Biography: The inauguration of John F.
Kennedy in 1961 brought to the White House
and to the heart of the nation a beautiful
young wife and the first young children of a
President in half a century.
She was born Jacqueline Lee Bouvier, daughter
of John Vernon Bouvier III and his wife,
Janet Lee. Her early years were divided
between New York City and East Hampton, Long
Island, where she learned to ride almost as
soon as she could walk. She was educated at
the best of private schools; she wrote poems
and stories, drew illustrations for them, and
studied ballet. Her mother, who had obtained
a divorce, married Hugh D. Auchincloss in
1942 and brought her two girls to
"Merrywood," his home near Washington, D.C.,
with summers spent at his estate in Newport,
Rhode Island. Jacqueline was dubbed "the
Debutante of the Year" for the 1947-1948
season, but her social success did not keep
her from continuing her education. As a
Vassar student she traveled extensively, and
she spent her junior year in France before
graduating from George Washington University.
These experiences left her with a great
empathy for people of foreign countries,
especially the French.
In Washington she took a job as "inquiring
photographer" for a local newspaper. Her path
soon crossed that of Senator Kennedy, who had
the reputation of being the most eligible
bachelor in the capital. Their romance
progressed slowly and privately, but their
wedding at Newport in 1953 attracted
nationwide publicity.
With marriage "Jackie" had to adapt herself
to the new role of wife to one of the
country's most energetic political figures.
Her own public appearances were highly
successful, but limited in number. After the
sadness of a miscarriage and the stillbirth
of a daughter, Caroline Bouvier was born in
1957; John Jr. was born between the election
of 1960 and Inauguration Day. Patrick
Bouvier, born prematurely on August 7, 1963,
died two days later.
To the role of First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy
brought beauty, intelligence, and cultivated
taste. Her interest in the arts, publicized
by press and television, inspired an
attention to culture never before evident at
a national level. She devoted much time and
study to making the White House a museum of
American history and decorative arts as well
as a family residence of elegance and charm.
But she defined her major role as "to take
care of the President" and added that "if you
bungle raising your children, I don't think
whatever else you do well matters very much."
Mrs. Kennedy's gallant courage during the
tragedy of her husband's assassination won
her the admiration of the world. Thereafter
it seemed the public would never allow her
the privacy she desired for herself and her
children. She moved to New York City; and in
1968 she married the wealthy Greek
businessman, Aristotle Onassis, 23 years her
senior, who died in March 1975. From 1978
until her death in 1994, Mrs. Onassis worked
in New York City as an editor for Doubleday.
At her funeral her son described three of her
attributes: "love of words, the bonds of home
and family, and her spirit of adventure."
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