Early Life and Family
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born on May 29th, 1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was the son of Joseph Kennedy and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald, both of wealthy, affluent backgrounds. Born into a world of privilege and wealth, Kennedy was raised with a strong sense of Irish Catholic tradition and heritage. Kennedy’s father, Joe, was the son of wealthy banker, and liquor trader, named P.J Kennedy. His mother, Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald, was the daughter of the famous Congressman and Mayor of Boston, John “Honey Fitz” Fitzgerald. The Kennedy family consisted of nine children; senior among them was Joe Jr. A role model for his brothers and sisters, the eldest Kennedy sibling would meet an untimely end during the Second World War. The Kennedy family placed a strong emphasis on service to the United States. Two of Kennedy’s younger brothers would ultimately follow him into public service. Robert Kennedy was John Kennedy’s trusted adviser and Attorney General during the Kennedy Administration, and would meet the same untimely fate of his older brothers. Ted Kennedy long served as the controversial and influential Senator of Massachusetts. The Kennedy children were all pushed towards success by their parents, both of whom were unable to achieve the highest status of American society. In spite of their great wealth and status, the Kennedys were Irish-American Catholics; not the most favorable of backgrounds at the time. Joe and Rose expected great things of their children. It was in their nine children that they focused the bulk of their time and energy. They knew what it would take for their children to achieve more than they did; providing them with the very best of everything to help them achieve success in life. One could say that it was in raising their children, Joe and Rose Kennedy found their ultimate success. ("John F. Kennedy," 2012)
John, being the second oldest, was not the star of the family. This status was reserved for Joe Jr., until his early death. John was not a healthy child. It has since been recognized that he suffered from Addison’s disease; an illness that occurs when the body produces insufficient hormones by the adrenal glands ("Addison's disease," 2010). This illness caused John grief his entire life, and resulted in much of his childhood being spent in bed. During his convalescence, John took a deep interest in history and politics. Despite his latent intelligence and knowledge, John was a notorious trouble maker in school; much to his father’s dismay. He went on to graduate from Choate Preparatory School in Connecticut, and then on to Harvard, where John became serious about his education, perhaps realizing his potential. During his senior year he wrote the thesis paper, Why England Slept. John’s thesis parted ways with his father, who at the time was Ambassador to The United Kingdom. Joe Kennedy argued against fighting Adolf Hitler, while John argued the exact opposite. The thesis went on to be published and circulated in both England and The United States. Why England Slept was a prelude to the next fateful chapter in John F. Kennedy’s life. (Matthews, 2011)