Jacqueline Lee Bouvier was born on July 28, 1929, at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital in Southampton, New York, to Wall Street stockbroker John Vernou 'Black Jack' Bouvier III and socialite Janet Norton Lee. Bouvier's mother was of Irish descent,.

Janet Norton Lee Auchincloss, formerly Bouvier, (December 3, 1907 – July 22, 1989)^[1] was an American socialite and the mother of the former First LadyJacqueline Kennedy.

Early life[edit]

Janet Norton Lee was born on December 3, 1907 in Manhattan, New York City. She was the middle daughter of James Thomas Aloysius Lee (1880–1968), a lawyer and real estate developer,^[2][3] and Margaret A. Merritt (1880–1943). Her parents were both of Irish Catholic descent.^[4][5] She had two sisters; Marion Merritt Lee (1904–1947), who married John J. Ryan Jr.,^[6] and Margaret Winifred Lee (1910–1991), who married Franklin D'Olier.

Life[edit]

Janet graduated from Miss Spence's School and attended Sweet Briar and Barnard Colleges. She was a three-time winner of the hunter championship at the National Horse Show.^[7]

She served as a board member of the Newport Historical Society and the Redwood Library. She was also the honorary director of the Robert E. Lee Memorial Association in Stratford, Virginia.^[7]

Personal life[edit]

Janet was married three times. In 1928,^[6] she married her first husband, John Vernou Bouvier III (1891–1957).^[8] He was the son of Major John Vernou Bouvier Jr. (1866–1948), a successful attorney, and Maude Frances Sergeant (1870–1940).^[9] He was also the brother of Edith Bouvier Beale (1895–1977), later known as the subject of the documentary film, Grey Gardens.^[10] Together, they were the parents of two daughters:

• Jacqueline Lee Bouvier (1929–1994), who married John F. Kennedy in 1953.^[11] After his assassination in 1963, she later married Aristotle Onassis in 1968 and remained married to Onassis until his death in 1975.^[12]
• Caroline Lee Bouvier (1933–2019), who married Michael Temple Canfield in 1953. Their marriage was annulled in 1959,^[13] and later that same year she married Prince Stanisław Albrecht Radziwiłł. They divorced in 1974.^[14] In 1988 she married the director Herbert Ross. They also divorced in 2001.^[15]

Mr. Bouvier's womanizing and drinking led to a separation in 1936, a brief reconciliation for a few months in 1937, and then a divorce in 1940.^[16]

In 1942, she married her second husband, Hugh Dudley Auchincloss Jr., an attorney and Standard Oil heir; becoming his third wife.^[17] Together, they had two children:

• Janet Jennings Auchincloss (1945–1985),^[18] who was married to Lewis Polk Rutherfurd in 1966.^[19][20]
• James Lee Auchincloss (born 1947)^[21][22][23]

Hugh Auchincloss died in 1976. In 1979, she married for a third time,^[24] to her childhood friend Bingham Willing 'Booch' Morris (1906–1996).^[25] Jacqueline served as her witness.^[26] Morris, a widower, was a retired investment banker who lived in Southampton, New York,^[24] a graduate of St. George's School and Harvard, where he was a member of the Iroquois and Hasty Pudding Clubs, and was the son of Violet Lee (née Willing) Morris and John Boucher Morris of Baltimore.^[27] His late wife, Mary (née Rawlins) Morris,^[6][28] was a bridesmaid at Janet's first wedding.^[29] They separated in 1981, but remained married until her death from complications arising from Alzheimer's disease in 1989.^[7][30][31]

References[edit]

