Jean Kennedy Smith
The Kennedy sister who moved beyond tragedy to become a pivotal diplomatic bridge between America and Ireland during a fragile peace process.
1928–2020 (age 92)·American diplomat·Birthday: February 20·The Silent Generation
Biography
Jean Kennedy Smith lived a life bookended by the glare of American politics and a deeply personal commitment to human potential. As the eighth child of Rose and Joseph Kennedy, she witnessed both the ascent and the devastating tragedies of her famous brothers. Rather than retreat from public life, she carved her own path focused on inclusion. She was a founding force behind the Very Special Arts program, creating opportunities for people with disabilities to engage with the arts. Her most defining chapter began in 1993 when President Bill Clinton appointed her as Ambassador to Ireland. At a critical juncture in the Northern Ireland peace process, she operated with a unique blend of familial political instinct and genuine empathy. She took the controversial but consequential step of granting a visa to Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams, a move that helped bring republicans to the negotiating table and was seen as vital to the eventual Good Friday Agreement. Smith served not as a distant diplomat, but as an active, compassionate participant in a nation's struggle for peace.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Jean was born in 1928, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jean Was Born
The biggest hits of 1928
#1 Movie
The Singing Fool
Best Picture
Wings
Jean's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1928Born
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1933Started school
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1941Became a teenager
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1944Could drive
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1946Could vote
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1949Turned 21
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1958Turned 30
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1968Turned 40
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 50
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 60
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 70
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 80
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2020Died at 92
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
Key Achievements
- Served as U.S. Ambassador to Ireland from 1993 to 1998, playing a key role in the Northern Ireland peace process.
- Founded Very Special Arts (now VSA) in 1974, an international organization promoting arts, education, and creativity for people with disabilities.
- Was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011 for her humanitarian and diplomatic work.
- Authored the memoir 'The Nine of Us: Growing Up Kennedy,' offering an intimate portrait of her family.
Did You Know?
She was the last surviving sibling of President John F. Kennedy.
She studied at the Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart.
Her first husband, Stephen Smith, was a business executive and political advisor who managed JFK's presidential campaign finances.
She was the mother of four children: Stephen Jr., William, Amanda, and Kym.
“The arts are a powerful vehicle for social change, breaking down barriers and creating a world where everyone can participate.”
