Jack Schlossberg

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John Bouvier "Jack" Kennedy Schlossberg (born January 19, 1993) is an American writer and political correspondent. He has written about politics for several publications and news outlets, and has been a political correspondent for Vogue magazine since 2024. He is the only grandson of the 35th United States president John F. Kennedy.

Jack Schlossberg
Schlossberg in 2024
Born
John Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg

(1993-01-19) January 19, 1993 (age 31)
EducationYale University (BA)
Harvard University (JD, MBA)
OccupationWriter
Political partyDemocratic
Parents
FamilyKennedy family
Bouvier family

Early life and education

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John Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg[1] was born in New York City on January 19, 1993.[2] Known as “Jack”, he is the youngest of three children of designer and artist Edwin Schlossberg and author and diplomat Caroline Kennedy. He is named after his maternal grandfather, the 35th U.S. president John F. Kennedy, and matrilineal great-grandfather, the Wall Street stockbroker John Vernou Bouvier III. Senator Ted Kennedy was his grand-uncle as well as godfather,[3] and he served as ringbearer in his uncle John F. Kennedy Jr.'s wedding.[4]

Schlossberg and his two older sisters, Rose and Tatiana, were primarily raised in Manhattan's Upper East Side,[5] and have also spent significant time at the Martha's Vineyard estate of their maternal grandmother, the First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, while growing up.[2] During the summers, he worked on a charter fishing boat.[6] He also played in baseball and basketball leagues in Manhattan.[7] His father comes from an Orthodox Jewish family of Ukrainian Ashkenazi Jewish descent, and his mother is a Catholic of Irish, French, Scottish, and English descent. He was raised Catholic, but his mother would also "incorporate Hanukkah" in the family's holiday celebrations.[8]

Schlossberg attended Collegiate School. In eighth grade, he co-founded ReLight New York, a nonprofit organization that installed energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights in low-income housing developments.[9] A member of the Young Democrats club in high school, he organized a trip to canvass for Barack Obama's campaign in Pennsylvania. In 2010, Schlossberg worked in Washington, D.C. as a senate page and the following year, as a senate intern.[10] He then attended Yale University graduating in 2015 with a degree in history, with a focus on Japanese history.[11] While at Yale, Schlossberg was known to perform stand-up comedy,[1] was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity,[12] and wrote for the Yale Daily News, and the Yale Herald where he was an editor-in-chief.[13] He also trained and worked as a volunteer emergency medical technician (EMT) in New Haven, Connecticut, and as environmental technician – cleaning out oil tanks and cleaning up spills around Boston.[1] Schlossberg lived and worked in Japan before enrolling at Harvard University where he graduated from the joint Juris Doctor – Master of Business Administration program at Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School in 2022.[14] The following year, he passed the New York State bar exam.[15]

Career

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Since 2011, Schlossberg has written for numerous publications and news outlets, including Time, The Washington Post, New York Magazine, Politico, and CNN. He has also written op-eds for The New York Times, USA Today, and HuffPost.[16]

In 2015, through the company’s overseas graduates hiring program, Schlossberg started working at Rakuten, a Japanese internet and e-commerce company, in Tokyo.[17][10] He also worked at the Japanese distillery Suntory.[10] Schlossberg returned to the United States in 2016 to work as a staff assistant in the State Department's Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs.[18]

Schlossberg began working for Vogue as a political correspondent in 2024 after graduating from Harvard Law School and passing the bar exam.[19] He "emerged as a staff favorite" and was appointed for his "irreverent but intelligent takes on the political landscape" per Vogue.[20]

Politics

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Schlossberg first became interested in politics in 2007, when then-Illinois senator Barack Obama began his presidential primary campaign.[19] He recalled that he was never forced to enter politics but Obama's campaign inspired him to learn about it and to study the legacy of his grandfather, John F. Kennedy.[21]

In 2011, Schlossberg wrote to the editors at The New York Times responding to a critical column about President Kennedy's legacy, which was published as a letter to the editor. The piece "launched the political career" of then 18-year-old Schlossberg per The Atlantic.[22] The following year, when asked about his interest in entering politics, Schlossberg stated: "Politics definitely interests me. I'm most interested in public service. I think that's something that I got from being part of my family, which is such an honor."[23]

 
Schlossberg with 46th U.S. President Joe Biden and mother Caroline in Boston in 2022

He co-founded "Yale for Murphy" in 2012 in support of Democrat Chris Murphy's Connecticut senate candidacy.[24] In November 2013, Schlossberg introduced 44th U.S. President Obama at the Medal of Freedom Award gala which commemorated the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy's death.[25][26] In 2016, in an opinion piece for The Washington Post, he encouraged young voters to support Hillary Clinton for president.[27] He has also accompanied his mother Caroline in her duties as ambassador of Japan and Australia.[28][29]

