Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.

Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.
Kennedy in 1938
44th United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom
In office March 8, 1938 – October 22, 1940
President	Franklin D. Roosevelt
Preceded by	Robert Worth Bingham
Succeeded by	John Gilbert Winant
1st Chair of the U.S. Maritime Commission
In office April 14, 1937 – February 19, 1938
President	Franklin D. Roosevelt
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Emory S. Land
1st Chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
In office June 30, 1934 – September 23, 1935
President	Franklin D. Roosevelt
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	James M. Landis
Personal details
Born	Joseph Patrick Kennedy (1888-09-06)September 6, 1888 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	November 18, 1969(1969-11-18) (aged 81) Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, U.S.
Resting place	Holyhood Cemetery
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Rose Fitzgerald ​ (m. 1914)​
Children	Joseph Jr. John Rosemary Kathleen Eunice Patricia Robert Jean Edward
Parents	P. J. Kennedy Mary Augusta Hickey
Relatives	Kennedy family
Education	Harvard University (AB)
Occupation	Businessman Investor Philanthropist Politician
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Joseph Patrick Kennedy Sr. (September 6, 1888 – November 18, 1969) was an American businessman, investor, philanthropist, and politician. He is known for his own political prominence as well as that of his children and was a patriarch of the Kennedy family, which included President John F. Kennedy, attorney general and senator Robert F. Kennedy, and longtime senator Ted Kennedy.

Kennedy was born into a political family in East Boston, Massachusetts. He made a large fortune as a stock and commodity market investor and later rolled over his proceeds by dedicating a substantial amount of his wealth into investment-grade real estate and a wide range of privately controlled businesses across the United States. During World War I, he was an assistant general manager of a Boston area Bethlehem Steel shipyard; through that position, he became acquainted with Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. In the 1920s, Kennedy made huge profits by reorganizing and refinancing several Hollywood studios; several acquisitions were ultimately merged into Radio-Keith-Orpheum (RKO) studios. Kennedy increased his fortune with distribution rights for Scotch whisky. He owned the largest privately owned building in the country, Chicago's Merchandise Mart.

Kennedy was a leading member of the Democratic Party and of the Irish Catholic community. President Roosevelt appointed Kennedy to be the first chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which he led from 1934 to 1935. Kennedy later directed the United States Maritime Commission. Kennedy served as the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1938 to late 1940. With the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, Kennedy was pessimistic about Britain's ability to survive attacks from Nazi Germany. During the Battle of Britain in November 1940, Kennedy publicly suggested, "Democracy is finished in England. It may be here [in the United States]." After a controversy regarding this statement, Kennedy resigned his position.

Kennedy was married to Rose Fitzgerald and had nine children. During his later life, he was heavily involved in the political careers of his sons. Three of Kennedy's sons attained distinguished political positions: John served as a U.S. senator from Massachusetts and as the 35th president of the United States, Robert served as the U.S. attorney general and as a U.S. senator from New York, and Ted also served as a U.S. senator from Massachusetts.