Rosemary Kennedy
| Rosemary Kennedy | |
|---|---|
Rosemary Kennedy during 1938, three years before her lobotomy, ready to be presented at Court.
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| Born |
Rose Marie Kennedy September 13, 1918 Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | January 7, 2005 (aged 86) Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Resting place | Holyhood Cemetery |
| Education | Sacred Heart Convent |
| Parent(s) |
Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy |
| Relatives | See Kennedy family |
Rose Marie "Rosemary" Kennedy (September 13, 1918 – January 7, 2005) was the oldest daughter born to Joseph, Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, and the sister of President John F. Kennedy, and Senators Robert F. Kennedy and Ted Kennedy.
Rosemary displayed behavioral problems, resulting in less academic and sporting ability than her siblings. Her father arranged one of the first prefrontal lobotomies for her at the age of 23, but it failed and left her incapacitated permanently. Rosemary spent the rest of her life in an institution in Jefferson, Wisconsin, with minimal contact from her family. Her condition may have inspired her sister, Eunice, to initiate the Special Olympics during 1962.
Rose Marie Kennedy was born at her parents' home in Brookline, Massachusetts. She was the third child and first daughter of Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald. She was named after her mother, and commonly called "Rosemary" or "Rosie." During her birth, the doctor was not immediately available and the nurse ordered Rose Kennedy to keep her legs closed, forcing the baby’s head to stay in the birth canal for two hours. The action resulted in a harmful loss of oxygen.
By Massachusetts state law, the Binet intelligence test was given to her before first grade, as she twice failed to advance from kindergarten.
Rose Kennedy sent Rosemary to the Sacred Heart Convent in Elmhurst, Providence, Rhode Island, at age 15, where she was educated separately from the other students. Two nuns and a special teacher, Miss Newton, worked with her all day in a separate classroom. The Kennedys gave the school a new tennis court for their efforts. Her reading, writing, spelling, and counting skills were reported to be at a fourth-grade level. She studied but may have felt she disappointed her parents, whom she wanted to please. During this period, her mother arranged for her older brother John to accompany her to a tea-dance. Thanks to him, she appeared "not different at all" during the tea-dance.
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