 |
Rose Elizaabeth KennedyWife of Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. and mother of President John F. Kennedy
Date of Birth: 22.01.1995
Country:  USA |
Content:
Early Life and Education
Rose Elizabeth Kennedy was born on January 22, 1895, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Irish-American politician John F. "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald and Mary Josephine Hannon. She was the eldest of their nine children. Rose's father was a prominent figure in Boston politics, serving in the U.S. Congress and as Mayor of Boston.
Rose attended Kasteel Bloemendal School in the Netherlands and graduated from Dorchester High School in 1906. She then studied piano at the New England Conservatory in Boston. Despite her father's initial refusal to let her attend college, Rose eventually enrolled at Manhattanville College.
Marriage and Family
In 1908, Rose and her father embarked on a European tour, where they were granted a private audience with Pope Pius X at the Vatican. On October 7, 1914, Rose married Joseph P. Kennedy, whom she had courted for over seven years. The couple had nine children.
Rose's husband was known for his infidelity, and during her eighth pregnancy with their fourth child, she briefly returned to her parents' home. Her father reminded Rose of her Catholic faith and the impossibility of divorce. She reluctantly obeyed, despite her husband's ongoing indiscretions, including a widely publicized affair with actress Gloria Swanson.
Later Life and Legacy
In her later years, Rose Kennedy suffered a debilitating stroke at age 94 and relied on a wheelchair for the rest of her life. She maintained the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, with the assistance of private nurses and other staff. Rose passed away on January 22, 1995, from complications of pneumonia, at the age of 104. She had outlived four of her children and two of her grandchildren.
Rose Kennedy's life and charitable work were chronicled in the Oscar-nominated documentary short film "Rose Kennedy: A Life to Remember" (1990). Pope Pius XII bestowed the title of Roman Countess on Kennedy in 1951 in recognition of her "exemplary motherhood and manifold charitable activities."
