Caroline Kennedy

Caroline Bouvier Kennedy[1][2] (born November 27, 1957) is an American diplomat who served as the United States ambassador to Australia under the Biden administration from 2022 to 2024. Before becoming ambassador to Australia, she served as the ambassador to Japan under the Obama administration from 2013 to 2017.[3] She is a member of the Kennedy family and the only living and surviving child President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy.

Caroline Kennedy
Caroline Kennedy, U.S. Ambassador.jpg
Official portrait, 2022
27th United States Ambassador to Australia
In office
July 25, 2022 – November 28, 2024
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byArthur B. Culvahouse Jr.
Succeeded byErika Olson (chargé d'affaires)
29th United States Ambassador to Japan
In office
November 19, 2013 – January 18, 2017
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byJohn Roos
Succeeded byBill Hagerty
Personal details
Born
Caroline Bouvier Kennedy

27 November 1957 (aged 68)
New York City, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)
(m. 1986)
Children
Parents
RelativesKennedy family
Bouvier family
EducationRadcliffe College (AB)
Columbia University (JD)
Occupation
  • diplomat
  • author
  • writer
  • lawyer
AwardsGrand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (2021)

Biography

Early life

Caroline Bouvier Kennedy was born on November 27, 1957, She was born at Weill Cornell Medical Center in Manhattan, New York City to parents were then-U.S. Senator John F. Kennedy and socialite Jacqueline Kennedy. She was born a year after her mother had a miscarriage in August 1956, of her older sister named Arabella.[4]

She spent the first few years of her life in Georgetown, Washington, D.C., while father was serving in the United States Senate. In November 1960, her father was elected the 35th U.S. president and two weeks later, her mother gave birth to her brother, John F. Kennedy Jr. on November 25th.[5]

On January 20, 1961, her father was sworn-in as the 35th U.S. president as she was three years old at the time. The Kennedy family became the new first family and moved into the White House.[6]

During her childhood in the White House, Kennedy was often seen playing with her father in the Oval Office while her brother was underneath the presidential desk. When Kennedy was five years old, her father was assassinated on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, just days before her sixth birthday. The state funeral for her father was held in Washington, D.C. where he was lied-in-state at the U.S. Capitol Building and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

The Kennedy's officially moved out of the White House back to Georgetown and later left public life on December 3rd.

Education and Career

Kennedy and her family later moved to Manhattan in New York. She graduated from Concord Academy in 1975. She then graduated from Harvard University's Radcliffe College with a bachelor's degree in Arts in 1980. Kennedy also graduated from Columbia Law School with a Juris Doctor degree in 1988. After graduating, she worked as a research assistant at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Film and Television Department in New York. She is also the honorary president of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and a member of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award Committee.[7]

Marriage and family

Kennedy met fashion designer Edwin Schlossberg while working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Film and Television Department in New York City. They got married on July 19, 1986, at Our Lady of Victory Church in Centerville, Massachusetts.[8] The couple has three children, two daughters, Rose and Tatiana and one son Jack.[9]

Political career

Ambassador to Japan (2013–2017)

In July 2013, then President Barack Obama nominated Kennedy as the next United States ambassador to Japan.[10][11] In October 2013, she was confirmed by the Senate as the next ambassador.[12] On November 12th, she was sworn-in Secretary of State John Kerry, making her the first female ambassador from the United States to the country. As ambassador, she had strongly advocated for literacy, women's rights, and LGBT rights in the Japan. Kennedy later resigned from her office upon the inauguration of Donald Trump in January 2017.[13]

2020 presidential election and Democratic National Convention

During the 2020 United States presidential election, Kennedy and her son, Jack Schlossberg appeared virtually at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. They did this because of the Covid-19 pandemic.[14][15] Kennedy and her son endorsed Joe Biden for president.[16][17]

Ambassador to Australia (2022–2024)

