Kennedy family

In the United States, the phrase Kennedy family commonly refers to the family descending from the marriage of the Irish-Americans Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald that was prominent in American politics and government. Their political involvement has revolved around the Democratic Party. Harvard University educations have been common among them, and they have contributed heavily to that university's John F. Kennedy School of Government. The wealth, glamour and photogenic quality of the family members, as well as their extensive and continuing commitment to public service, has elevated them to iconic status over the past half-century and has led to their reputation as "America's Royal Family."^[1][2][3]

Following the 1960 election of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, he and his two younger brothers, Robert F. Kennedy and Edward M. Kennedy, soon all held prominent positions in the federal government, and received intensive publicity, often emphasizing their youth (relative to comparably influential politicians), allure, education and collective future in politics. From 1947, when John F. Kennedy was first elected to Congress, to 2011, when Patrick J. Kennedy departed Congress, there was a 64-year run of a Kennedy family member holding an elective office in Washington.^[4] This spans more than a quarter of the nation's existence.^[4]

The family has suffered numerous tragedies known as "the Kennedy curse". These include Rosemary's failed lobotomy, the assassinations of brothers John and Robert, the controversial Chappaquiddick incident, and four airplane crashes (Joe, Jr., Kathleen, Ted and John, Jr.; all but Ted's were fatal).

Family tree

First generation

The family patriarch was Patrick J. Kennedy (1858–1929), a first-generation American who married Mary Augusta Hickey (1857–1923). He was a politician involved in the local Democratic Party.

Second generation

In 1914, their son, Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. (1888–1969) married Rose Fitzgerald (1890–1995), the daughter of Boston (Massachusetts) Mayor John F. Fitzgerald. Joseph served as the first chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and as the United States Ambassador to the Court of St. James in the years leading up to World War II.

• Patrick Joseph Kennedy, I (1858–1929) and Mary Augusta Hickey (1857–1923) had four children:

1. Joseph Patrick Kennedy, Sr. (1888–1969) married Rose Fitzgerald (1890–1995)
2. Francis Benedict Kennedy (1891–1892)
3. Mary Loretta Kennedy (1892–1971) married George William Connelly (1898–1971)
4. Margaret Louise Kennedy (1898–1974) married Charles Joseph Burke, Sr. (1899–1967)

Third generation

Together Joseph and Rose Kennedy had nine children:

• Joseph Patrick Kennedy, Jr. (1915–1944)
  • Died during World War II when taking part in Operation Aphrodite as a pilot of a modified B-24 Liberator drone bomber which accidentally exploded and crashed over Blyth Estuary in Suffolk, England. For this act, he was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. His body was never recovered.
• John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917–1963)
  • Known to his family as "Jack" and sometimes referred to as "JFK", he was a U.S. Representative (1947–1953), a U.S. Senator (1953–1960) and the 35th U.S. President (1961–1963). In 1953, he married Jacqueline Lee Bouvier (1929–1994) and they had five children, one of whom was a miscarriage, one of whom was stillborn, one died soon after birth, and two survived to adulthood. He was assassinated on November 22, 1963 while riding in a presidential motorcade in Dallas, Texas.
• Rose Marie Kennedy (1918–2005)
  • Known as "Rosemary" or "Rosie", she was rendered incapable of intelligible speech or caring for herself by a prefrontal lobotomy at age 23— a new neurosurgical technique of the time and requested by her father — that was intended to cure her increasing mood swings and make her more manageable. The operation instead reduced her to an infantile state. From 1949, she lived in a residential-care facility in Jefferson, Wisconsin, until her death.
• Kathleen Agnes Kennedy (1920–1948)
  • Known as "Kick", in 1944 she married a Protestant, William John Robert Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington (1917–1944) — the son and heir to the Duke of Devonshire — over her mother's strenuous religious objections. After being widowed when her husband was killed in action during World War II, she was killed in an airplane crash in France along with her alleged lover, Peter Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, 8th Earl Fitzwilliam (1910–1948).
• Eunice Mary Kennedy (1921–2009)
  • She was a co-founder of the Special Olympics in 1968, an organization she began in honor of her sister Rosemary. In 1953, she married Robert Sargent Shriver, Jr. (1915–2011), who was later the U.S. Ambassador to France in the late 1960s-early 1970s and a 1972 vice-presidential candidate; they had five children.
• Patricia Kennedy (1924–2006)
  • Married actor Peter Lawford (1923–1984) in 1954. They had four children and divorced in 1966.
• Robert Francis Kennedy (1925–1968)
  • Known as "Bob" or "Bobby" and sometimes referred to as "RFK", he was U.S. Attorney General (1961–1964) in his brother John's administration and later served as the junior U.S. Senator from New York (1965-his death). In 1950, he married Ethel Skakel (b. 1928) and they had 11 children. He was assassinated in Los Angeles, California during his 1968 campaign for U.S. president.
• Jean Kennedy Smith (b. 1928)
  • In 1956, she married Stephen Edward Smith (1927–1990) and they had two sons and adopted two daughters. She later served as the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland (1993–1998).
• Edward Moore Kennedy (1932–2009)
  • Known as "Teddy" or "Ted", he served as a U.S. Senator from Massachusetts (1962–2009). In 1958, he married Virginia Joan Bennett (b. 1936) and they had three children; they divorced in 1981. In 1992, he married Victoria Anne Reggie (b. 1954) and had two stepchildren from this marriage. On May 20, 2008, it was announced that he had a malignant brain tumor. In the next year, brain cancer severely limited his U.S. Senate appearances. He died on August 25, 2009.

