On September 12, 1953, Jacqueline Lee Bouvier walked down the aisle in St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Newport, Rhode Island and married United States Senator, John F. Kennedy. The Kennedys treated the wedding like a political event and invited a whopping 1,200 guests to their reception, including congressmen, senators and Hollywood elites. The occasion was national news, and people flooded the streets outside of the church to catch a glimpse of the beloved couple. Jackie was 24-years-old when she joined the influential group that is the Kennedy family, and she would later become an American icon. Jackie Kennedy is well-known for her impeccable fashion, cosmopolitan lifestyle and being one of the most admired First Ladies in U.S. history, but she also had a major public and political influence during her time. In honor of the 63rd anniversary of the wedding that sparked the Kennedy era, we’re going to share five things that you may not know about Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis.
1. She worked as a photographer and reporter After graduating from George Washington University in 1951, Onassis got her first job at the Washington Times-Herald newspaper. Her job was to photograph and interview people in the nation’s capital. Some of her most noteworthy interviews were with Richard Nixon – who JFK would later beat in the 1960 election – and Dwight D. Eisenhower’s at his inauguration.
2. She launched a renovation of the White House Soon after Kennedy won the 1960 presidential election, Onassis used her keen eye for fashion and design to update the White House décor. Her goal was to convert the White House into a museum of American history filled with culture and artifacts. As a patron of the arts, Onassis went to great lengths to acquire historical works of art and furniture that was owned by past presidents and other major historical figures. Onassis gave a televised tour of the White House once the renovation was complete and even won herself an Emmy Award for her performance.
3. She was fluent in multiple languages. Onassis always had an appreciation for foreign culture and art. She was fluent in French, Italian and Spanish, and used these skills to help with JFK’s political career. Onassis once impressed a crowd of voters in Paris when she delivered a speech in perfect French. JFK later joked about this saying that he was “the man who accompanied Jackie to Paris.”
4. She was a writer and book editor When Onassis was 22-years-old, she won an essay contest for Vogue Magazine that landed her a junior editor position for six months in New York and six months in Paris. Although she was highly qualified for the position, Onassis quit during her first day on the job. In the last years of her life, she worked as a book editor in New York City and edited many of JFK’s biographies.
5. She helped save Grand Central Station
In 1975, there were plans to destroy Grand Central Station – the famous landmark located in New York City. Onassis was living in NYC at the time and was outraged by this possibility. Her father, James T. Lee, helped build Grand Central Station and she cared about the historical preservation of the building. Onassis joined the fight to help preserve Grand Central Station and became a prominent figure in the efforts. She joined forces with the Municipal Art Society to establish the Committee to Save Grand Central Station. She spoke at many meetings and press conferences to bring national attention to this battle to preserve American history. Onassis is not the sole reason why Grand Central Station is still up-and-running, but her involvement and influence drew more publicity to the cause.