Joseph p. kennedy sr. father

The following information about Joseph P. Kennedy is listed alphabetically by topic. For more information please contact Kennedy.Library@nara.gov. Have a research question? Ask an Archivist.

Ambassadorship to the Court of St. James: Appointed January 7, 1938; arrived in Great Britain on March 1, 1938. Resigned November 6, 1940 after outspoken anti-war remarks.

Birth: September 6, 1888, in a house on Webster Street in East Boston.  

Children: 

• Joseph, Jr. (July 25, 1915– August 12, 1944)
• John (May 29, 1917–November 22, 1963)
• Rosemary (September 13, 1918–January 7, 2005)
• Kathleen (February 20, 1920–May 13, 1948)
• Eunice (July 20, 1921–August 11, 2009)
• Patricia (May 26, 1924–September 17, 2006)
• Robert (November 20, 1925–June 6, 1968)
• Jean (February 20, 1928–June 17, 2020)
• Edward (February 22, 1932–August 25, 2009).

Columbia Trust Co., President of: Named President on January 20, 1914 at age 25.

Death: Died at 11:05 am in Hyannis Port on November 18, 1969. Private funeral held at Hyannis Catholic Church, Cardinal Cushing officiating. Buried at Holyhood Cemetery, Brookline, MA.

Education: 

• Assumption School through 7th grade, then Xaverian School. 
• Boston Latin School, 1901–1908, where he was a poor student but excelled in extracurricular activities, especially baseball.
• Harvard College, 1908–1912

Fore River Shipyard of Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp. in Quincy, MA: Became assistant general manager in 1917; Met then-Secretary of the Navy, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. 

Foundation, Joseph Kennedy, Jr.: Founded in 1946.

Hayden-Stone Co., a Boston investment banking firm: Named to Board May 29, 1917. Named manager of Boston office June 1919.

Hollywood: Began career with the purchase of Film Booking Offices of America in February 1926. Leaves Hollywood with an estimated fortune of $5 million in 1930.

Liquor business: Entered 1933

Maritime Commission: Assumed duties as Chairman on April 19, 1937.

Marriage: Married Rose Fitzgerald on October 7, 1914 in the private chapel of William Cardinal O'Connell in Boston, with the Cardinal officiating.

Massachusetts Electric Co.: Elected trustee in 1917.

Parents: Patrick Joseph Kennedy (born January 14, 1858, died May 18,1929) and Mary Hickey (born December 6, 1857, died May 20, 1923). 

Riverdale, New York: Moved family to Riverdale in 1924.

Securities and Exchange Commission: Became first chairman of the newly created commission on July 2, 1934.

Social Security Number: 053-18-4530

Stroke: Suffered at home in Palm Beach on December 19, 1961.