Third-generation in-laws

• Jacqueline Lee Bouvier (1929–1994), wife of John
• William John Robert Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington (1917–1944), husband of Kathleen
• Robert Sargent Shriver, Jr. (1915–2011), husband of Eunice
• Peter Lawford (1923–1984), husband of Patricia
• Ethel Skakel (b. 1928), wife of Robert
• Stephen Edward Smith, Sr (1927–1990), husband of Jean
• Virginia Joan Bennett (b. 1936), first wife of Edward
• Victoria Anne Reggie (b. 1954), second wife of Edward

Fourth generation

• John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Jacqueline Lee Bouvier had three children. (Mrs. Kennedy also had a miscarriage in 1955 and a stillborn child in 1956):
  1. Unnamed Kennedy(1955) — miscarriage
  2. Arabella Kennedy (1956) — stillborn.^[5]
  3. Caroline Bouvier Kennedy (b. 1957) — a lawyer, a co-founder of the Profile in Courage Award, the president of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and the chairwoman of the American Ballet Theatre. Married Edwin Schlossberg; has three children.
  4. John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Jr. (1960–1999) — died in a plane crash on July 16, 1999. Married to Carolyn Bessette (1966-1999), who also died in the plane crash on July 16, 1999. Bessette's sister, Lauren Bessette (1964-1999), also died in the plane crash on July 16, 1999.
  5. Patrick Bouvier Kennedy (1963) — died from infant respiratory-distress syndrome two days after his birth.

• Eunice Mary Kennedy and Robert Sargent Shriver, Jr. had five children:
  1. Robert Sargent Shriver III (b. 1954) — an attorney and the president of RSS Inc., a Beverly Hills, California, music, film and philanthropic company; a Santa Monica, California, city councilman And Mayor. Married Malissa Ferzuzzi; has two daughters.
  2. Maria Owings Shriver (b. 1955) — a former television news anchor; former First Lady of California as wife of Republican California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (b. 1947); has four children.
  3. Timothy Perry Shriver (b. 1959) — former New Haven, Connecticut educator, since 1997 the chairman of the Special Olympics. Married Linda S. Potter; has five children.
  4. Mark Kennedy Shriver (b. 1964) — a former Delegate in the Maryland General Assembly currently Vice President and Managing Director of US Programs for the charity Save the Children. Married Jeannie Ripp; has three children.
  5. Anthony Paul Kennedy Shriver (b. 1965) — an activist for mental retardation and founded Best Buddies International. Married Alina Mojica; has five children.

