Misplaced Pages

#603396

44-555: He was the father of Rose Fitzgerald and maternal grandfather of her sons President John F. Kennedy , Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy , and Senator Ted Kennedy . In his old age, Fitzgerald helped his namesake grandson, John F. Kennedy, win his first election to Congress. John Francis Fitzgerald was born on February 11, 1863, in the North End of Boston to Irish immigrant businessman and politician Thomas Fitzgerald of Bruff , County Limerick and Rosanna Cox of County Cavan . He

88-543: A dalliance he had with a cigarette girl , Elizabeth "Toodles" Ryan—who was only 24, the same age as Fitzgerald's daughter Rose—at a local gambling club. Curley was elected in January 1914 to his first of four terms as Boston mayor. In 1916, Fitzgerald unsuccessfully challenged incumbent United States Senator Henry Cabot Lodge . Fitzgerald won a close election for the House in 1918, but his opponent Peter F. Tague contested

132-628: A member of the Massachusetts Senate . These early victories came with support from Martin Lomasney . In 1894, he was elected to Congress for the 9th district, serving from 1895 to 1901. In his first two terms (1895–1899), Fitzgerald was the only Democrat to represent New England in Congress. In 1901, Fitzgerald was one of three representatives, along with Charles H. Grosvenor and George Henry White , to argue in favor of reducing

176-826: A modest ceremony at the small chapel of the residence of Archbishop William Henry O'Connell in Boston. They initially lived in a home in Brookline, Massachusetts , and later a 15-room cottage at Hyannis Port, Massachusetts on Cape Cod , which became the Kennedy family's lasting base. Their nine children were Joseph Jr. (1915–1944), John , called "Jack" (1917–1963), Rose Marie , called "Rosemary" (1918–2005), Kathleen , called "Kick" (1920–1948), Eunice (1921–2009), Patricia (1924–2006), Robert , called "Bobby" (1925–1968), Jean (1928–2020), and Edward , called "Ted" (1932–2009). Joseph provided well for their family, but he

220-483: A quixotic campaign for the U.S. Senate and lost the Democratic primary to Congressman Joseph E. Casey . (Daniel Coakley finished a distant fourth.) In 1946, when John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy decided to run for Congress, 83-year-old Honey Fitz helped him plan his campaign strategy. At the victory celebration, Fitzgerald danced an Irish jig, sang "Sweet Adeline," and predicted that his grandson would someday occupy

264-594: A reputation as the only politician who could sing " Sweet Adeline " sober and get away with it. A pixie-like character with florid face, bright eyes, and sandy hair, he was a showman who could have had a career in vaudeville. But politics, with all the brokering that went into arranging alliances and the hoopla that went into campaigning, was his calling. A verse of the day ran: 'Honey Fitz can talk you blind / on any subject you can find / Fish and fishing, motor boats / Railroads, streetcars, getting votes.' His gift of gab became known as Fitzblarney, and his followers as 'dearos,'

308-527: A shortened version of his description of his district as 'the dear old North End.' The official name for the Central Artery highway in Boston was "The John F. Fitzgerald Expressway," until it was torn down in the 1990s as part of Boston's " Big Dig " project which eliminated the Central Artery and replaced it with a tunnel. The resulting greenway above the tunnel where the expressway had been

352-505: A tavern keeper and a bartender to superintendent positions for public buildings and streets, respectively, and his brother Henry managed the patronage department. The mayor's tireless energy was on full display: in two years he attended around 1200 dinners, a thousand meetings, and 1500 dances, maintaining an active presence throughout the city. He lost the 1907 election in part because his opponent, Republican George A. Hibbard , promised he would "clean up [Fitzgerald's] mess." With control of

396-666: A tour of Europe and had a private audience with Pope Pius X at the Vatican . In her teens, Rose became acquainted with her future husband, Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kennedy , whom she met while their families were vacationing at Old Orchard Beach in Maine . He was the elder son of businessman/politician Patrick Joseph "P.J." Kennedy (a political rival of "Honey Fitz") and Mary Augusta Hickey. Kennedy would go on to court Fitzgerald for more than seven years, much to her father's disapproval. On October 7, 1914, at age 24, she married Kennedy in

440-567: Is named after her. As of its 2020 opening, it is the longest bridge in Ireland. George A. Hibbard George Albee Hibbard (October 27, 1864 – May 29, 1910) was an American businessman and politician who served as the mayor of Boston from 1908 to 1910. George Albee Hibbard was born in Boston on October 27, 1864. His father was a wholesaler at Quincy Market with ardent abolitionist beliefs. He attended Boston Public Schools and graduated from Harvard University in 1880. At

