What did the first lady know about her husband’s affairs?
John F. Kennedy may have been President of the United States for only 1,036 days, but his legacy is greater than that of many other commanders-in-chief who have served full terms – and even 58 years since his life was tragically cut short, there are still fascinating ones Gaining insight into his lived experience.
Kennedy’s time in the Oval Office is the focus, in vivid detail, of the new book Unparalleled Grace: JFK in the Presidency, released April 26. Author Mark K. Updegrove, presidential historian for ABC News and director of the LBJ Foundation, paints a compelling portrait of the county’s 35th leader, and there’s plenty for Camelot-obsessed to explore.
The book touches on the biggest stories from JFK’s tenure, including the Bay of Pigs invasion, his ties with the Soviet Union, and his shocking assassination by Lee Harvey Oswald in 1963. It also examines one of the most exciting parts of his life – his infamous philandering.
Updegrove writes of Kennedy’s reputation as “a rampant and ruthless womanizer,” and while his charisma, charm, and famous good looks certainly had something to do with it, he also followed his family’s lead.
“In the hyper-competitive, testosterone-infused Kennedy family, scoring points seemed as important in unbridled womanizing as the thrill of conquest,” writes Updegrove in the book.
Kennedy had an early example of this type of behavior from his influential father, Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., a prominent businessman and former United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom. The patriarch was married to JFK’s mother, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, from 1914 until his death in 1969, and together they had nine children. But he was notoriously unfaithful, and his affairs included one with actress Gloria Swanson.
Incomparable Grace explains how JFK’s own infidelity was fueled by his powerful position, influential associates and even treatments for the chronic back pain he suffered throughout his life.
“His sexual appetite was fueled by daily cortisone shots for his back, and was only too willingly nurtured by friends and acolytes who were eager to indulge him by finding willing mates: celebrities, movie stars, White House secretaries and interns, and high-end prostitutes — anyone would do it,” writes Updegrove.
The book also explores the obvious next question Kennedy supporters have obsessively asked for decades: Did his wife know about this? Updegrove’s research concludes that First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy was indeed aware of her husband’s affairs and that she “accepted” them as a part of her life, although public knowledge of his inappropriateness was emotionally difficult for her.
The grace and composure Jackie displayed in the face of personal challenges like these and the adversity of living such a public life was one of the things JFK loved about her. And while she wasn’t political herself, she was a major contributor to the glamorous image that became such a valuable asset to Kennedy.
A prominent example is her 1962 televised tour of the White House. In discussing the 60th anniversary of that event, Kennedy historian Barbara A. Perry described to KCM how Jackie’s work buoyed JFK’s presidency.
“Many more thousands of people came to the White House. They were in love with him and Mrs. Kennedy and wanted to see what she was doing because it was publicized so well in Life magazine and then on the television tour,” Perry explained.
In Incomparable Grace, Updegrove says the future seemed infinitely bright for the Kennedys when they traveled to Texas in 1963 to end the president’s life there. After JFK was shot, Updegrove writes, Jackie rushed him to the hospital, where she “stayed by his side to the end, never taking her eyes off his.”
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