Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.
Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kennedy, Sr. (September 6, 1888 – November 18, 1969) was a prominent American businessman, politician, investor, and government official. He served as the first chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission from 1934 through 1935.
Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. | |
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United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom | |
In office March 8, 1938 – October 22, 1940 | |
Monarch | George VI |
President | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
Preceded by | Robert Worth Bingham |
Succeeded by | John G. Winant |
1st Chair of the U.S. Maritime Commission | |
In office April 14, 1937 – February 19, 1938 | |
President | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | Emory S. Land |
1st Chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission | |
In office June 30, 1934 – September 23, 1935 | |
President | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | James M. Landis |
Personal details | |
Born | Joseph Patrick Kennedy September 6, 1888 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Died | November 18, 1969 (aged 81) Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Resting place | Holyhood Cemetery |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Rose Fitzgerald (m. 1914) |
Children | |
Parents | P. J. Kennedy Mary Augusta Hickey |
Relatives | See Kennedy family |
Education | Harvard University (BA) |
Signature |
Kennedy was the husband of Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. Their children included President John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), Senator Robert F. Kennedy (1925–1968), and longtime Senator Ted Kennedy (1932–2009). He served as the first chairman of the Maritime Commission from 1936 through 1938.
Kennedy served as the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1938 until late 1940, including the early part of World War II.
He died on November 18, 1969, two months after his 81st birthday. Joe Kennedy outlived three of his four sons; Ted would die nearly forty years later.
Early life
Kennedy was born on September 6, 1888 in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the eldest son of businessman and politician P. J. Kennedy (1858-1929) and Mary Augusta Hickey (1857-1923). He studied at the Boston Latin School and at Harvard College.
Personal life
In 1914 he married Rose Fitzgerald. They were married until his death in 1969. They had nine children. Kennedy had an affair with Gloria Swanson.
Death
Kennedy died on November 18, 1969 in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts from a stroke, aged 81.
Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. Media
Kennedy, along with fifteen others, signed a telegram warning that the release of Sadie Thompson starring Gloria Swanson would jeopardize the ability of the film industry to censor itself. Swanson needed financing for her film production company, and Kennedy began a three-year affair with her when he met her for lunch in New York after the film's release.
James Roosevelt, son of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, helped Kennedy start his liquor business after Prohibition.
Kennedy on Time magazine cover, 1935
Ambassador Joseph Kennedy with Winston Churchill in London, 1939
The family at their home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, 1931. Rosemary Kennedy is seated on the far right.