In December 2021, President Biden nominated Kennedy as the next ambassador to Australia.[18][19] By May 2022, she was confirmed by the Senate as the next ambassador.[20] Kennedy was sworn in as the 27th ambassador to Australia on June 10, 2022. She resigned from her office after the election of Donald Trump in 2024 on November 28th.[21]

Caroline Kennedy Media

References

  1. Sachs, Andrea (May 13, 2002). "10 Questions for Caroline Kennedy". Time. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1002414,00.html. Retrieved December 16, 2008. 
  2. "Transcript: Larry King Interview with Caroline Kennedy". Larry King Live (CNN). May 7, 2002. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0205/07/lkl.00.html. Retrieved December 16, 2008. 
  3. United States Embassy To Japan – Former Ambassadors. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  4. Caroline Kennedy, the Last Child of Camelot (in en). ThoughtCo. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  5. Caroline Kennedy - Children, Family & Wedding (in en-US). Biography (2022-09-15). Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  6. Caroline Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg | American author, attorney, and ambassador | Britannica (in en). www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  7. Caroline Kennedy, Honorary President | JFK Library. www.jfklibrary.org. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  8. "CAROLINE BOUVIER KENNEDY TO WED EDWIN SCHLOSSBERG" (in en-US). The New York Times. 1986-03-02. ISSN 0362-4331 . https://www.nytimes.com/1986/03/02/style/caroline-bouvier-kennedy-to-wed-edwin-schlossberg.html. Retrieved 2023-03-30. 
  9. Cook, Cynthia. Caroline Kennedy's Kids & Grandkid: Meet Her 3 Children & 1st Grandchild (in en-US). Hollywood Life (2022-04-15). Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  10. Landler, Mark (2013-07-24). "Obama Nominates Caroline Kennedy to Be Ambassador to Japan" (in en-US). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/25/world/asia/caroline-kennedy-picked-to-be-ambassador-to-japan.html. Retrieved 2023-03-30. 
  11. Kamen, Al. Caroline Kennedy poised for Japan (in en-US). Washington Post (2013-07-13). Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  12. Caroline Kennedy Confirmed as Ambassador to Japan (in en). ABC News. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  13. "Caroline Kennedy Leaves Japan After Three Years as U.S. Ambassador" (in en). Bloomberg.com. 2017-01-18. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-18/caroline-kennedy-leaves-japan-after-3-years-as-us-ambassador. Retrieved 2023-03-30. 
  14. Klar, Rebecca. Biden endorsed by JFK daughter Caroline Kennedy (in en-US). The Hill (2020-02-04). Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  15. Falconer, Rebecca. ""We need a president who can bring people together": Caroline Kennedy endorses Joe Biden" (in en). Axios. https://www.axios.com/2020/02/04/biden-endorsed-by-caroline-kennedy. Retrieved 2023-03-30. 
  16. Caroline Kennedy, Jack Schlossberg endorse Joe Biden (in en-US). The Street Journal (2020-08-19). Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  17. WATCH: Caroline Kennedy depicts Biden as a public servant at the Democratic National Convention (in en-us). PBS NewsHour (2020-08-18). Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  18. "Caroline Kennedy reportedly in line to be next US ambassador to Australia" (in en-GB). The Guardian. 2021-05-31. ISSN 0261-3077 . https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/may/31/caroline-kennedy-reportedly-in-line-to-be-next-us-ambassador-to-australia. Retrieved 2023-03-30. 
  19. Caroline Kennedy in running to be named US ambassador to Australia: report (in en). The Sydney Morning Herald (2021-05-31). Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  20. "Caroline Kennedy confirmed as next US ambassador to Australia" (in en-AU). ABC News. 2022-05-06. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-06/caroline-kennedy-appointed-australia-ambassador/101043542. Retrieved 2023-03-30. 
  21. AAP. Caroline Kennedy sworn in as Australian ambassador in Canberra (in en-AU). Canberra Weekly (2022-06-13). Retrieved 2023-03-30.