• Patricia Kennedy and Peter Lawford had four children:
  1. Christopher Kennedy Lawford (b. 1955) — a professional actor. Divorced from Jeannie Olsson; has three children.
  2. Sydney Maleia McKelvy (b. 1956) - married to James McKelvy; has four children. Her godmother was also her aunt- Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
  3. Victoria Francis Pender (b. 1958) - married to Robert Bebee Pender, Jr.; has three children.
  4. Robin Elizabeth Lawford (b. 1961) — an environmentalist and marine biologist.

• Robert Francis Kennedy and Ethel Skakel had 11 children:
  1. Kathleen Hartington Kennedy (b. 1951) — former Lt. Governor of Maryland, a candidate for Governor of Maryland. Married David Lee Townsend; has four daughters. Her second daughter had a son Gideon on June 28, 2011, making him the first of the sixth generation.
  2. Joseph Patrick Kennedy II (b. 1952) — former U.S. Representative from Massachusetts. Runs the non-profit Citizens Energy Corp. in Boston. Divorced from Sheila Rauch; two sons. Married to Anne Elizabeth ("Beth") Kelly.
  3. Robert Francis Kennedy, Jr. (b. 1954) — an environmentalist and political commentator, attorney and law professor at Pace University School of Law; best known for his many successful litigations to prevent water pollution, primarily in the New York area. Divorced from Emily Ruth Black; two children. Divorced from Mary Richardson; four children.
  4. David Anthony Kennedy (1955–1984) — died of a drug overdose in a Palm Beach, Florida hotel room on April 25, 1984.
  5. Mary Courtney Kennedy (b. 1956) — divorced from Jeffrey Robert Ruhe. Separated from Paul Michael Hill; has one daughter.
  6. Michael LeMoyne Kennedy (1958–1997) — died in an Aspen, Colorado skiing accident on December 31, 1997. His widow, Victoria, daughter of Frank Gifford, raised three children.
  7. Mary Kerry Kennedy (b. 1959) — human rights activist with the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. Divorced from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo; has three daughters.
  8. Christopher George Kennedy (b. 1963) — the president of Merchandise Mart commercial properties based in Chicago, Illinois. Married Sheila Sinclair Berner; has four children. Godmother is aunt-Patricia Kennedy.
  9. Matthew Maxwell Taylor Kennedy (b. 1965) — an author and lawyer. Married Victoria Anne Stauss, has three children.
  10. Douglas Harriman Kennedy (b. 1967) — a journalist, news reporter for FOX News. Married Mary Elizabeth Stark; has three daughters.
  11. Rory Elizabeth Katherine Kennedy (b. 1968) — an award-winning documentary filmmaker and producer. Married Mark Bailey; has three children.

• Jean Ann Kennedy and Stephen Edward Smith, Sr. had four children:
  1. Stephen Edward Smith, Jr. (b. 1957) — attorney, crisis counselor and real estate developer.
  2. William Kennedy Smith (b. 1960) — a physician and activist against land mines. Married Anne Henry Smith. Acquitted in 1991 of rape charges.
  3. Amanda Mary Smith (b. 1967; adopted). Married attorney (Harmon) Carter Hood; has two children.
  4. Kym Maria Smith (b. 1972; adopted) — photographer. Divorced from Alfie Tucker; married to John Morgan.

• Edward "Ted" Moore Kennedy (1932–2009) and Virginia Joan Bennett had three children:
  1. Kara Anne Kennedy (1960–2011) — board member, television producer. Married Michael Allen; had two children.
  2. Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy, Jr. (b. 1961) — a co-founder and the president of the Marwood Group, a Wall Street investment firm. Married Katharine ("Kiki") Anne Gershman; has two children.
  3. Patrick Joseph Kennedy II (b. 1967) — former U.S. Representative from Rhode Island. Married Amy Petitgout and is stepfather to her daughter, Harper.

