Iconic Newsmaker #3: Jackie Onassis
The storied princess of Camelot, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was America's First Lady and New York's reigning royal for most of her adult life. Pedigreed by birth and a New Yorker by choice, Jackie O continues to hold our fascination and an unparalleled place in American history.
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The Early Years
The product of privilege, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was born Jacqueline Lee Bouvier on July 28, 1929 in Southampton, New York to Wall Street stockbroker John Vernou Bouvier III and Janet Norton Lee. The couple divorced when Bouvier was 11. Her mother's remarriage to Standard Oil heir Hugh Dudley Auchincloss, Jr., produced two additional children as well as ensuring the family's vast financial standing. Bouvier attended private schools in New York City and spent a great deal of her time roaming the family estate in East Hampton.
Bouvier's personality asserted itself at a very young age. A unique contrast between demure shyness and understated authority permeated many of her relationships. She also displayed a renegade streak of independence and a sharp, intellectual curiosity. Bouvier's love of horses and riding was also a cornerstone of her young existence, and may have helped her deal with the trauma of her parents divorce. Naturally athletic and limber, her pedigree was unquestionable and her multi-faceted talents admirable.
Bouvier's education encompassed Miss Porter's School, where she studied a variety of feminine arts prior to becoming Debutante of the Year. She went on to Vassar College and George Washington University before studying for several years in France. An early interest in reading and journalism was pivotal to her career choice. After graduation, Bouvier became a photographic journalist for The Washington Times-Herald, bringing her to the city which would become her home for several short, storied years.
A Pivotal Meeting
A handsome, charismatic U.S. Representative named John (Jack) Fitzgerald Kennedy had a similar background to Bouvier. The two had many friends in common and travelled within the same Washington, D.C. circles. They were formally introduced by mutual friend and journalist, Charles L. Bartlett, at a dinner fete in 1952. The young, ambitious man was in the throes of a senatorial campaign, but he didn't back burner the budding relationship with the enchanting and witty 23-year-old beauty for long. The two announced their engagement 11 months later.
An Arbiter of Style Comes to The White House
The next several years were ones punctuated by Jack Kennedy's ambition and Jackie Kennedy's difficult pregnancies. By 1960, the two launched his campaign for the presidency. Kennedy's pregnancy kept her out of the limelight during much of this time, although she did turn heads when she and her husband appeared in a New York City ticker tape parade.
Her future role began to gel when old school chum, Letitia Baldrige, was added to the campaign staff. Baldrige's job was to help Kennedy determine her best face as First Lady of the United States. Together, the two determined that White House restoration would be her bailiwick and signature accomplishment.
A Beloved First Lady
Kennedy gave birth to son John a mere two weeks after her husband won the election. At 31, her glamorous and elegant persona was tempered by an easy going approachability which enchanted dignitaries and the American public alike. An easy interview, Kennedy was in the public eye regularly. Her signature hairstyle and impeccable fashion sense altered the way women everywhere started to dress, but it was her revamping of the White House that dramatically set her apart from her predecessors.
Upon arrival at the White House, Kennedy was shocked at the disrepair and lack of respect afforded to historical artifacts. With the help of renowned society interior decorator, Sister Parish, Kennedy immediately got to work. Upon completion, she created and published a White House Guide Book and arranged for the newly-restored historical pieces to become property of the Smithsonian Institute, ensuring them against future neglect or removal from the property.
Her legendary, televised tour of the White House with Charles Collingwood of CBS News was a huge boon to John Kennedy's administration, making him incredibly popular with the public and enabling him to interact more effectively with foreign diplomats, who were now eager to visit and attend the dinner parties Kennedy was known for.
Kennedy's parties quickly became the stuff of White House legend. She ripped away the staid and stuffy with an undeniable breath of change, inviting people from all walks of life to dine within the White House walls. Kennedy's social events made her the toast of the town, widely emulated and admired by all. Her poise, charm and keen intellect were assets to her husband's career, helping him solidify relationships with foreign heads of state who could not help but succumb to the first lady's charms.
Heartbreak
1963 was the year the American people are said to have lost their innocence. It was also the year that the Kennedy's would bury an infant son, Patrick, born prematurely. Just three months later, an assassin's bullet would end Jack Kennedy's life and catapult Jackie to the attention of the public in a new way. Our cherished first lady known for style, grace and kindness instantly became the face of courage and bravery under the most horrific of circumstances. In a blood-stained pink suit, she led us toward a post-Camelot future without her husband defined by the qualities she best personified. She led herself and her small children toward a similar type of future as well.
The Legend of Jackie O
When a short five years later, Kennedy decided to marry one of the richest men in the world. Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. The two made an unlikely pair, but the coupling did not diminish Kennedy Onassis' popularity with the American people.
The marriage was not a happy one. The infidelities which Kennedy Onassis suffered through during her first marriage were largely kept secret from the public for many years, but this was not the case with her second. A final betrayal from Onassis seemed to mark the end of their union. He secretly consigned multiple photographers to have access to Jackie without her consent or knowledge during private moments. Nude photos of her blared from newsstands worldwide. Undaunted, Kennedy Onassis remained in the marriage and was widowed shortly after.
A Return to New York and a Goodbye
Kennedy Onassis' love of journalism and literary pursuits never diminished. During the last decades of her life she maintained a primary residence in Manhattan and worked as an assistant editor for Doubleday under the auspices of longtime friend John Sargent. Kennedy Onassis also became intrinsically involved in historical restoration throughout the city. She worked tirelessly to help restore Grand Central Station and preserve the integrity of her beloved Central Park. She found long-term companionship with Belgian-American diamond merchant Maurice Tempelsman, and the two were often seen dining together in Manhattan.
Jackie O sightings were exciting events in New York. Her iconic scarf and dark glasses did little to shield her from the public eye. The lithe beauty was often seen running around the Central Park Reservoir or striding down Madison Avenue in heels.
Kennedy Onassis was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a virulent form of cancer in 1994. She died in her sleep on Thursday, May 19, two months shy of her 65th birthday. Her funeral was held in the same church she was baptized in, Manhattan's Saint Ignatius Loyola. She was survived by her two children, son John F. Kennedy Jr., who was killed in a plane crash in 1999 and daughter Caroline Bouvier Kennedy.
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Corey Whelan is a freelance writer in New York. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.