484-405: Is too bright – and she would rather say a rosary than read a book." Kennedy stated that she felt completely fulfilled as a full-time homemaker. In her 1974 autobiography, Times to Remember , she wrote, "I looked on child rearing not only as a work of love and duty but as a profession that was fully as interesting and challenging as any honorable profession in the world and one that demanded

SECTION 10

#1732791946604

528-530: The December 1907 mayoral election, Hibbard ran as a Republican against incumbent and Democratic candidate John F. Fitzgerald . Hibbard defeated Fitzgerald, 38,112 votes to 35,935; a third candidate, John Coulthurst, a Democrat running as the Independence League candidate, had 15,811 votes. Hibbard served as mayor from January 1908 to February 1910. Historian Peter Jones argues that Hibbard

572-698: The U.S. House of Representatives (1895–1901, 1919), and as Mayor of Boston (1906–1908, 1910–1914). Her husband, Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. , chaired the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (1934–1935) and the U.S. Maritime Commission (1937–1938), and served as United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom (1938–1940). Their nine children included United States President John F. Kennedy , U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy of New York , U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts , Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver , and U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Jean Kennedy Smith . In 1951, Rose Kennedy

616-494: The United States Senate , and the presidency . In addition to being asked to attend and speak at events, she was increasingly asked to give interviews for television and books, and to write articles about her life, her family, or her faith. Pierre Salinger once noted that Rose made prospective voters feel more important by preparing her remarks carefully and addressing them on intimate terms. After her son John

660-775: The White House . Shortly after his election to the presidency, President Kennedy renamed the presidential yacht the Honey Fitz in honor of his maternal grandfather. On September 18, 1889, Fitzgerald married his second cousin Mary Josephine "Josie" Hannon (1865–1964). She was a daughter of Michael Hannon and Mary Ann Fitzgerald. John and Mary had six children: Rose (1890–1995), Mary (1892–1936), Thomas (1895–1968), John Jr. (1897–1979), Eunice (1900–1923), and Frederick (1904–1935). They had nineteen grandchildren, including Rose's nine children with Joseph Kennedy . Fitzgerald

704-805: The Ashmont Hill section of Dorchester, Massachusetts . Rose studied at the Blumenthal Academy of the Sacred Heart in Vaals , Netherlands, and graduated from Dorchester High School in 1906. She also attended the New England Conservatory in Boston, where she studied piano . After being refused permission by her father to attend Wellesley College , Fitzgerald enrolled at the Manhattanville College of

748-551: The House ( John McCormack and Tip O'Neill ), and James Michael Curley. As "Honey Fitz" was carried to his final rest from Holy Cross Cathedral to St. Joseph Cemetery in West Roxbury , Massachusetts , a crowd of thousands gathered along the streets and sang "Sweet Adeline." Of his stylish manner, Robert Dallek wrote: He was a natural politician—a charming, impish, affable lover of people. ... His warmth of character earned him yet another nickname, "Honey Fitz," and he gained

792-522: The Sacred Heart (as it was then known) in Manhattan , an institution that did not grant degrees at the time. Kennedy later said that her greatest regret was "not having gone to Wellesley College," saying that it was "something I have felt a little sad about all my life." However, Rose eventually grew fond of the convent school, saying that the religious training she received became the foundation of her life. In 1908, Fitzgerald and her father embarked on

836-409: The age of 20, he began working for his father, and he passed the bar in 1885. He began his independent career in the 1880s, going into the insurance industry. He then later worked for a firm that dealt in the commercial paper business, and then was the treasurer of a tailoring business. His time as a businessman was considered unsuccessful. Hibbard became Postmaster of Boston in 1899. In

880-484: The best I could bring to it..... What greater aspiration and challenge are there for a mother than the hope of raising a great son or daughter?" According to one of her servants, Frank Saunders, she was self-centered, stingy, prudish, and often spiteful. Rose campaigned for her three sons, John, Robert, and Edward, from 1946 to 1976 in their political races for the United States House of Representatives ,

924-411: The campaign was P. J. Kennedy , a behind-the-scenes Democratic figure. They later became allies. In 1914, their families were united when P. J.'s son Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. married Fitzgerald's eldest daughter Rose . Fitzgerald was the first American-born Irish Catholic to be elected mayor. According to Peter Jones, during his first term as mayor, Fitzgerald demonstrated an unwavering commitment to

SECTION 20

#1732791946604

968-550: The city and state Government, Republicans revised the city charter to curb the power of the Irish Democratic ward bosses like Fitzgerald and Lomasney. They eliminated the large common council, replaced the board of aldermen with a nine-seat city council , extending the mayor's term to four years, and making all offices formally non-partisan, removing the advantage of party recognition in the predominantly Democratic city. In 1910, Fitzgerald ran for mayor again. His campaign

