle Berry is an American actress, former fashion model, and beauty queen. Berry received an Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, and an NAACP Image award for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and won an Academy Award for Best Actress and was also nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2001 for her performance in...
.
Dorothy WestDorothy West was a novelist and short story writer who was part of the Harlem Renaissance. She is best known for her novel The Living Is Easy, about the life of an upper-class black family.- Early years :...
acknowledged Jacqueline Onassis's kind encouragement in the foreword.
She also worked to preserve and protect America’s cultural heritage. The notable results of her hard work include Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C, and
Grand Central TerminalGrand Central Terminal — often popularly called Grand Central Station or simply Grand Central — is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City...
, New York's beloved historic railroad station. While she was First Lady, she helped to stop the destruction of historic homes in Lafayette Square, because she knew that these buildings were an important part of the nation’s capital and played an essential role in its history. Later, in New York City, she led a historic preservation campaign to save and renovate Grand Central Terminal from demolition. A plaque inside the terminal acknowledges her prominent role in its preservation. In the 1980s, she was a major figure in protests against a planned skyscraper at
Columbus CircleColumbus Circle, named for Christopher Columbus, is a major landmark and point of attraction in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Completed in 1905 and renovated a century later, it is located at the intersection of Broadway, Central Park West, Central Park South , and Eighth Avenue, at the...
which would have cast large shadows on
Central ParkCentral Park is a large public, urban park that occupies over a square mile in the heart of Manhattan in New York City. It is host to approximately twenty-five million visitors each year...
, the project was cancelled, but a large twin towered skyscraper would later fill in that spot in 2003, the
Time Warner CenterThe Time Warner Center is a mixed-use skyscraper developed by The Related Companies in New York City. Its design, by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, consists of two 750 ft towers bridged by a multi-story atrium containing upscale retail shops...
.
From her apartment windows in New York City she had a splendid view of a glass enclosed wing of the
Metropolitan Museum of ArtThe Metropolitan Museum of Art, known colloquially as The Met, is an art museum located on the eastern edge of Central Park, along what is known as Museum Mile in New York City, USA. It has a permanent collection containing more than two million works of art, divided into nineteen curatorial...
which displays the
Temple of DendurThe Temple of Dendur is a Nubian temple that was built by the Roman governor of Egypt, Petronius, around 15 BC and dedicated to Isis, Osiris, as well as two deified sons of a local Nubian chieftain, Pediese and Pihor...
. This was a gift from
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
to the United States in gratitude for the generosity of the Kennedy administration, who had been instrumental in saving several temples and objects of Egyptian antiquity that would otherwise have been flooded after the construction of the
Aswan DamAswan Egypt is the city located near the first cataract of the Nile, which presented the first obstacle from the Mediterranean Sea for boats sailing on the river since antiquity...
.
Death
In January 1994, Onassis was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a form of
cancerCancer is a class of diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled growth , invasion , and sometimes metastasis...
. Her diagnosis was announced to the public in February. The family and doctors were initially optimistic, and she stopped smoking at the insistence of her daughter. Onassis continued her work with Doubleday, but curtailed her schedule. By April, the cancer had spread, and she made her last trip home from New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center on May 18, 1994. A large crowd of well-wishers, tourists, and reporters gathered on the street outside her apartment. Onassis died in her sleep at 10:15 p.m. on Thursday, May 19, two and a half months before her 65th birthday. In announcing her death, Jacqueline's son, John Kennedy Jr. stated, "My mother died surrounded by her friends and her family and her books, and the people and the things that she loved. She did it in her own way, and on her own terms, and we all feel lucky for that."
Onassis' funeral was held on May 23 at Saint Ignatius Loyola Church in Manhattan - the church where she was baptized in 1929. At her funeral, her son described three of her attributes as the love of words, the bonds of home and family, and the spirit of adventure. She was buried alongside her first husband, her son, and her daughter at
Arlington National CemeteryArlington National Cemetery, in Arlington County, Virginia is a military cemetery in the United States, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a descendant of Martha Washington. The...
in Arlington, Virginia.
In her will, Onassis left her children an estate valued at $200 million by its executors.
