John F. Kennedy Jr.: Publisher and Son of a President
John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr. (November 25, 1960 – July 16, 1999) was an American businessman, attorney, magazine publisher, and journalist. He was best known for founding the political lifestyle magazine George and for the iconic image of him saluting his father’s casket at President John F. Kennedy’s funeral.
Early Life and Education
Kennedy was born on November 25, 1960, in Washington, D.C., to Massachusetts senator John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy (née Bouvier). His father was elected president less than three weeks before his birth and inaugurated two months later. Kennedy had an older sister, Caroline, born in 1957. The family had previously lost a stillborn daughter, Arabella, in 1956, and an infant son, Patrick, who died two days after his premature birth in 1963.
Kennedy lived in the White House during his first three years. His father was assassinated on November 22, 1963, three days before Kennedy’s third birthday. During the state funeral, Kennedy stepped forward and saluted his father’s flag-draped casket as it was carried out of St. Matthew’s Cathedral—a moment broadcast widely and described by NBC News vice president Julian Goodman as “the most impressive… shot in the history of television.”
Following the assassination, the family moved to the Upper East Side of Manhattan, where Kennedy grew up. In 1967, his mother took him and Caroline on a six-week “sentimental journey” to Ireland, where they met President Éamon de Valera and visited the Kennedy ancestral home in Dunganstown. After his uncle Robert was assassinated in 1968, Jacqueline moved the family to Greece, where she married shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. Kennedy reportedly considered his stepfather “a joke.” Onassis died in 1975, leaving Jacqueline an annual income of $250,000, though she later settled with Christina Onassis for $25 million.
Kennedy attended Saint David’s School and later Collegiate School in Manhattan before completing his secondary education at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. He attended Brown University, where he majored in American studies and co-founded a student discussion group focused on contemporary issues including apartheid in South Africa, gun control, and civil rights. He arranged for U.N. ambassador Andrew Young to speak about apartheid at Brown after being appalled by the system during a summer visit to South Africa.
In 1976, Kennedy and his cousin traveled to earthquake-affected Rabinal, Guatemala, where they assisted with construction and distributed food. A local priest noted that they “ate what the people of Rabinal ate and dressed in Guatemalan clothes and slept in tents like most of the earthquake victims.” In the summer of 1978, after his Secret Service protection ended on his 16th birthday, Kennedy worked as a wrangler in Wyoming. In 1979, he made his first major speech at the dedication of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, reciting Stephen Spender’s poem “The Truly Great.”
Career and Achievements
Kennedy worked as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan before launching his most significant professional venture. In 1995, he founded George, a political lifestyle magazine that combined politics with celebrity and popular culture. The publication reflected Kennedy’s unique position as a member of the nation’s most famous political family with connections across media, business, and public life.
Beyond his magazine work, Kennedy was a prominent social figure in Manhattan and remained the subject of sustained media attention throughout his life. He was active in nonprofit work and supported his family’s political campaigns. His marriage to Carolyn Bessette generated considerable media coverage and public interest.
Notable Events and Milestones
Kennedy’s life was marked by several defining moments. His salute at his father’s funeral on November 25, 1963, became one of the most iconic images in American history. In 1971, he returned to the White House for the first time since his father’s assassination, when President Richard Nixon’s daughters gave him a tour that included his former bedroom and the Resolute desk where his father had allowed him to play.
The founding of George magazine in 1995 represented Kennedy’s major professional achievement, establishing him as a publisher and editor in his own right. His marriage to Carolyn Bessette became a significant cultural event, drawing sustained media attention.
Additional Resources
Kennedy’s life and legacy continue to be subjects of public interest and historical study. More detailed information about his career, family history, and the circumstances of his death is available through Wikipedia, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, and other biographical archives.
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