1012-630: The city, actively advocating for the development of port and harbor facilities and promoting industrial growth. Under his leadership, the High School of Commerce for boys and the School of Practical Arts for girls were constructed, and he oversaw the establishment of numerous playgrounds, public baths, and other facilities that served large numbers of voters. He also engaged in corrupt practices, manipulating public contracts to create superfluous jobs for poorly credentialed friends. For instance, he appointed

1056-791: The death of his father in 1885. Fitzgerald later became a clerk at the Customs House in Boston and was active in the local Democratic Party . In the 1890s, Fitzgerald founded the Jefferson Club, a political club founded to organize the Irish Catholic voters of South Boston. It was modeled on earlier clubs like Tammany Hall in New York and Martin Lomasney 's Hendricks Club in the West End of Boston. Fitzgerald won election to Boston's Common Council in 1891. In 1892, he became

1100-400: The first pitch at Fenway Park's 100th anniversary celebration on April 20, 2012. On October 2, 1950, Fitzgerald died in Boston at the age of eighty-seven. His funeral was one of the largest in the city's history. President Harry S. Truman sent his sympathies and Fitzgerald's pallbearers included two U.S. Senators ( Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. and Leverett Saltonstall ) two future U.S. Speakers of

1144-430: The governor to act as a counterweight to the local Democrats. Nonetheless, his actions earned him numerous enemies, and the reform coalition refused to endorse him for reelection. Despite this, the ailing mayor ran anyway, spurred on by Fitzgerald who wanted to divide the vote. In the January 1910 election , out of the 95,000 votes cast, Fitzgerald won with 47,177, reformer James Storrow received 45,775, and Hibbard obtained

1188-549: The mayoral primary, Lomasney endorsed the Republican candidate, Louis Frothingham , and delivered 95% of the vote in his usually Democratic ward to Frothingham. However, the Republican vote was split between Frothingham and judge Henry Dewey , who ran on the Populist ticket after losing the primary. Fitzgerald won despite Lomasney's undermining, though only with a plurality of the vote. Another opponent of Fitzgerald's during

1232-552: The political instincts of his daughter Rose's promising sons. In 1930, he ran for governor but withdrew late in the race for the Democratic nomination, citing his health. Despite his withdrawal, Fitzgerald received over 84,000 votes against eventual Governor Joseph B. Ely , as James Michael Curley encouraged Irish Catholic voters to support Fitzgerald in solidarity against the supposedly "anti-Irish" Ely. In 1932, he campaigned for Franklin Delano Roosevelt for President. He

1276-459: The race. Investigators found evidence of fraud in three precincts and when those precincts were eliminated they found Tague to be the winner. Fitzgerald served from March 4 until October 23, 1919, when the House voted unanimously that Fitzgerald had not won and that Tague had. In 1922, Fitzgerald unsuccessfully challenged incumbent governor of Massachusetts Channing Cox . In his later years, Fitzgerald focused on his business interests and on honing

1320-472: The size of southern delegations in accordance with the Fourteenth Amendment due to their suppression of voting rights for black people. This measure failed by a vote of 94 to 136. In December 1905 , Fitzgerald was elected Mayor of Boston . In the process, he made an enemy of the powerful Lomasney by opposing one of Lomasney's lieutenants, Edward J. Donovan . After Fitzgerald beat Donovan in

1364-536: The title of countess in recognition of her "exemplary motherhood and many charitable works." In 1992, when she turned 102, the intersection of Welles Avenue and Harley Street in Boston was proclaimed "Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Square". The plaque was dedicated by her son, Senator Ted Kennedy. Also, the Rose Kennedy Greenway in Boston ;– the park that was created when the city's Central Artery

John F. Fitzgerald - Misplaced Pages Continue

1408-747: Was elected president in 1960 , Rose "became a sort of quiet celebrity" and appeared on the International Best Dressed List . After suffering a stroke in 1984, she used a wheelchair for the remaining 11 years of her life. Kennedy maintained her residence at the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port and was cared for by private nurses and staff. She turned 100 years old on July 22, 1990. Kennedy died from complications from pneumonia in Hyannis Port on January 22, 1995, aged 104. In 1951, Pope Pius XII granted Kennedy

1452-627: Was unfaithful . His affairs included one with Gloria Swanson . When Rose was eight months pregnant with the couple's fourth child, Kathleen, she temporarily went back to her parents, returning to Joseph after her father told her divorce was not an option. In turning a blind eye to her husband's affairs, Rose depended heavily on medication. Ronald Kessler found records for prescription tranquilizers Seconal , Placidyl , Librium , and Dalmane to relieve Rose's nervousness and stress, and Lomotil , Bentyl , Librax , and Tagamet for her stomach. According to historian Doris Kearns Goodwin , "Rose knew what