In the succeeding years, Schlossberg took an increasingly active role in the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum where he served as chair of the selection committee for the New Frontier Award until its last and 20th ceremony in 2023.[30][31] Schlossberg has also served as event host, presenter and member of the annual Profile in Courage Award selection committee.[32][33]

In August 2020, Schlossberg gave a virtual address on the second night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention with his mother, Caroline, and endorsed Joe Biden's run for presidency.[34] In 2023, Schlossberg publicly criticized the presidential campaign of his first cousin once removed, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and supported Biden’s re-election.[35]

Schlossberg gave his first in-person speech on the second night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where he endorsed Kamala Harris.[36] In September 2024, Schlossberg became co-chair of the environmental organization Climate Power's campaign "Too Hot Not to Vote", an initiative designed to "engage, educate and motivate people to vote for climate and clean energy champions” in the 2024 presidential election.[37]

Public image

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Schlossberg has been the subject of media coverage throughout his life but was largely kept out of the public eye growing up.[38][32] His first live television appearance was in an interview with CNN at the 2012 Democratic National Convention when he was 19 years old.[39] In 2016, Schlossberg attended the Met Gala with his mother Caroline,[40] and was included in the Vanity Fair annual International Best-Dressed List.[41] He had a cameo role in the eighth-season finale of the television show Blue Bloods in 2018.[42][43] In September 2024, he was a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! where he encouraged young people to vote.[44]

Media outlets have portrayed Schlossberg as a "new face" of the Kennedy family, and a "new hope" of the Democratic party.[45][46] Months prior to the 2024 U.S. presidential election he began posting political commentary and comedic sketches on social media.[47] In 2024, Jack Schlossberg was the subject of a look-alike contest held in Washington, DC.[48]

Personal life

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Schlossberg is fond of water sports, particularly paddleboarding.[49][50]

