Rose Kennedy biography

Synopsis

Kennedy Matriarch

Writer, activist, fundraiser, matriarch of the Kennedy dynasty. Born Rose Fitzgerald, July 22, 1890, in Boston, Massachusetts, Rose Kennedy was the grande dame of contemporary American politics. She led an extraordinary life -- one marked by both exuberance and anguish -- and was a witness to more than a century's worth of U.S. history. Stately and courageous in the face of adversity, Kennedy endured a series of personal tragedies with uncommon composure and unshakable faith. As the matriarch of the Kennedy clan, she saw three of her sons gain election to public office -- and two of them die at the hands of assassins.

Kennedy's steely determination and abiding belief in God made her the embodiment of the Irish Catholic tradition in the United States. A spirited activist, an effective campaigner, and a dedicated fund-raiser -- especially for charities assisting the mentally handicapped -- she stood as a symbol of Democratic politics at its best. But Kennedy is probably most remembered for her unswerving devotion to her family. As her son John, the nation's first Catholic president, once put it, she functioned as "the glue that...always held the family together."

Marriage to Joe Kennedy

Rose Kennedy was the eldest child of John "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald, a prominent figure in Boston politics who served one term as a congressional representative and later became the city's mayor. Kennedy grew up in the political spotlight, accompanying her father to various partisan functions while she was still a teenager. After graduating from high school at the age of 16, she wanted to attend the prestigious Wellesley College but was sent by her parents to Boston's Convent of the Sacred Heart. She later studied French and German at a convent school in the Netherlands. Upon her return to the States, Rose fell for a saloonkeeper's son named Joseph P. Kennedy. Although her father respected the young man's ambition -- Joe Kennedy became the youngest bank president in U.S. history -- he never liked the young businessman and disapproved of the relationship.

Rose continued dating Kennedy against her father's wishes, and in 1914 the couple was married. They had nine children during their 55-year-long marriage. Joe Kennedy became a multi-millionaire financier. He attracted considerable attention with his sometimes questionable business dealings -- he is said to have dabbled in bootlegging -- and alleged philandering. Unruffled by public speculation, Rose immersed herself in the business of raising her family. She schooled her children in the history of the American Democratic tradition and went on to nurture the political ambitions of three sons -- John, Robert, and Edward -- vigorously promoting their careers through grass roots campaigning.