1. ^'Janet Morris, Mother of Jacqueline Kennedy, dies'. LA Times. 24 July 1989. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
2. ^Christopher Gray (March 12, 1995). 'Streetscapes/Jacqueline Onassis's Grandfather; Quality Developer With a Legacy of Fine Buildings'. New York Times. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
3. ^'740 Park: The Story of the World's Richest Apartment Building'. Enotalone.com. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
4. ^Goodwin, Hilda (April 15, 1961). 'Caroline Kennedy Descendant Of Troy Family'. The Troy Record. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
5. ^'From Kilmurry village to The White House'. Clare Champion. August 1, 2013. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
6. ^ ^abc'JANET N. LEE BRIDE OF J.V. BOUVIER 3D; 500 Guests at Ceremony in St. Philomena's Church, East Hampton, L.I.'The New York Times. 8 July 1928. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
7. ^ ^abc'Janet Lee Auchincloss Morris, 81'. New York Times. July 24, 1989. Retrieved April 5, 2008.
8. ^'JOHN BOUVIER 3D, BROKER, 66, DIES; Retired Investment Adviser Was a Member of Stock Exchange for 34 Years'. The New York Times. 4 August 1957. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
9. ^Latham, Caroline; Sakol, Jeannie (1989). The Kennedy Encyclopedia: An A-to-Z Illustrated Guide To America's Royal family. NAL Books. p. 22.
10. ^Wolfgang Saxon (February 7, 1977). 'Edith Bouvier Beale, Recluse, Dead at 81. Aunt of Mrs. Onassis Was Subject of the Documentary Movie 'Grey Gardens' in 1973'. The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-10-11. Edith Bouvier Beale, who faded from high society to re-emerge among the seedy surroundings of a rundown Long Island mansion in the film 'Grey Gardens,' died Saturday at Southampton (L.I) Hospital at the age of 81. Grey Gardens was the home she shared with her daughter, Edith, on Apaquogue Road in East Hampton.
11. ^'Notables Attend Senator's Wedding; SENATOR KENNEDY WEDS IN NEWPORT'. The New York Times. 13 September 1953. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
12. ^Times, Special To the New York (16 March 1975). 'Aristotle Onassis Is Dead Of Pneumonia in France'. The New York Times. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
13. ^'Roman Catholics: The Law's Delay'. Time. February 28, 1964. Retrieved September 4, 2009.
14. ^'For Princess Lee Radziwill, It's the End of a Marriage'People, July 29, 1974
15. ^'Lee Bouvier Radziwill Weds Herbert Ross, Film Director'. The New York Times. September 24, 1988. Retrieved June 21, 2007.
16. ^Adler, Bill (2009). The Eloquent Jacqueline Onassis: A Portrait in Her Own Words. HarperCollins. p. 16. ISBN0-061-87363-2.
17. ^'MRS. J. L. BOUVIER IS WED IN VIRGINIA; Becomes the Bride of Lieut. Hugh D. Auchincloss. U.S.N., at His Country Home'. The New York Times. June 23, 1942. p. 24.
18. ^'Janet Rutherfurd Dies at 39; Half-Sister of Mrs. Onassis'. The New York Times. 21 March 1985. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
19. ^'Janet Jennings Auchincloss Betrothed; Half-Sister of Mrs. Kennedy Fiancee of Lewis Rutherfurd'. The New York Times. 9 May 1966. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
20. ^'Janet Jennings Auchincloss Wed to Lewis P. Rutherfurd; Half-Sister of Mrs. Kennedy Is Married at St. Mary's Church in Newport Reception at Family Estate to Held for 600'. The New York Times. 31 July 1966. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
21. ^'Jackie's Half-Sister Dies'. The Vindicator. March 20, 1985. p. 50.
22. ^'Jackie Kennedy's Half-brother James Auchincloss Jailed Again on Child Pornography Probation Violation'. Chicagonow.com. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
23. ^'J. RANDY on JAMIE AUCHINCLOSS - Jackie's half-brother!'. Jrandytaraborrelli.com. 21 February 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
24. ^ ^ab'Notes on People'. The New York Times. 21 August 1979. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
25. ^Pottker, Jan (2013). Janet and Jackie: The Story of a Mother and Her Daughter, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. St. Martin's Press. p. 8. ISBN9781466852303. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
26. ^'Notes on People'. The New York Times. 26 October 1979. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
27. ^'Rawlins--Morris'. The New York Times. 26 May 1934. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
28. ^'MRS. C.E. MERRILL IS BRIDGE HOSTESS; Luncheon Event Given in Honor of Mrs. Edward Van Ingen at Southampton. PARTY FOR BRIDAL COUPLE Reception Held at the Meadow Club for Mary Rawlins and B.W. Morris'. The New York Times. 3 July 1934. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
29. ^Bradford, Sarah (2001). America's Queen: The Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Penguin. p. 1977. ISBN9781101564011. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
30. ^'Services Held for Onassis' Mother'. Daily News. July 28, 1989. p. 2.
31. ^Brooks, Patricia (2002). Where the Bodies Are: Final Visits to the Rich, Famous, and Interesting. Globe Pequot. pp. 26–27. ISBN0-762-72337-8.