Fashion icon
During her husband's presidency, Jacqueline Kennedy became a symbol of fashion for women all over the world. She retained French-born American fashion designer and Kennedy family friend
Oleg CassiniOleg Cassini was a French-born American fashion designer noted for being chosen by Jacqueline Kennedy to design her state wardrobe in the 1960s. He became the exclusive costume designer for his then-wife, American film and stage actress Gene Tierney...
in the fall of 1960 to create an original wardrobe for her as First Lady. From 1961 to late 1963, Cassini dressed Mrs. Kennedy in many of her most iconic ensembles, including her Inauguration Day fawn coat and Inaugural gala gown as well as many outfits for her visits to Europe, India and Pakistan. Mrs. Kennedy's clean
suitA suit is a set of garments crafted from the same cloth, consisting of at least a jacket and trousers. Lounge suits are the most common style of Western suit, originating in England as country wear...
s, sleeveless
A-lineA-line refers to a type of skirt that is fitted at the hips and gradually widens towards the hem, giving the impression of the shape of a capital letter A...
dresses and famous
pillbox hatA pillbox hat is a small woman's hat with a flat crown and straight, upright sides.-History:Historically, the pillbox was also a military headgear, often including a chin strap, and can still be seen on ceremonial occasions in some countries, especially those belonging to the Commonwealth. For...
s were an overnight success around the world and became known as the "Jackie" look. Although Cassini was her primary designer, Mrs. Kennedy also wore ensembles by French fashion legends such as
ChanelChanel S.A., commonly known as Chanel , is a Parisian fashion house founded by the late couturier Coco Chanel, recognized as one of the most chic in the haute couture...
,
GivenchyGivenchy is a French brand of clothing, accessories, perfumes and cosmetics with Parfums Givenchy.The house of Givenchy was founded in 1952 by designer Hubert de Givenchy and is a member of Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture et du Pret-a-Porter...
, and
DiorDior can mean:* Christian Dior SA, a French clothing retailer* In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth legendarium:**Dior Eluchíl, a Half-elven of the First Age**Dior , a Steward of GondorDior is a surname, and may refer to:...
. More than any other First Lady her style was copied by commercial manufacturers and a large segment of young women.
In the years after the White House, her style changed dramatically. Gone were the modest "campaign wife" clothes. Wide-leg pantsuits, large lapel jackets, silk Hermes head scarves and large, round, dark sunglasses were her new look. She often chose to wear brighter colors and patterns and even began wearing jeans in public. She also experimented with different styles, often wearing a large amount of jewelry, hoop earrings with her hair pulled back, and gypsy skirts.
Legacy
In December 1999, Onassis was among 18 included in
Gallup's List of Widely Admired People of the 20th CenturyGallup's List of Widely Admired People, a poll of United States citizens to volunteer the names of the individuals whom they most admire, is a list compiled annually by The Gallup Organization. This is the only question that Gallup has asked every year since its founding in the 1930s...
, from a poll conducted of the American people.
Honors and memorials
Onassis' legacy has been memorialized in various aspects of American culture. They include:
- A high school named Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School for International Careers
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School is a high school located in Midtown Manhattan. It is named after the former First Lady of the United States, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. It is located at 120 W 46th Street in Manhattan, a building formerly housing the High School of Performing Arts.JKO is a...
, was dedicated by New York City in 1995, the first high school named in her honor. It is located at 120 West 46th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, and was formerly the High School for the Performing Arts.
- Central Park
Central Park is a large public, urban park that occupies over a square mile in the heart of Manhattan in New York City. It is host to approximately twenty-five million visitors each year...
's main reservoir was renamed in her honor as the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis ReservoirThe Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, more commonly known as the Central Park Reservoir, is a decommissioned reservoir in Central Park in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The reservoir covers and holds over of water...
.
- At George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational university located in Washington, D.C...
, a residence hall located on the southeast corner of I and 23rd streets NW in Washington, D.C. was renamed Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis Hall in honor of the alumna.
- The White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., it was built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the late Georgian style and has been the residence of every...
's East Garden was renamed the Jacqueline Kennedy GardenThe Jacqueline Kennedy Garden is located at the White House south of the East Colonnade. The garden balances the Rose Garden on the west side of the White House Complex.-History:...
in her honor.
- In 2007, her name and her first husband's were included on the list of people aboard the Japanese Kaguya
SELENE , better known in Japan by its nickname , was the second Japanese lunar orbiter spacecraft. Produced by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science and NASDA , the spacecraft was launched September 14, 2007...
mission to the moonThe Moon is Earth's only natural satellite and the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System. The average centre-to-centre distance from the Earth to the Moon is , about thirty times the diameter of the Earth. The common centre of mass of the system is located at about —a quarter the Earth's...
launched on September 14, as part of The Planetary SocietyThe Planetary Society is a large, publicly supported, non-government and non-profit organization that has many research projects related to astronomy. It was founded in 1980 by Carl Sagan, Bruce Murray, and Louis Friedman, and has members from 125 countries around the world...
's "Wish Upon The Moon" campaign. In addition, they are included on the list aboard NASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program. NASA was established by the National Aeronautics and Space Act on July 29, 1958, replacing its predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for...
