Jackie Kennedy Onassis (1929-1994)
Mrs. Jacqueline Lee (Bouvier) Kennedy, Onassis; 35th First Lady of the United States
She was born into a wealthy Catholic family on Long Island, New York, descended from Michel Bouvier who settled in Philadelphia after Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo in 1815. Her only full sibling was Lee Radziwill, but they were the half-sisters of Mrs. Janet (Auchincloss) Rutherfurd and James Auchincloss. Their step-siblings included Mrs. Nina Gore (Auchincloss) Straight who was the half-sister of Gore Vidal. She grew up between an apartment in Manhattan and her adored summer home in the Hamptons, Lasata, where she developed her lifelong passion for horse-riding. She was educated at Vassar College and the University of Grenoble, developing a reputation for her intelligence, sophistication, and fluency in French, Spanish, and Italian.
Before her society wedding to John F. Kennedy at Hammersmith Farm, Newport, in 1953, she worked as a photographer and journalist for the Washington Times-Herald. As First Lady, she founded "The White House Historical Association" in 1961. She transformed the White House into a showcase of American history and culture, leading the first televised tour in 1962 that was watched by 80-million Americans. Her impeccable fashion sense and gentility made her an international style icon and a diplomatic asset on any state visit. Nonetheless, she valued privacy, insisting on a home away from the cameras, Glen Ora.
Before her society wedding to John F. Kennedy at Hammersmith Farm, Newport, in 1953, she worked as a photographer and journalist for the Washington Times-Herald. As First Lady, she founded "The White House Historical Association" in 1961. She transformed the White House into a showcase of American history and culture, leading the first televised tour in 1962 that was watched by 80-million Americans. Her impeccable fashion sense and gentility made her an international style icon and a diplomatic asset on any state visit. Nonetheless, she valued privacy, insisting on a home away from the cameras, Glen Ora.
Jackie's grace under pressure became legendary during the tragic events of November 22, 1963. Her composure during the aftermath of the assassination, including her decision to wear her blood-stained pink suit while Lyndon Johnson was sworn in, saying "Let them see what they have done," became one of the most powerful images in American history. Her planning of Kennedy's funeral, modeled after Lincoln's, created a dignified farewell that helped unite a grieving nation, and she remained a fierce guardian of his legacy.
In 1968, she married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. Later in life, she worked as a book editor and became a prominent preservationist, notably helping save Grand Central Terminal in New York. She remained an intensely private person despite constant public fascination, embodying dignity and resilience until her death in New York in 1994.
In 1968, she married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. Later in life, she worked as a book editor and became a prominent preservationist, notably helping save Grand Central Terminal in New York. She remained an intensely private person despite constant public fascination, embodying dignity and resilience until her death in New York in 1994.
