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Women Who Run the World: Jackie Kennedy Onassis

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at American chapter.

As most of you are aware, March is Women’s History Month (yay!). In honor of this glorious month, let’s take a minute to talk about one iconic woman: Jackie Kennedy Onassis, also known as Jackie O. Besides being married to JFK (swoon), there are plenty of reasons to look up to Jackie as she is a fantasitc woman and role model.

Background

Jacqueline Bouvier (also known as “Jackie”) was highly educated and cultured, starting at a young age. She went to Holton-Arms in Bethesda, and even studied abroad in Paris while enrolled at Vassar College. 

Her passion for the arts

Jackie was dedicated to the arts and was known for preserving historic buildings, both in New York and D.C. One of her greatest accomplishments was restoring the White House, decorating and collecting to make the White House “a living museum to history”. Her appreciation of culture affected her time in the White House, where she mixed writers, dancers, and artists with dignitaries and senators. She also held parties and hosted multiple performances.

She’s a working gal

At 23, she was working as a photographer for a newspaper in D.C., which happens to be how she met John F. Kennedy. For the last 20 years of her life, she worked in publishing as a book editor in New York. And in between that time, she was a wife, mother, and of course, FLOTUS!

Style Icon

Jackie’s style and elegance is still iconic to this day. She started trends copied by women all across America, from clothing to hairstyles, some of which even continue today (they’re called Jackie O. sunglasses for a reason). Her outfits always exuded grace and elegance, with a personal style that was all her own. 

No matter where she was in life, whether out with her children or stoicly mourning her husband with the nation, Jackie showed class, elegance, and perserverance in the face of adversity. Here’s to you, Jackie O.

 

Photo Credits:

www.vogue.com

www.wikipedia.com

www.popsugar.au

Monica is a freshman at American University and is studying for a B.A. in Journalism, and is still deciding what else she wants to do with her life. She's super excited to be a member of Her Campus American and experience college life. Right now her favorite things to do include exploring DC, dancing, reading fashion magazines and binge-watching television shows.