She Was Born Into a Wealthy Family in New York
While you may have assumed that Jackie Kennedy rose up through the social ladder, that’s not the case. Instead, she was born into a wealthy family with a New York socialite mother and a Wall Street stockbroker father. But while her parents had a lot of money to their name, that’s not to say that their lives weren’t without struggle. It’s been noted that her father was a bad gambler and regularly lost portions of their fortune.
As a result, her parents often had to live by the ‘fake it until you make it’ rule, pretending that they still had money and ties to other wealthy families even when they didn’t.
Her Father Made Sure That She Had Everything She Wanted
Although his gambling habits often made it hard to do so, Jackie’s father wanted to make sure that his beloved daughter had everything she could ever want or need. He spoiled her and attended to her every need, making sure that she would grow up in America’s elite. Because of this, Jackie had a very privileged childhood. She grew up riding prize-winning horses and even took part in horseback riding competitions herself.
She was also sent to Manhattan’s Chapin School, an elite private school where she rubbed shoulders with other socialites and even royalty. During this time, she was one of the most popular girls in school – but she also rebelled.
First, Jackie Fell in Love With the Son of an Author
When it was time for Jackie to go to college, she didn’t want to follow the traditional route. Although her family wanted her to attend the female-only Vassar College in order to stay away from the big city and focus on her attention, Jackie dreamed of attending Sarah Lawrence and expanding her horizons. Her parents ultimately won the fight, but Jackie got her own back by traveling back home to Manhattan every weekend.
In her junior year, Jackie jumped at the chance to study abroad and moved to Paris. Here, she met and fell in love with John P. Marquand Jr, the son of a famous American author. She wanted to marry him, but her mother disapproved.
Then, She Started to Focus on Her Own Writing Career
With her mother’s disapproval in the back of her mind, Jackie moved back to the U.S. and tried to focus on her education and career instead. And after graduating with a BA in French Literature, she moved to get a headstart in journalism. In fact, she beat hundreds of applicants to land a job at the prestigious Vogue magazine, where recruiters praised her obvious independence, zest for life and fiery personality.
However, after just one day at Vogue, her editor advised that she quit and move to Washington instead. At the time, she was 22 years old, and her prospects of marrying the right man were dwindling.
She Worked Her Way up to Become a Trusted Journalist
Although Jackie took her editor’s advice and moved to Washington, she didn’t do so to find a husband. Instead, she moved to Washington to work at the Washington Times-Herald and prove she was a trusted journalist. And while she started as a part-time receptionist at the paper, she later climbed the ladder to become a fully-fledged reporter with her own segment that suited her charming personality down to a T.
Jackie’s segment saw her stop men on the street and ask them questions about her life. Through these interviews, she met high-profile politicians and made her way into high social circles. It was here that she met John F. Kennedy.