Caroline Kennedy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Caroline Kennedy
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Official portrait, 2022
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| 27th United States Ambassador to Australia | |
| In office July 25, 2022 – November 28, 2024 |
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| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Erika Olson (chargé d'affaires) |
| 29th United States Ambassador to Japan | |
| In office November 19, 2013 – January 18, 2017 |
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| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | John Roos |
| Succeeded by | Bill Hagerty |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Caroline Bouvier Kennedy
November 27, 1957 New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Edwin Schlossberg
(m. 1986) |
| Children |
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| Parents | |
| Relatives | Kennedy family Bouvier family |
| Education | Harvard University (AB) Columbia University (JD) |
| Awards | Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (2021) |
Caroline Bouvier Kennedy (born November 27, 1957) is an American author, lawyer, and diplomat. She is a member of the famous Kennedy family and is the only living child of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy.
Caroline has served the United States in important roles. She was the United States ambassador to Japan from 2013 to 2017 under President Barack Obama. More recently, she was the United States ambassador to Australia from 2022 to 2024, appointed by President Joe Biden. Besides her work in government, she has focused on writing, law, education, and charity work.
When she was a toddler, her father was elected president, and she spent her early years in the White House. She was five years old when her father was assassinated in 1963. After this tragedy, her family moved to New York City. Caroline later graduated from Harvard University and Columbia Law School.
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Early Life
Caroline Bouvier Kennedy was born in New York City to John F. Kennedy, who was a U.S. senator at the time, and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. She was named after her aunt, Lee Radziwill. Caroline had a younger brother, John F. Kennedy Jr., and another brother, Patrick, who died shortly after birth.
White House Years
When Caroline was three, her family moved into the White House after her father became president. She was often in the news and was photographed riding her pony, "Macaroni," on the White House lawn. The singer Neil Diamond was so inspired by a photo of her that he wrote the famous song "Sweet Caroline."
As a young child in the White House, Caroline received many gifts from world leaders. These included a puppy from Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev and a pony from Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson. People described her as a little shy but also very normal and not spoiled by the attention.
After her father was assassinated in 1963, her nanny, Maud Shaw, was the one who told her the sad news. Soon after, Caroline, her mother, and her brother John Jr. moved out of the White House and back to the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
Growing Up in New York
A year later, the family moved to an apartment in New York City to have more privacy. In 1967, Caroline officially named the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy in a special ceremony.
Her uncle, Robert F. Kennedy, became a very important person in her life, acting like a second father. After he was also assassinated in 1968, her mother Jacqueline became very worried about her children's safety. She married Greek businessman Aristotle Onassis and moved the family to his private Greek island, Skorpios, for part of the year.
In 1975, while Caroline was studying art in London, a car bomb exploded nearby. The bomb was meant for her hosts, but it went off before they left the house. Caroline was safe inside, but a neighbor was killed in the explosion.
Education and Family
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Caroline attended private schools in New York and graduated from Concord Academy in Massachusetts in 1975. She then went to Harvard University, earning a degree in fine arts in 1980. After college, she worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
It was at the museum that she met her future husband, designer Edwin Schlossberg. They married in 1986. Her uncle, Senator Ted Kennedy, walked her down the aisle. Caroline and Edwin have three children: Rose, Tatiana, and Jack.
Caroline was very close to her brother, John Jr. After he died in a plane crash in 1999, she became the last surviving member of President Kennedy's immediate family. She decided his remains should be cremated and his ashes scattered at sea.
After her time at the museum, Caroline decided to go to law school. She earned a law degree from Columbia Law School in 1988, graduating in the top ten percent of her class.
In January 2025, Caroline spoke to U.S. senators about her cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.. She expressed her strong disagreement with his nomination to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services, explaining her concerns about his views.
Career in Public Service
Caroline Kennedy is a lawyer, writer, and editor who has worked with many non-profit groups. She has co-written two books about American civil liberties, which are the basic rights and freedoms of citizens.
- In Our Defense: The Bill of Rights in Action (1991)
- The Right to Privacy (1995)
She has also edited several best-selling books, including collections of poems and essays.
Working for Education and Charity
From 2002 to 2004, Caroline worked for the New York City Department of Education. Her job was to help raise money from private companies and individuals for the city's public schools. She was very successful, helping to raise over $65 million.
In 1989, she and her family created the Profile in Courage Award. This award is given each year to a public official who shows great political courage, inspired by her father's book, Profiles in Courage. She is also the president of the Kennedy Library Foundation.
Political Involvement
In 2008, Caroline publicly supported Barack Obama for president. In an article for The New York Times, she wrote, "I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president."
She campaigned for Obama and was a co-chair of the committee that helped him choose his vice president. She also gave a speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
Later that year, when Hillary Clinton left her U.S. Senate seat from New York, Caroline considered taking the position. Her uncle, Robert F. Kennedy, had once held the same seat. After thinking about it, she decided to withdraw her name for personal reasons.
Ambassador for the United States
Caroline Kennedy has served as a U.S. ambassador twice, representing the country in Japan and Australia. An ambassador is a top diplomat who works to maintain good relationships between the U.S. and other nations.
U.S. Ambassador to Japan (2013–2017)
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In 2013, President Obama appointed Caroline as the U.S. Ambassador to Japan. She was the first woman to ever hold this important job. When she was confirmed by the Senate, she said she would focus on U.S.-Japan military ties, trade, and student exchange programs.
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During her time in Japan, she visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the cities where atomic bombs were dropped during World War II. She met with survivors and attended memorial ceremonies to honor the victims.
She also visited Okinawa, an island with a large U.S. military presence. She listened to the concerns of local residents and promised to work on reducing the impact of the bases on the community. She left her post in January 2017. For her service, the Japanese government gave her a high honor called the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun.
U.S. Ambassador to Australia (2022–2024)
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In 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Caroline to be the U.S. Ambassador to Australia. She was confirmed by the Senate and began her duties in July 2022.
During her time in Australia, she worked to strengthen the relationship between the two countries. In August 2023, she commented on the case of Julian Assange, an Australian journalist. She suggested that a plea deal might be a possible way to resolve his legal situation with the United States. She announced in September 2024 that she would be leaving her role as ambassador.
Images for kids
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Kennedy makes her first statement after arriving at the Narita International Airport on November 15, 2013.
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Kennedy and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Hiroshima in April 2016
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Kennedy spoke during the first night of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, on August 25, 2008, introducing her uncle, Senator Ted Kennedy.
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See also
In Spanish: Caroline Kennedy para niños