Further reading[edit]

• 740 Park: The Story of the World's Richest Apartment Building, by Michael Gross
• Janet and Jackie: The Story of a Mother and Her Daughter, Jacqueline Onassis, by Jan Pottke.
• 'Obituary of James Thomas Lee', New York Times, January 4, 1968.

A Mulatto Black Jack Bouvier

John Vernou 'Black Jack' Bouvier III (May 19, 1891 – August 3, 1957) was an American Wall Streetstockbroker and socialite. He was the father of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and of socialite Lee Radziwill, and was the father-in-law of John F. Kennedy.

Early life and education[edit]

John Vernou Bouvier III was born in East Hampton, New York. His nickname, 'Black Jack', referred to his perpetually dark-tanned skin and his flamboyant lifestyle.^{[citation needed]}

Bouvier's great-grandfather, Michel Bouvier, was a French cabinetmaker from Pont-Saint-Esprit, in the southern Provence region. Michel immigrated to Philadelphia in 1815 after fighting in the Napoleonic Wars, married, was widowed, and then married Louise Clifford Vernou. ^[1][2]

In addition to crafting fine furniture, Michel Bouvier had a business distributing firewood. To support that business, he acquired large tracts of forested land, some of which contained a large reserve of coal. Michel further grew his fortune in real estate speculation. His sons, Eustes, Michel Charles (M.C.), and John V. Bouvier Sr., distinguished themselves in the world of finance on Wall Street. They left their fortunes to their only remaining male Bouvier heir, Major John Vernou Bouvier Jr., who used some of the money to buy an estate known as Lasata in East Hampton, Long Island.^[2]

Major John Vernou Bouvier, Jr. (born 1866), a successful attorney, and Maude Frances Sergeant (born 1869)^[3] had five children, of whom John Vernou Bouvier III was the eldest. Their other children were William Sergeant 'Bud' Bouvier, who was born in 1893 and died from alcoholism in 1929; Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale, who was born in 1895 and became the wife of Phelan Beale, Sr. and the mother of Edith Bouvier Beale, Phelan Beale, Jr., and Bouvier Beale; and twins Maude Reppelin Bouvier Davis and Michelle Caroline Bouvier Scott Putnam (born 1905).^[4][5][6]

John Vernou Bouvier III attended Philips Exeter Academy and Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School. He then studied at Columbia University before transferring to the Sheffield Scientific School at Yale University. While attending Yale, he was a member of the Book and Snakesecret society and the Cloister Club. He graduated in 1914.^[7][2]

Career and military service[edit]

Upon his graduation, he went to work as a stockbroker at his father and uncle's firm: Bouvier, Bouvier & Bouvier. In 1917, he left the firm to join the United States Navy. When the Navy proved to be too strenuous, he transferred to the United States Army, where he served as a major. Bouvier was discharged in 1919, whereupon he went back to work as a stockbroker on Wall Street.^[2]

Black Jack Bouvier Photos

Personal life[edit]

Bouvier married Janet Norton Lee, the daughter of real estate developer James T. Lee, on July 7, 1928, at St. Philomena's Church in East Hampton. They had two daughters, Jacqueline Lee 'Jackie' Bouvier (born 1929) and Caroline Lee Bouvier (born 1933).^[8] Bouvier's drinking, gambling, and philandering led to the couple's divorce in June 1940.^[9] Bouvier never remarried.

