Rose Kennedy and Her Children

Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald was born in 1890, in the North End neighborhood of Boston. She was the daughter of John Francis "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald and Mary Josephine "Josie" Hannon, both of Irish families in Boston whose parents fled the Famine in Ireland. Energetic and bold, her father was a politician, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1895 to 1901 (and again in 1919), as the Mayor of Boston from 1906 to 1908, and again from 1910–1914. It is from her father that Rose attained her political campaigning skills when it came to her own children’s political careers. Rose’s mother strongly contrasted her extroverted father, and kept the family’s house together, managing expenses and disciplining the children. Rose acquired her devout Catholic virtue and stoic manner from her mother, Mary Josephine Hannon. In her youth, Rose enjoyed studying European languages, such as French and German, and took piano lessons at the New England Conservatory.

Rose first met Joe Kennedy when they were very young, at Old Orchard Beach in Maine. It was at that beach some several years later, when both were in their teens, that they met once again, and fell in love.

Rose’s father was strict about her interactions with others, so she and Joe organized clandestine rendezvous with one another in Boston throughout their late teenage years and into their twenties, without her parents’ knowledge. It wasn’t until Joe had graduated from Harvard and became the youngest bank president in the nation that Rose’s father accepted Joseph as a fitting husband for his daughter. They married in October 1914.

In their first eighteen years of marriage, Rose gave birth to nine children. As Rose and Joe's family grew, they sought a summer getaway from the city, which eventually led them to Hyannis Port. As Joe's career and their family grew, Rose managed family life (tracking her nine children's health on index cards) while Joe was appointed by President Roosevelt to chair the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (1934–1935), and the U.S. Maritime Commission (1937–1938). In 1938, Joe was appointed ambassador to the United Kingdom. Rose and the family joined him, and it was during these years that Rose served as a savvy socialite diplomatic consultant and spent as much time traveling as she could within her duties as the matriarch of the family, putting her family on the world stage, and on a mythic path to power.

Their children (all now deceased) were:

Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., born in 1915, was a Navy pilot, killed in action in World War II in 1944.

John F. Kennedy, born in 1917, was awarded the Purple Heart for his Naval service and elected the 35th President of the United States. He was assassinated in 1963.

Rose Marie (Rosemary) Kennedy, born in 1918, had disabilities from birth, but lived a long life and died in 2005.

Kathleen A. Kennedy, born in 1920, married William Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington in England in 1944. "Kick" served in the Red Cross during World War II, and her husband was killed in action in 1944. She was killed in a plane crash in France in 1948.

Eunice A. Kennedy, born in 1921, married Sargent Shriver, the first director of the Peace Corps. She founded the Special Olympics in 1968 and died in Hyannis Port in 2009.

Patricia H. Kennedy, born in 1924, became an actress and married actor Peter Lawford. She was politically active during many of her brothers' campaigns and founded the National Committee for the Literary Arts. She died in New York in 2006.

Robert F. Kennedy, born in 1925, served his brother as US Attorney General and then was elected U.S. Senator from New York. He was assassinated in Los Angeles in 1968, during his own presidential campaign.

Jean A. Kennedy, born in 1928, married Stephen Smith. She served as the 25th U.S. Ambassador to Ireland. The last surviving sibling, she died in 2020.

Edward M. Kennedy, born in 1932, he served 47 years as U.S. Senator from Massachusetts and was deemed by many as "The Lion of the Senate" for his ability to cross party lines to get legislation passed. He died in Hyannis Port in 2009.

"I have always enjoyed living and working, and I believe I have had a great life, I consider myself very lucky. I had a wonderful youth; my father gave me the stimulation of travel [and] zest - curiosity and interest and enthusiasm for life. My mother bestowed on me faith and common sense. I fell in love young and married the man I loved and lived a full life with him - from finance to the movies to politics to diplomacy. I have been ideally happy with my children."