1496-469: Was a member of the Royal Rooters , an early supporters' club for Boston's baseball teams, particularly its American League team, the modern Boston Red Sox . At one point, he was the group's chairman and threw out the ceremonial opening pitch at Fenway Park's inaugural game on April 20, 1912, as well as in the 1912 World Series later that year. His great-granddaughter Caroline Kennedy threw out

1540-501: Was able to persuade businesses and the Massachusetts legislature to invest $ 9 million for improvements to the port by 1912. Within a year, the investments began to pay off in the form of new port traffic to and from Europe. In 1914, Fitzgerald broke his promise to Curley and attempted to run for a second consecutive term. Curley made common cause with Daniel Coakley, and they secured Fitzgerald's withdrawal by threatening to expose

1584-453: Was almost scuttled by a bribery scandal involving no-bid contracts with kickbacks during his first term. Fitzgerald escaped prosecution, but made a long-term enemy in Daniel H. Coakley , an Irish lawyer who had defended one of the key figures in the business. In addition to his rivalry with Lomasney, Fitzgerald now also had to contend with the rising star of James Michael Curley of Roxbury, who

1628-651: Was ennobled by Pope Pius XII , becoming the sixth American woman to be granted the rank of Papal countess . Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald was born on July 22, 1890, at 4 Garden Court in the North End neighborhood of Boston , Massachusetts . She was the eldest of six children born to John Francis "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald , at the time a member of the Boston Common Council, and the former Mary Josephine "Josie" Hannon. At age 7, she moved with her family to West Concord, Massachusetts , and in 1904, they moved again, into an Italianate / Mansard -style home in

1672-627: Was going on, but, in my judgment, she willed that knowledge out of her mind. She didn’t want to lose her marriage. She didn’t want to lose her husband. She didn’t want to lose that family that she had created. It mattered too much to her. And I think, underneath, she knew Joe didn’t want to lose it, either." Rose Kennedy was a strict Catholic throughout her life. Even after her 100th birthday, she rarely missed Sunday Mass and maintained an "extremely prudish" exterior. Jacqueline Kennedy described her mother-in-law in her correspondence to Father Joseph Leonard, an Irish priest: "I don't think Jack's mother

1716-415: Was joined by James Michael Curley and P.J. Kennedy. Fitzgerald unsuccessfully tried to recruit Martin Lomasney to the cause as well. After Roosevelt won the election, Fitzgerald's son-in-law Joseph was appointed chairman of the new U.S. Maritime Commission. Joseph would later serve as chairman of the new U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and as U.S. ambassador to Great Britain. In 1942 , Fitzgerald ran

1760-479: Was kept out of the race by assurances that Fitzgerald would serve only one term. Fitzgerald won a narrow victory over James J. Storrow , a stiff Protestant Republican Boston Brahmin . Early in his first term as Boston's mayor, Fitzgerald had formulated a plan to revitalize the commercial importance of the city under the banner of "a Bigger, Busier and Better Boston." This plan was not pursued by Hibbard but gained traction after Fitzgerald's return to office. Fitzgerald

1804-571: Was named for Fitzgerald's daughter as the " Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway ." Rose Kennedy Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald Kennedy (July 22, 1890 – January 22, 1995) was an American philanthropist, socialite, and matriarch of the Kennedy family . She was deeply embedded in the " lace curtain " Irish-American community in Boston. Her father, John F. Fitzgerald , served in the Massachusetts State Senate (1892–1894), in

John F. Fitzgerald - Misplaced Pages Continue

1848-468: Was not a true reformer. His triumph in the mayoral election was a result of Fitzgerald's blunders. It was a transient reaction to the Democratic Party's high spending. Hibbard, during his two years as mayor, made drastic cuts, releasing nearly a thousand city workers, halving street maintenance expenses, and decreasing the city's debt. He also established a permanent Finance Committee appointed by

1892-605: Was sunk below ground level in the " Big Dig " – was named after her on July 26, 2004. Well known for her philanthropic efforts and for leading the Grandparents' Parade at age 90 at the Special Olympics , Kennedy's life and work are documented in the Oscar -nominated short documentary Rose Kennedy: A Life to Remember . She was a lifelong autograph collector. The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge in Ireland

1936-562: Was the fourth of twelve children. Both of his sisters, Ellen and Mary, and his eldest brother, Michael, died in infancy. Fitzgerald's brother Joseph had severe brain damage from malaria . Only three of the children survived in good health. Fitzgerald's mother died when he was sixteen. His father wished for him to become a doctor to help prevent future deaths of the sort that had marred the family. Accordingly, after being educated at Boston Latin School and Boston College , he enrolled at Harvard Medical School for one year, but withdrew following

#603396