Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.
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| United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom | |
| In office March 8, 1938 – October 22, 1940 |
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| President | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Preceded by | Robert Worth Bingham |
| Succeeded by | John G. Winant |
| 1st Chair of the U.S. Maritime Commission | |
| In office April 14, 1937 – February 19, 1938 |
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| President | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Emory S. Land |
| 1st Chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission | |
| In office June 30, 1934 – September 23, 1935 |
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| President | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | James M. Landis |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Joseph Patrick Kennedy
September 6, 1888 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | November 18, 1969 (aged 81) Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Resting place | Holyhood Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Parents | P. J. Kennedy Mary Augusta Hickey |
| Relatives | See Kennedy family |
| Education | Harvard University (BA) |
| Signature |  |
Joseph Patrick Kennedy (September 6, 1888 – November 18, 1969) was an American businessman, investor, and politician known for his high-profile positions in United States politics. Kennedy was married to Rose Kennedy, and three of their nine children attained distinguished political positions: President John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), Attorney General and Senator Robert F. Kennedy (1925–1968), and longtime Senator Edward M. "Ted" Kennedy (1932–2009).
He was a leading member of the Democratic Party and of the Irish Catholic community. President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Kennedy to be the first chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and he later directed the Maritime Commission. Kennedy served as the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1938 until late 1940, when he annoyed Roosevelt by his pessimism about Britain's survival.
Contents
Career
Kennedy was born to a political family in East Boston, Massachusetts. He embarked on a career in business and investing. He first made a large fortune as a stock market and commodity investor. Kennedy later rolled over his profits by investing in real estate and a wide range of business industries across the United States. During World War I, he was an assistant general manager of a Boston area Bethlehem Steel shipyard, through which he developed a friendship with Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. In the 1920s, Kennedy made huge profits by reorganizing and refinancing several Hollywood studios.
Kennedy grew his fortune with distribution rights for Scotch whisky. His company, Somerset Importers, became the exclusive American agent for Gordon's Gin and Dewar's Scotch. He owned the largest office building in the country, Chicago's Merchandise Mart, which gave his family an important base in that city and an alliance with the Irish-American political leadership there.
Kennedy's term as ambassador and his political ambitions ended during the Battle of Britain in November 1940. In later years, he worked behind the scenes to continue building the financial and political fortunes of the Kennedy family. After a disabling stroke in 1961, during his son's presidency, Kennedy developed aphasia and lost all power of speech but remained mentally intact. He was confined to a wheelchair until his death in 1969.
Marriage and family
On October 7, 1914, Kennedy married Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald, the eldest daughter of Boston Mayor John F. "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald (political rival of P. J.) and Mary Josephine "Josie" Hannon. The marriage joined two of the city's most prominent political families.
The couple had nine children. As Kennedy's business success expanded, he and his family kept homes in the Boston area, suburban New York City, Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, and Palm Beach, Florida.
| Name | Birth | Death | Marriage and children |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kennedy Jr. | July 25, 1915 | August 12, 1944 | Never married and had no children, but was once engaged to Athalia Ponsell |
| John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy | May 29, 1917 | November 22, 1963 | Married in 1953, to Jacqueline Lee Bouvier, had four children |
| Rose Marie "Rosemary" Kennedy | September 13, 1918 | January 7, 2005 | Never married and had no children |
| Kathleen Agnes "Kick" Kennedy | February 20, 1920 | May 13, 1948 | Married in 1944, to William Cavendish, never had children |
| Eunice Mary Kennedy | July 10, 1921 | August 11, 2009 | Married in 1953, to Sargent Shriver, had five children |
| Patricia Helen "Pat" Kennedy | May 6, 1924 | September 17, 2006 | Married in 1954, to English actor Peter Lawford, had four children; divorced in 1966 |
| Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy | November 20, 1925 | June 6, 1968 | Married in 1950, to Ethel Skakel, had eleven children |
| Jean Ann Kennedy | February 20, 1928 | Married in 1956, to Steven Smith, had two sons and adopted two daughters | |
| Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy | February 22, 1932 | August 25, 2009 | Married in 1958, to Joan Bennett, had three children; divorced in 1982. Remarried in 1992 to Victoria Reggie; had no children |
Images for kids
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Kennedy's yearbook photo from Boston Latin School
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Kennedy in 1914, aged 25, when he claimed to be America's youngest bank president.
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Kennedy, along with fifteen others, signed a telegram warning that the release of Sadie Thompson starring Gloria Swanson would jeopardize the ability of the film industry to censor itself. Swanson needed financing for her film production company, and Kennedy began a three-year affair with her when he met her for lunch in New York after the film's release.
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James Roosevelt, son of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, helped Kennedy start his liquor business after Prohibition.
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The family at their home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, 1931. Rosemary Kennedy is seated on the far right.
See also
In Spanish: Joseph P. Kennedy para niños