In June 1942, Janet Lee Bouvier married Hugh Dudley Auchincloss, Jr.^[10] Janet reportedly did not want her ex-husband to escort his daughter, Jacqueline, down the aisle for her 1953 wedding to John F. Kennedy, so Jacqueline was instead escorted by her step-father. However, some reports indicated Bouvier was too intoxicated to escort his daughter, leading Auchincloss to step in to give the bride away.^[11]

By the mid-1950s, Bouvier had sporadic contact with his daughters and family. He spent the majority of his time drinking alone at his New York City apartment located at 125 East 74th Street.^[12][13]

Later life and death[edit]

In the spring of 1957, Bouvier was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. He checked into Lenox Hill Hospital on July 27, 1957 to undergo chemotherapy. On August 1, he fell into a coma. He died two days later, on August 3, aged 66.^[14] His funeral, which was arranged by his daughters Jacqueline and Lee, was held at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan after which his body was buried in the Bouvier family plot at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Cemetery in East Hampton, New York.^[15]

In popular culture[edit]

Bouvier is thought to be the 'Wall Street Jack' mentioned in the lyrics of 'Forty Second Street', from the musical 42nd Street.^[16]

References[edit]

1. ^Davis, John H. (1969). The Bouviers: Portrait of an American Family. Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
2. ^ ^abcdPottker, Jan (2002). Janet and Jackie: The Story of a Mother and Her Daughter, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Macmillan. pp. 48–50. ISBN0-312-30281-9.
3. ^Latham, Caroline; Sakol, Jeannie (1989). The Kennedy Encyclopedia: An A-to-Z Illustrated Guide To America's Royal family. NAL Books. p. 22.
4. ^Guthrie, Lee (1978). Jackie: The Price Of the Pedestal. Drake Publishing. pp. 13.
5. ^'Michelle Bouvier Married In Garden; Wed To Henry C. Scott. Before a flower covered altar at Lasata, East Hampton. Twin Sister Honor Maid Bride Escorted By Her Father – Bridegroom's Brother His Best Man. The couple motored to Canada'. The New York Times. July 6, 1926.
6. ^'Maude R. Bouvier Weds John E. Davis; 400 Guests See Ceremony At The East Hampton Home Of Bride's Parents. Many In The Bridal Party Twin Sister Of Miss Bouvier Is Matron Of Honor. Sun Comes Out Just Before Wedding. The Bride's Attendants. Wedding Breakfast For 400'. The New York Times. September 4, 1928.
7. ^Davis, John H. (1969). The Bouviers: Portrait of an American Family. Farrar, Straus & Giroux. p. 192.
8. ^Bradford, Sarah (2001). America's Queen: The Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Penguin. p. 10. ISBN1-101-56401-6.
9. ^Badrul Alam, Mohammed (2006). Jackie Kennedy: Trailblazer. Nova Publishers. p. 2. ISBN1-594-54558-8.
10. ^Davis, John H. (1993). The Kennedys: Dynasty and Disaster. SP Books. p. 230. ISBN1-561-71060-1.
11. ^Klein, Edward (1997). All Too Human: The Love Story of Jack and Jackie Kennedy. Simon and Schuster. p. 155. ISBN0-671-50191-7.
12. ^Andersen, Christopher (2013). These Few Precious Days: The Final Year of Jack with Jackie. Gallery Books. pp. 77–78. ISBN1-476-73232-9.
13. ^Klein, page 36
14. ^Heymann, C. David (2008). American Legacy: The Story of John and Caroline Kennedy. Simon and Schuster. p. 58. ISBN0-743-49739-2.
15. ^Spoto, Donald (2000). Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis: A Life. Macmillan. p. 139. ISBN0-312-97707-7.
16. ^http://www.filmsite.org/fort4.html