's Lunar Reconnaissance OrbiterThe Lunar Precursor Robotic Program is a program of robotic spacecraft missions which NASA will use to prepare for future human spaceflight missions to the Moon. Two LPRP missions, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite , were launched in June 2009...
mission.
- A school and an award at the American Ballet Theatre have been named after her in honor of her childhood study of ballet.
- The companion book for a series of interviews between mythologist Joseph Campbell
Joseph John Campbell was an American mythologist, writer and lecturer, best known for his work in comparative mythology and comparative religion. His work is vast, covering many aspects of the human experience...
and Bill MoyersBilly Don "Bill" Moyers is an American journalist and public commentator. He served as White House Press Secretary in the United States President Lyndon B. Johnson Administration from 1965-1967. He worked as a news commentator on television for ten years. Moyers had an extensive involvement with...
, The Power of MythThe Power of Myth is a book and six part television documentary originally broadcast on PBS in 1988 as Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth...
, was created under the direction of Onassis, prior to her death. The book's editor, Betty Sue FlowersBetty Sue Flowers was the former director of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum and an Emeritus Professor of English at the University of Texas at Austin....
, writes in the Editor's Note to The Power of Myth: "I am grateful… to Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, the Doubleday editor, whose interest in the books of Joseph Campbell was the prime mover in the publication of this book." A year after her death in 1994, Moyers dedicated the companion book for his PBS series, The Language of LifeThe Language of Life is the fifth album by Everything but the Girl, released on February 20, 1990.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Ben Watt; except where indicated# "Driving"# "Get Back Together"# "Meet Me In The Morning"...
to Onassis. The dedication read: "To Jacqueline Onassis. As you sail on to Ithaka." Ithaka was a reference to the C.P. CavafyConstantine P. Cavafy, also known as Konstantin or Konstantinos Petrou Kavafis, or Kavaphes was a renowned modern Greek poet who lived in Alexandria and worked as a journalist and civil servant...
poem that Maurice TempelsmanMaurice Tempelsman is a Belgian-American businessman and diamond merchant. He moved to the United States as a child and attended New York public schools and New York University...
read at her funeral.
Cultural depictions
Onassis is frequently alluded to and depicted in various forms of popular culture, including
filmFilm encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects....
s, television series, cartoon series, video games and
musicMusic is an art form whose medium is sound. Common elements of music are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
. Numerous books and plays have been written about her.
Further reading
- Abbott, James A. A Frenchman in Camelot: The Decoration of the Kennedy White House by Stéphane Boudin. Boscobel Restoration Inc.: 1995. ISBN 0-9646659-0-5.
- Abbott James A., and Elaine M. Rice. Designing Camelot: The Kennedy White House Restoration. Van Nostrand Reinhold: 1998. ISBN 0-442-02532-7.
- Abbott, James A. Jansen. Acanthus Press: 2006. ISBN 0-926494-33-3.
- Baldrige, Letitia
Letitia Baldrige is an American etiquette expert and public relations executive.A graduate of Vassar College, she is a former State Department employee and was the White House Social Secretary to Jacqueline Kennedy....
. In the Kennedy Style: Magical evenings in the Kennedy White House. Doubleday: 1998. ISBN 0-385-48964-1.
- Bowles, Hamish, Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., and Rachel Lambert Mellon. "Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years." The Metropolitan Museum of Art. bulfinch Press/Little, Brown and Company: 2001. ISBN 0-8212-2745-9.
- Cassini, Oleg. A Thousand Days of Magic: Dressing the First Lady for the White House. Rizzoli International Publications: 1995. ISBN 0-8478-1900-0.
- Perry, Barbara A.
Dr. Barbara A. Perry, a U.S. Supreme Court expert and biographer of the Kennedys, is the Carter Glass Professor of Government and founding director of the Center for Civic Renewal at Sweet Briar College in Virginia. In 1994-95 she was the Judicial Fellow at the U.S. Supreme Court, where she...
Jacqueline Kennedy: First Lady of the New Frontier University Press of Kansas: 2004. ISBN 978-0-7006-1343-4.
- Taraborrelli, J. Randy. Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot. Warner Books: 2000. ISBN 0-446-52426-3
- West, J.B. with Mary Lynn Kotz. Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies. Coward, McCann & Geoghegan: 1973. SBN 698-10546-X.
- Wolff, Perry. A Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy. Doubleday & Company: 1962.
- Exhibition Catalogue, Sale 6834: The Estate of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis April 23–26, 1996. Sothebys, Inc.: 1996.
- The White House: An Historic Guide. White House Historical Association and the National Geographic Society: 2001. ISBN 0-912308-79-6.
External links