• Edward "Ted" Moore Kennedy (1932–2009) and Victoria Anne Reggie have raised her two children from her previous marriage:
  1. Curren Raclin (b. 1982)
  2. Caroline Raclin (b. 1985)

Fifth generation

• Caroline Bouvier Kennedy (b. 1957) and Edwin Arthur Schlossberg (b. 1945) have three children:
  1. Rose Kennedy Schlossberg (b. 1988)
  2. Tatiana Celia Kennedy Schlossberg (b. 1990)
  3. John "Jack" Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg (b. 1993)
• Robert Sargent Shriver III (b. 1954) and Melissa Ferzuzzi have two children:
  1. Natasha Hunt Lee (b. 1997) [Melissa's daughter from a previous marriage.
  2. Rosemary Scarlett Shriver (b. 2009)
• Maria Shriver (b. 1955) and Arnold Schwarzenegger (b. 1947) have four children:
  1. Katherine Eunice Schwarzenegger (b. 1989)
  2. Christina Maria Aurelia Schwarzenegger (b. 1991)
  3. Patrick Arnold Schwarzenegger (b. 1993)
  4. Christopher Sargent Shriver Schwarzenegger (b. 1997)
• Timothy Perry Shriver (b. 1959) and Linda Sophia Potter (b. 1956) have five children:
  1. Sophia Rose Potter Shriver (b. 1987)
  2. Timothy Potter Shriver, Jr. (b. 1988)
  3. Samuel Kennedy Potter Shriver (b. 1992)
  4. Kathleen Potter Shriver (b. 1994)
  5. Caroline Potter Shriver (b. 1997)
• Mark Kennedy Shriver (b. 1964) and Jeanne Eileen Ripp have three children:
  1. Mary Elizabeth "Molly" Shriver (b. 1998)
  2. Thomas Kennedy Shriver (b. 1999)
  3. Emma Rose Shriver (b. 2005)
• Anthony Paul Kennedy Shriver (b. 1965) and Alina Mojica (b. 1965) have five children:
  1. Jorge Eduard "Teddy" Nunez Shriver (b. 1988)[Alina's son from a previous marriage, whom Anthony adopted]
  2. Eunice Julia Shriver (b. 1994)
  3. Francesca Maria Shriver (b. 1994)
  4. Carolina Fitzgerald Shriver (b. 2001)
  5. John Joseph "Joey" Sargent Shriver (b. 2009)
• Christopher Kennedy Lawford (b. 1955) and Jeanne Edith Olsson (b. 1955) have three children:
  1. David Christopher Kennedy Lawford (b. 1987)
  2. Savannah Rose Lawford (b. 1990)
  3. Matthew Peter Valentine Lawford (b. 1995)
• Sydney Maleia Lawford (b. 1956) and James Peter McKelvy (b. 1955) have four children:
  1. James Peter McKelvy, Jr. (b. 1985)
  2. Christopher Kennedy McKelvy (b. 1987)
  3. Patrick Ryon McKelvy (b. 1989)
  4. Anthony Lawford McKelvy (b. 1992)
• Victoria Francis Lawford (b. 1958) and Robert Beebe Pender, Jr. (b. 1953) have three children:
  1. Alexandra Lawford Pender (b. 1988)
  2. Caroline Patricia Pender (b. 1990)
  3. Victoria Rose Pender (b. 1993)
• Kathleen Hartington Kennedy (b. 1951) and David Lee Townsend (b. 1947) have four children:
  1. Meaghan Anne Kennedy Townsend (b. 1977)
  2. Maeve Fahey Kennedy Townsend (b. 1979). Married to David McKean. Has a son.
  3. Rose Katherine Kennedy Townsend (b. 1983)
  4. Kerry Sophia Kennedy Townsend (b. 1991)
• Joseph Patrick Kennedy, II (b. 1952) had two children with his first wife, Shelia Brewster Rauch (b. 1949). He has no children with his second wife, Anne Elizabeth Kelly (b. 1957):
  1. Matthew Rauch Kennedy (b. 1980)
  2. Joseph Patrick Kennedy, III (b. 1980)

The two were twins.

