Cocktails and Campaigns: JFK and Jackie’s Whirlwind Romance
Today’s Historic America Journal entry is the second of our two-part series on presidential love stories in preparation for our limited-run Presidential Sweethearts Tour. If these true tales capture your imagination, you’re in luck! A ticket for our Presidential Sweethearts Tour is the perfect Valentine's Day gift for the history nerd in your life. More information about the tour can be found on our website or our Eventbrite page. In our final piece for this series, we journey back in time to visit John F. Kennedy and Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis.
Before John F. Kennedy (otherwise known as JFK) became legendary for being the youngest President of the United States and the first Catholic in the position; he was a young congressman for 11th congressional district in Massachusett. Born into the prestigious Kennedy family, he attended Harvard University and was in the U.S. Naval Reserve during World War II. Jacqueline “Jackie” Lee Bouvier, born to socialite Janet Lee and stockbroker John Vernou Bouvier III, was a precocious young woman with a talent for horseback riding. She graduated from George Washington University (Raise High!) in 1951 with a degree in French Literature before going on to work at the Washington Times-Herald as their ‘Inquiring Camera Girl.’
These two had their meet-cute at a cocktail party in Georgetown in 1951 hosted by mutual friend Charles Bartlett and his lovely wife Martha Bartlett. The house they met still stands, and you can visit it at 3419 Q Street. Joseph Kennedy, the Kennedy patriarch, masterminded the whole affair in order to introduce the two to each other. They hit it off immediately, and JFK was quoted as saying “I’ve never met anyone like her.” From the first meeting, JFK and Jackie began their journey to becoming one of the White House’s most iconic couples.
They dated quietly for two years, during which JFK transferred from the House of Representatives to the Senate and Jackie continued to report for the Washington Times-Herald. In May 1953, after Jackie returned from covering Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, she received a dinner invitation from JFK. They met at Martin’s Tavern, an iconic family-owned restaurant in Georgetown (that will feature in upcoming Historic America walking tours), and sat at Booth 3. At the end of their delightful dinner, JFK knelt down on one knee and asked Jackie to marry him.
Although this story has never been proven, fourth-generation owner of Martin’s Tavern Billy Martin claims that the Kennedy family has thrown their weight behind this rumor. Whether or not this story is fully true, it has captured the hearts of Washington D.C. natives for years. The booth, pictured below, is nicknamed the “Proposal Booth” and is the spot for magical proposals in the DMV area. JFK and Jackie officially announced their engagement on June 24, 1953.
The two of them wed on September 12, 1953 at St. Mary’s Church in Newport Rhode Island to a crowd of joyous onlookers. Jackie wore an heirloom veil passed down her grandmother and her iconic dress, pictured below, was from the trailblazing African-American designer Ann Lowe. As a part of the old wedding adage “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue,” JFK gifted her a beautiful diamond and pearl bracelet to cover “something new.” Pope Pius XII even gave his blessing to their union, marking it as a match made in heaven.
Though the Kennedy’s relationship is often marked by JFK’s several affairs and tragic assassination in 1963, JFK and Jackie did love each other and indelibly left a mark on the White House and the U.S. at large. Jackie, in particular, was known as a fashion icon and for her work in preserving the history of the White House, creating the White House Historical Association. JFK himself not only revolutionized political campaigns with his televised presidential campaign, but also championed the United States space program and made complicated foreign policy decisions throughout his career.
In November 1963, John F. Kennedy was tragically assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald. He was survived by Jackie Kennedy and their children Caroline, John Jr., and Patrick. Jackie went on to marry Aristotle Onassis in 1968 and lived with him until his death in 1975. She went on to become a successful book editor for Viking Press until she passed away in 1994. Through tragedy and heartbreak, JFK and Jackie remain one of the most iconic couples of the White House to date.