Jackie Kennedy as a American Idol and Person of Virtue

Jackie Kennedy is quite possibly the most well-known first ladies of all time, and was idolized by millions in the sixties. She was born Jacqueline Lee Bouvier, the daughter of John and his wife, Janet Lee in New York. She was raised in a wealthy family, and was educated at "the best of private schools" (Bradford 2), learning to ride horses and participating in ballet. She spent her junior year of high school in France, and graduated from George Washington University. She met, and later married, Senator Kennedy in 1953. When Kennedy became president, Jackie "brought beauty, intelligence, and cultivated taste" (Bradford 4) to the role of first lady. She is known as one of the most elegant and cultured women of our time. She had two children - Caroline and John Jr. - with President Kennedy before his untimely assassination in 1963.

Jackie Kennedy, to me, exemplifies the virtues of fortitude, charity, faith and integrity. Charity is defined as "the virtue that places concern for God, manifest especially through concern for others" (Stoutzenberger 107). Until her death, Jackie was "supportive of various associations, such as the American Association of Maternal and Infant Health, the American Cancer Society, and the Girl Scouts" ( Coleman 1). She always gave her money, and indeed her precious few moments of spare time, to different causes, showing her love for her fellow humans. She is, essentially, one of the most generous first ladies in American history, and has donated to a huge amount of charities to help her fellow human beings. She was also a huge supporter of civil rights in the 60's, renouncing segregation. She also visited poverty-stricken areas of Washington, in order to help the less fortunate.

Another virtue present in Jackie is fortitude, defined as "strength when confronted with difficulties" (Stoutzenberger 111). Jackie retained her courage when her husband was accused of having affairs and mistresses, as most presidents often do, and paid no attention to rumors that constantly circulated. Jackie was extremely strong when her husband passed away: "Mrs. Kennedy's gallant courage during the tragedy of her husband's assassination won her the admiration of the world" (Coleman 1). She led the nation in mourning the death of such a strong leader, even though she herself and to deal with her own grief and her young children's sadness.

The final virtue I believe Jackie shows is hope, defined as "trusting in God" (Stoutzenberg 106). President Kennedy and his wife were one of the few catholic Presidential pairs in American history, and they attended mass often. Through out all of her trials and tribulations, Mrs. Kennedy retained her faith in God. In the beginning of her marriage, Jackie suffered "many miscarriages and the death of a prematurely born child" (Bradford 27), as well as a still-born baby. Through out these devastating occurrences, Jackie was able to continue on with her life, and provide support for her husband. She did not loose hope; she persevered, and had two wonderful children before her husband's unfortunate passing.

Jackie Kennedy was an amazing person. She exemplifies so many virtues, and was an American icon. The virtues I have listed are only a few examples of her character; people who knew her, and even people who simply knew of her, respected and admired her greatly - even those from different countries. She inspires me to help others through her work with charities; if she had time in her bust life to do those things, so should I. In addition, the fact that she retained her fortitude and hope during so many difficult tragedies encourages me to have hope and courage as well.

Works Cited

Bradford, Sarah. America's Queen: The Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Penguin Books, October 2001.

Coleman, David. "First Lady: Jacqueline Kennedy". American Presidents. 19 January 2005. University of Virginia and Associates. http://www.americanpresident.org/history/johnfkennedy/firstlady/>

Stoutzenberger, Joseph. Morality. Harcourt Religion Publishers, 2005.