References

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  1. ^ a b c McNeil, Liz (May 6, 2015). "Jack Schlossberg, President John F. Kennedy's Grandson". People. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Andersen, Christopher P. (2014). The Good Son: JFK Jr. and the Mother He Loved. Gallery Books. p. 269. ISBN 978-1-4767-7556-2.
  3. ^ Kennedy, Caroline; Schlossberg, Jack; Crowley, Candy. "Caroline Kennedy and her son, talk with CNN's Candy Crowley". Archived from the original on September 9, 2012. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  4. ^ Gliatto, Tom (October 7, 1996). "Bridal Sweet". People. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  5. ^ Quinn, Dave. "How JFK's Grandson Stepped into the Spotlight". People. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  6. ^ Gillette, Sam (September 5, 2019). "All About JFK Granddaughter Tatiana Schlossberg's Next Project". People. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  7. ^ Heymann, C. David (July 1, 2008). American Legacy: The Story of John & Caroline Kennedy. New York: Atria Books. p. 515. ISBN 9780743497398.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  8. ^ Jacobson, Aileen (December 5, 2007). "A Kennedy Christmas". Newsday. Melville, New York. Archived from the original on November 16, 2013. Retrieved December 5, 2007.
  9. ^ DiBlasio, Natalie. "Who is the hot new Kennedy?". USA Today. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Kaloi, Stephanie (July 22, 2024). "All About JFK's Grandson Jack Schlossberg". People. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  11. ^ McNeil, Liz (May 6, 2015). "JFK's Grandson Jack Schlossberg: 5 Things to Know About Him". People. Archived from the original on April 22, 2023. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  12. ^ "Prominent Alumni". SigEp. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  13. ^ Brennan, Danielle (November 21, 2013). "JFK's grandson takes center stage: 9 things we know about Jack". Today. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  14. ^ Slane, Kevin (November 17, 2017). "JFK's grandson on Harvard Law School: 'I don't have a life, but that's what I signed up for.'". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on April 23, 2024. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  15. ^ Pennington, Juliet. "Jack Schlossberg Says It 'Feels Great' to Have Passed New York State Bar Exam on First Try (Exclusive)". People. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  16. ^ "Jack Schlossberg, l'unique petit-fils de JFK et la politique dans le sang" (in French). September 11, 2024. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  17. ^ "ケネディ駐日米大使の息子が楽天入社 営業など担当" [Son of U.S. Ambassador to Japan Kennedy Joins Rakuten and Responsible for Sales and Others]. The Nikkei (in Japanese). Tokyo. December 16, 2015. Archived from the original on August 2, 2022. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  18. ^ Kimble, Lindsay (December 14, 2016). "JFK's Grandson Jack Schlossberg Talks Trump and LSAT". People. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  19. ^ a b Fisher, Hannah; Jackson, Peter (July 10, 2024). "Jack Schlossberg Is Just Being Himself". Vogue. Archived from the original on July 13, 2024. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  20. ^ Garcia, Sandra E. (July 12, 2024). "Jack Schlossberg Is Named a Political Correspondent for Vogue". The New York Times. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  21. ^ Yoshimura, Marina; Schlossberg, Jack (February 25, 2018). "Talking Politics and the Future with John Schlossberg'15". The Yale Globalist. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  22. ^ Cohen, Andrew (February 4, 2011). "John Kennedy Schlossberg Defends JFK's Legacy in the 'New York Times'". The Atlantic. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  23. ^ Crowley, Candy; Schlossberg, Jack (September 6, 2012). "Caroline Kennedy and her son, talk with CNN's Candy Crowley". CNN. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  24. ^ Bhat, Devika (January 2, 2014). "Kennedy grandson joins the political house that Jack built". The Times. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  25. ^ Schlossberg, Jack; Obama, Barack. "Barack Obama Interview with Jack Schlossberg at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, Massachusetts". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  26. ^ Jureidini, Ben (July 11, 2024). "A modern-day poster boy for the greatest of American dynasties: Can Kennedy heir Jack Schlossberg reignite America's election cycle?". Tatler. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  27. ^ Bakilla, Blake (November 16, 2015). "JFK's Grandson Jack Schlossberg Endorses Hillary Clinton: 'She Is Our Candidate'". Yahoo Entertainment. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  28. ^ "FLOTUS ASIA 0006". The White House. April 2015. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  29. ^ Squires, Nick (August 3, 2023). "John F Kennedy's daughter and grandson recreate his heroic swim". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  30. ^ "Award Committee". Harvard Institute of Politics. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  31. ^ "John F. Kennedy New Frontier Awards". John F. Kennedy Library. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  32. ^ a b Gurley, Alex (November 8, 2023). "Caroline Kennedy's 3 Children: All About Rose, Tatiana and Jack". People. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  33. ^ McNeil, Liz (May 7, 2014). "Lauren Bush Lauren Raves About Jack Kennedy Schlossberg". People. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
  34. ^ Storey, Kate (August 18, 2020). "Why Jack Schlossberg, President John F. Kennedy's Only Grandson, is Speaking at the 2020 DNC". Esquire. Archived from the original on October 5, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  35. ^ Epstein, Reid J. (July 21, 2023). "J.F.K.'s Grandson Calls Robert Kennedy's Campaign 'an Embarrassment'". The New York Times. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  36. ^ Jaclyn, Diaz (August 20, 2024). "WATCH: Jack Schlossberg, grandson of President John F. Kennedy, addresses the DNC". NPR. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  37. ^ Gardner, Chris (September 12, 2024). "Climate Power's "Too Hot Not to Vote" Campaign". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
  38. ^ D'Addario, Daniel (July 5, 2023). "The Kennedy Family's Strange 2023 Has Echoes of Classic Camelot". Variety. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  39. ^ Crowley, Candy (September 7, 2012). "JFK grandson's first TV interview". CNN. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  40. ^ Petrarca, Emilia (May 3, 2017). "Jack Schlossberg, Caroline Kennedy's Son, Was His Mom's Date to the Met Gala on Monday". W Magazine. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  41. ^ Goldstein, Meredith (September 6, 2017). "Vanity Fair names John F. Kennedy's grandson Jack Schlossberg to its best-dressed list for 2017". The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  42. ^ Haas, Mariah (May 12, 2018). "John F. Kennedy's Only Grandson, Jack Schlossberg, Makes His Acting Debut on Blue Bloods". People. Archived from the original on August 2, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  43. ^ Schlossberg, Jack (August 20, 2024). "You Don't Know Jack!". Town & Country. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  44. ^ Goldstone, Violet (September 25, 2024). "Kennedy Grandson Jack Schlossberg 'Recommends' Being a Kennedy, Talks Nancy Pelosi's Prom Dress and Voting on 'Jimmy Kimmel'". WWD. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  45. ^ Moran, Sharir. "Meet JFK's Grandson Jack Schlossberg, the Democrats' New Hope". Haaretz.
  46. ^ Shanahan, Mark. "Is this the new face of the Kennedy clan?". The Boston Globe. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  47. ^ Jackson, Hannah (May 9, 2024). "JFK's Grandson, Jack Schlossberg, Is Memeing for Democracy". Vogue. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  48. ^ "'It's a Jack-Off!': Schlossberg Lookalike Contest Names New 'People's Princess'". POLITICO. November 24, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  49. ^ Schlossberg, Jack (August 8, 2017). "Jack Schlossberg Completes Crazy Trip Around Manhattan for Charity". The Cut. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  50. ^ Pennington, Juliet. "JFK's Grandson Jack Schlossberg Talks Climate Change and Why He's the Rock's 'Greatest Fan'". People. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
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