Rose Kennedy | |
|---|---|
| Countess of the Holy Roman Church | |
 Kennedy in 1967 | |
| Known for | Kennedy family matriarch |
| Born | Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald (1890-07-22)July 22, 1890 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | January 22, 1995(1995-01-22) (aged 104) Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Buried | Holyhood Cemetery Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Spouse | |
| Children | |
| Parents | John Francis Fitzgerald Mary Josephine Hannon |
| Signature |  |
Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald Kennedy (July 22, 1890 – January 22, 1995) was an American philanthropist, socialite, and matriarch of theKennedy family. She was deeply embedded in the "lace curtain" Irish-American community in Boston. Her father,John F. Fitzgerald, served in theMassachusetts State Senate (1892–1894), in theU.S. House of Representatives (1895–1901, 1919), and asMayor of Boston (1906–1908, 1910–1914). Her husband,Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., chaired theU.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (1934–1935) and theU.S. Maritime Commission (1937–1938), and served asUnited States Ambassador to the United Kingdom (1938–1940). Their nine children includedUnited States presidentJohn F. Kennedy,U.S. senatorRobert F. Kennedy ofNew York,U.S. senatorTed Kennedy ofMassachusetts,Special Olympics founderEunice Kennedy Shriver, andU.S. Ambassador to IrelandJean Kennedy Smith. In 1951, Rose Kennedy was ennobled byPope Pius XII, becoming the sixth American woman to be granted the rank ofpapal countess.[1]
Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald was born on July 22, 1890, at 4 Garden Court[2] in theNorth End neighborhood ofBoston, Massachusetts.[3] She was the eldest of six children born toJohn Francis "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald, at the time a member of the Boston Common Council, and the former Mary Josephine "Josie" Hannon.[4]
At age 7, she moved with her family toWest Concord, Massachusetts,[5] and in 1904, they moved again, into anItalianate/Mansard-style home in the Ashmont Hill section ofDorchester, Massachusetts.[6] Rose studied at the Blumenthal Academy of the Sacred Heart inVaals, Netherlands,[7] and graduated fromDorchester High School in 1906.[8] She also attended theNew England Conservatory in Boston, where she studiedpiano. After being refused permission by her father to attendWellesley College, Fitzgerald enrolled at theManhattanville College of the Sacred Heart (as it was then known) inManhattan, an institution that did not grant degrees at the time.[7] Kennedy later said that her greatest regret was "not having gone to Wellesley College," saying that it was "something I have felt a little sad about all my life." However, Rose eventually grew fond of the convent school, saying that the religious training she received became the foundation of her life.[3]
In 1908, Fitzgerald and her father embarked on a tour of Europe and had a private audience with PopePius X at theVatican.[9]
In her teens, Rose became acquainted with her future husband,Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kennedy, whom she met while their families were vacationing atOld Orchard Beach inMaine. He was the elder son of businessman/politicianPatrick Joseph "P.J." Kennedy (a political rival of "Honey Fitz") and Mary Augusta Hickey. Kennedy would go on to court Fitzgerald for more than seven years, much to her father's disapproval.[3]
On October 7, 1914, at age 24, she married Kennedy in a modest ceremony at the small chapel of the residence ofArchbishopWilliam Henry O'Connell in Boston.[3] They initially lived in ahome inBrookline, Massachusetts, and later a 15-roomcottage atHyannis Port, Massachusetts onCape Cod, which became the Kennedy family's lasting base.[10] Their nine children wereJoseph Jr. (1915–1944),John, called "Jack" (1917–1963),Rose Marie, called "Rosemary" (1918–2005),Kathleen, called "Kick" (1920–1948),Eunice (1921–2009),Patricia (1924–2006),Robert, called "Bobby" (1925–1968),Jean (1928–2020), andEdward, called "Ted" (1932–2009).[3]
Joseph provided well for their family, but he wasunfaithful. His affairs included one withGloria Swanson.[11] When Rose was eight months pregnant with the couple's fourth child, Kathleen, she temporarily went back to her parents, returning to Joseph after her father told her divorce was not an option. In turning a blind eye to her husband's affairs, Rose depended heavily on medication.Ronald Kessler found records for prescription tranquilizersSeconal,Placidyl,Librium, andDalmane to relieve Rose's nervousness and stress, andLomotil,Bentyl,Librax, andTagamet for her stomach.[12] According to historianDoris Kearns Goodwin, "Rose knew what was going on, but, in my judgment, she willed that knowledge out of her mind. She didn’t want to lose her marriage. She didn’t want to lose her husband. She didn’t want to lose that family that she had created. It mattered too much to her. And I think, underneath, she knew Joe didn’t want to lose it, either."[10]
Rose Kennedy was a strictCatholic[11] throughout her life. Even after her 100th birthday, she rarely missedSunday Mass and maintained an "extremely prudish" exterior.[13]Jacqueline Kennedy described her mother-in-law in her correspondence to Father Joseph Leonard, an Irish priest: "I don't think Jack's mother is too bright – and she would rather say arosary than read a book."[14]
Kennedy stated that she felt completely fulfilled as a full-time homemaker. In her 1974 autobiography,Times to Remember, she wrote, "I looked on child rearing not only as a work of love and duty but as a profession that was fully as interesting and challenging as any honorable profession in the world and one that demanded the best I could bring to it..... What greater aspiration and challenge are there for a mother than the hope of raising a great son or daughter?"[15]According to one of her servants, Frank Saunders, she was self-centered, stingy, prudish, and often spiteful.[16]
Rose campaigned for her sons, John, Robert, and Edward, from 1946 to 1976 in their political races for theUnited States House of Representatives, theUnited States Senate, and thepresidency. In addition to being asked to attend and speak at events, she was increasingly asked to give interviews for television and books, and to write articles about her life, her family, or her faith.[17]Pierre Salinger once noted that Rose made prospective voters feel more important by preparing her remarks carefully and addressing them on intimate terms.[18] Following John'selection for president in 1960, Rose "became a sort of quiet celebrity" and appeared on theInternational Best Dressed List.[13]
After suffering astroke in 1984, she used a wheelchair for the remaining 11 years of her life. Kennedy maintained her residence at the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port and was cared for by private nurses and staff. Sheturned 100 years old on July 22, 1990. Kennedy died from complications frompneumonia in Hyannis Port on January 22, 1995, aged 104.[19]
In 1951,Pope Pius XII granted Kennedy the title ofcountess in recognition of her "exemplary motherhood and many charitable works".[20] In 1992, when she turned 102, the intersection of Welles Avenue and Harley Street in Boston was proclaimed "Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Square". The plaque was dedicated by her son, Senator Ted Kennedy. Also, theRose Kennedy Greenway in Boston – the park that was created when the city'sCentral Artery was sunk below ground level in the "Big Dig" – was named after her on July 26, 2004.[citation needed] Well known for herphilanthropic efforts and for leading the Grandparents' Parade at age 90 at theSpecial Olympics, Kennedy's life and work are documented in theOscar-nominated short documentaryRose Kennedy: A Life to Remember.[21] She was a lifelongautograph collector.[22]
TheRose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge in Ireland is named after her. As of its 2020 opening, it is the longest bridge in Ireland.[23]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
November 20, 1925 – June 6, 1968 | ||
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February 22, 1932 – August 25, 2009 | ||
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