Jean Kennedy Smith
Diplomat, Author
1928 –
Who is Jean Kennedy Smith?
Jean Ann Kennedy Smith is an American diplomat and a former United States Ambassador to Ireland. She is the eighth of nine children born to Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald and is their last surviving child. Her siblings include President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, longtime Senator Ted Kennedy, and Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy.
Smith is the founder of Very Special Arts, an internationally recognized non-profit dedicated to creating a society where those with disabilities can engage with the arts. In 2011, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, by President Barack Obama for her work with VSA and the disabled.
As Ambassador to Ireland from 1993-1998, Smith was instrumental to the Northern Ireland peace process as President Bill Clinton's representative in Dublin. She successfully advocated for the U.S. government to grant a visa to Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams which directly led to the IRA declaring a ceasefire in 1994. Irish President Mary McAleese conferred honorary Irish citizenship on Smith in 1998 in recognition of her service to the island.
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- Born
- Feb 20, 1928
Brookline - Also known as
- Jean Ann Kennedy
- Jean Ann Kennedy Smith
- Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith
- Parents
- Siblings
- Spouses
- Stephen Edward Smith
(1956/05/19 - 1990/08/19)
- Stephen Edward Smith
- Children
- Religion
- Catholicism
- Nationality
- United States of America
- Profession
- Education
- Manhattanville College
- Lived in
- Boston
Submitted
on July 23, 2013
Citation
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"Jean Kennedy Smith." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/jean_kennedy_smith>.
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