Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis (née Bouvier) was born on July 28, 1929, in Southampton, New York. Her parents were John Vernou "Black Jack" Bouvier III, a Wall Street stockbroker, and Janet Norton Lee, a socialite of Irish descent. She was baptized at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in Manhattan and was raised in the Roman Catholic faith.

Her early childhood was spent in Manhattan and at the Bouviers’ country estate, Lasata, located in East Hampton on Long Island. Jacqueline had a younger sister, Caroline Lee, born on March 3, 1933. Her family background included French, Scottish, and English ancestry, with her mother of Irish descent. Her father was known for his charm but also struggled with alcoholism and extramarital affairs, contributing to marital strain; the family separated in 1936 and divorced four years later in 1940. During her parents’ separation and divorce, Jacqueline was reportedly affected deeply, which influenced her tendency towards privacy later in life.

Following her mother’s remarriage to Hugh D. Auchincloss Jr., a stockbroker and lawyer, Jacqueline and her sister did not attend the wedding. The remarriage expanded their family to include three stepsiblings: Hugh "Yusha" Auchincloss III, Thomas Gore Auchincloss, and Nina Gore Auchincloss. The family residence was chiefly at the Auchincloss estate, Merrywood, in McLean, Virginia, although they also spent time at Hammersmith Farm in Newport, Rhode Island, and in their father’s homes in New York City and Long Island. Jacqueline maintained a relationship with her biological father but viewed Hugh Auchincloss as a paternal figure and enjoyed a stable upbringing.

Her education included attendance at Manhattan’s Chapin School from grade 1 through 7, followed by Holton-Arms School in Washington, D.C., and Miss Porter’s School in Connecticut, where she graduated among the top of her class in 1947. She excelled academically, was recognized for her wit and equestrian skills, and was also skilled in foreign languages, particularly French, Spanish, and Italian.

In the fall of 1947, Bouvier enrolled at Vassar College in New York, a women’s college, where she participated in art and drama activities and contributed to the college newspaper. During her junior year (1949–1950), she studied abroad in France, at the University of Grenoble and the Sorbonne, as part of a program through Smith College. She transferred to George Washington University in Washington, D.C., where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in French literature in 1951.

While attending George Washington University, she secured a twelve-month junior editorship at Vogue magazine. The position involved work in New York City and Paris, but she left after one day following advice from the magazine’s managing editor, who expressed concern about her marriage prospects. Before her career at Vogue, she traveled in Europe with her sister Lee, which was later chronicled in her autobiography, "One Special Summer," co-authored with Lee.

In 1953, Jacqueline Bouvier married John F. Kennedy in Newport, Rhode Island. The couple had four children, two of whom suffered infant mortality. After Kennedy was elected President of the United States in 1960, Jacqueline became First Lady, serving from 1961 until her husband's assassination in 1963. During her tenure as First Lady, she was noted for her efforts to restore and decorate the White House and for her advocacy of arts and culture. She was also recognized for her fashion and personal style.

Following the assassination of President Kennedy, she and her children withdrew from public view. In 1968, she married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, a marriage that generated controversy. After Onassis's death in 1975, Jacqueline entered a career as a book editor at Viking Press and Doubleday in New York City. She worked to restore her public image and maintained a prominent place in American cultural history.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis died on May 19, 1994, and was interred at Arlington National Cemetery alongside President Kennedy and two of their children, one stillborn and one who died shortly after birth. Periodic surveys conducted by the Siena College Research Institute since 1982 placed her among the most highly regarded First Ladies in American history. In 1999, she was included in Gallup’s list of the Most-Admired Men and Women of the 20th century.