

She and her children secretly visited on February 3, 1971, to view the recently completed portraits of herself and President Kennedy at the invitation of President Richard Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon. She only returned to the White House once more. 7Īfter leaving the White House, she moved with her children to New York City, and in 1968, Jacqueline married Greek businessman Aristotle Onassis. Kennedy planned his State Funeral to imitate President Abraham Lincoln’s almost a century earlier. On November 22, 1963, President Kennedy was assassinated while campaigning for re-election in Dallas, Texas. Tragically, the Kennedys’ time in the White House was cut short. 6 Indeed, the Kennedy White House was a cultural center, and ballet, musical performances, opera, and theater filled its halls. 5 Following a trip to France in 1961, she successfully negotiated for Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa to travel to the United States, and millions of Americans visited the famous painting in Washington, D.C. Jacqueline Kennedy traveled abroad several times as first lady, visiting the countries of India, Pakistan, Venezuela, Italy, and the United Kingdom, among others. Her influence as first lady also stretched beyond the White House. Sadly, she and President Kennedy lost a child, Patrick, born prematurely in August 1963. She set up a school room in the Third Floor Solarium for Caroline Kennedy’s kindergarten classmates and created a nursery for John Jr. Kennedy’s priority, and she made several changes to make the White House more comfortable for her family. 4ĭespite her busy schedule, motherhood was Mrs. 3 Jacqueline Kennedy also organized efforts to save Lafayette Park and its historic buildings from demolition, successfully preserving it for future generations. Kennedy earned a special Emmy Award for the program. Over eighty million viewers around the world watched, and Mrs. To share these efforts with the public, CBS News broadcast the first televised tour of the White House in 1962, led by the first lady. She expanded the White House Collection, searching for historic pieces from past administrations, and published the first White House Guidebook. Kennedy spearheaded efforts to make the White House a museum, protected by Congress, and renovated many rooms. That same year, the first lady also established the White House Historical Association, a private, non-profit organization to assist with acquisition and preservation efforts. In 1961, she created the Fine Arts Committee for the White House, made up of specialists in the field, and hired Lorraine Waxman Pearce as the first curator of the White House. She immediately set her sights on preserving the historic integrity of the White House. Despite her short time there, Jacqueline Kennedy made a profound impact on the home and the role of first lady. In January 1961, the Kennedys moved into the White House. Kennedy’s political aspirations, which culminated in his election to the presidency in 1960. In the 1950s, Jacqueline supported John F. and Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, while raising their children Caroline and John F. They divided their time between Washington, D.C. Kennedy, and the couple married on September 12, 1953. In 1952, she met up-and-coming Congressman John F. 2 After college, Jacqueline worked as a photographer for the Washington Times Herald. She enrolled at Vassar University in 1947 and studied abroad in Paris, France, before transferring to George Washington University, where she earned a degree in French literature in 1951. During her childhood, Jacqueline learned French, practiced ballet, and took horseback riding lessons. She and her younger sister, Caroline, grew up in Manhattan. Jacqueline Lee Bouvier was born on July 28, 1929, in Southampton, New York, to parents John and Janet Bouvier.
