- Born
- Died
- Nickname
- Honey Fitz
- John Francis Fitzgerald, the namesake of his grandson John F. Kennedy, was a popular Boston politician who was one of the taproots of a political dynasty via his daughter Rose Kennedy. Rose married Joseph P. Kennedy, the son of his one-time rival and later political ally Patrick Joseph "P. J." Kennedy, a saloon-keeper who became a force in Boston politics.
Kennedy was born in Boston on February 11, 1863, the son of Rosanna (Cox) and Thomas Fitzgerald, who were Irish Catholic immigrants. After graduating from Boston Latin School, he attended Boston College; he then matriculated at Harvard Medical School, intent on fulfilling his late mother's wish that he become a physician. After a year of study, he quit medical school after his father passed away in 1885. An active member of the Democratic Party, he was appointed a clerk at the Customs House in Boston. The fabled "Honey Fitz" served three terms as mayor of Boston and two stints in the U.S. House of Representatives. His popularity was long-lasting and he helped his grandson Jack in his successful 1946 campaign for Congress from Massachusetts' 11th district.
Honey Fitz died on October 2, 1950 at the age of 87.
- IMDb mini biography by: Jon C. Hopwood
- SpouseMary Josephine Hannon(September 18, 1889 - October 2, 1950) (his death, 6 children)
- Children
- RelativesJean Kennedy Smith(Grandchild)Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.(Grandchild)John F. Kennedy(Grandchild)Robert F. Kennedy(Grandchild)Ted Kennedy(Grandchild)Rosemary Kennedy(Grandchild)Kathleen 'Kick' Kennedy(Grandchild)Eunice Kennedy Shriver(Grandchild)Patricia Kennedy(Grandchild)Caroline Kennedy(Great Grandchild)John Kennedy Jr.(Great Grandchild)Maria Shriver(Great Grandchild)Robert Shriver(Great Grandchild)Rory Kennedy(Great Grandchild)Patrick Joseph Kennedy II(Great Grandchild)Kerry Kennedy(Great Grandchild)Christopher Lawford(Great Grandchild)Tim Shriver(Great Grandchild)Mark Shriver(Great Grandchild)Anthony Shriver(Great Grandchild)
- His wife, the former Mary Josephine Hannon (October 31, 1865 - August 8, 1964), was his second cousin. She is the only person to live to see a grandchild become President of the United States, when her grandson John F. Kennedy was inaugurated on January 20, 1961. Sadly, she also became the first grandparent of an American president to see him assassinated.
- Became the first native-born Irish-American Catholic to be elected Mayor of Boston in 1906.
- An enthusiastic baseball fan, he was a member of the Royal Rooters, a fabled group of rabid baseball fans who supported The Hub's two baseball teams, the Boston Braves and the Red Sox. The Royal Rooters became particularly associated with the Red Sox, which was the first baseball dynasty of the 20th Century, winning World Series titles in 1903, 1912, 1915, 1916 and 1918. (The National League's Braves won the 1914 World Series.) Honey Fitz eventually served as chairman of the Royal Rooters, who would attend Red Sox games singing the song "Tessie". As mayor of Boston, he had the honor of throwing out the ceremonial opening pitch at the first game at the then-brand new Fenway Park on April 20, 1912. (He also threw out the first pitch as the 1912 World Series.) One hundred years to the day, his grandson Tom Fitzgerald and his great-granddaughter Caroline Kennedy (the daughter of his grandson and namesake President John F. Kennedy) threw out the first pitch during Fenway Park's 100th anniversary celebration.
- Great-great-grandfather of Katherine Schwarzenegger and Patrick Schwarzenegger.
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