• Robert Francis Kennedy, Jr. (b. 1954) had two children with his first wife, Emily Ruth Black (b. 1957):
  1. Robert Francis Kennedy III (b. 1984)
  2. Kathleen Alexandra Kennedy (b. 1988)
• Robert Francis Kennedy, Jr. (b. 1954) had four children with his second wife, Mary Nancy Richardson (b. 1960):
  1. Conor Richardson Kennedy (b. 1994)
  2. Kyra LeMoyne Kennedy (b. 1995)
  3. William Finbar Kennedy (b. 1997)
  4. Aidan Caohman Vieques Kennedy (b. 2001)
• Mary Courtney Kennedy (b. 1956) had one child with her second husband, Paul Michael Hill (b. 1954):
  1. Saoirse Roisin Hill (b. 1997)
• Michael LeMoyne Kennedy (1958-1997) and Victoria Denise Gifford (b. 1957) had three children:
  1. Michael LeMoyne Kennedy, Jr. (b. 1983)
  2. Kyle Francis Kennedy (b. 1984)
  3. Rory Gifford Kennedy (b. 1987)
• Mary Kerry Kennedy (b. 1959) and Andrew Mark Cuomo (b. 1958) had three children:
  1. Mariah Matilda Kennedy Cuomo (b. 1995)
  2. Cara Ethel Kennedy Cuomo (b. 1995)

The two are twins

• 1. Michaela Andrea Kennedy Cuomo (b. 1998)
• Christopher George Kennedy, Sr. (b. 1963) and Shelia Sinclair Berner (b. 1962) had four children:
  1. Katherine Berner Kennedy (b. 1990)
  2. Christopher George Kennedy, Jr. (b. 1992)
  3. Sarah Louise Kennedy (b. 1994)
  4. Claire Rose Kennedy (b. 1998)
• Matthew Maxwell Taylor Kennedy, Sr. (b. 1965) and Victoria Anne Strauss (b. 1964) had three children:
  1. Matthew Maxwell Taylor Kennedy, Jr. (b. 1993)
  2. Caroline Summer Rose Kennedy (b. 1994)
  3. Noah Isabella Rose Kennedy (b. 1998)
• Douglas Harriman Kennedy (b. 1967) and Molly Elizabeth Stark (b. 1967) had three children:
  1. Riley Elizabeth Kennedy (b. 1999)
  2. Mary McCauley Kennedy (b. 2001)
  3. Rowen Francis Kennedy (b. 2004)
• Rory Elizabeth Katherine Kennedy (b. 1968) and Mark Bailey (b. 1968) had three children:
  1. Georgia Elizabeth Kennedy-Bailey (b. 2002)
  2. Bridget Katherine Kennedy-Bailey (b. 2004)
  3. Zachary Corkland Kennedy-Bailey (b. 2007)
• Amanda Mary Smith (b. 1967) and Carter Harmon Hood have two children:
  1. Stephanie Smith Hood (b. 2002)
  2. Summer Amanda Hood (b.2005)
• Kara Ann Kennedy (1960–2011) and Michael Dale Allen (b. 1958) had two children:
  1. Grace Kennedy Allen (b. 1994)
  2. Max Greathouse Allen (b. 1996)
• Edward Moore Kennedy, Jr. (b. 1961) and Katherine Anne Gershman (b. 1959) had two children:
  1. Kiley Elizabeth Kennedy (b. 1994)
  2. Edward Moore Kennedy, III (b. 1998)
• Patrick Joseph Kennedy, II (b. 1967) and Amy Petitgout (b. 1970) raise Amy's daughter from her previous marriage:
  1. Harper Petitgout(b. 2008)

See also

• Irish nobility
• Kennedy curse
• Tanistry

References

External links

• "The Kennedys: A Family Tree", St. Petersburg Times Online
• Interactive Kennedy Family Tree, Family Tree Online, a project from GiGaSoft Software GmbH
• Kennedy Family Tree, New York Times
• Kennedy Family Tree, The American Experience (Public Broadcasting Service (PBS))
• Kennedy Family Tree, Ancestry.com
• Kennedy Family, The Political Graveyard
• kennedy-web.com (unknown host)