Ethel Skakel Kennedy’s 1949 yearbook photo from Manhattanville
As viewers tune in to the FX limited series Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, a new wave of “Kennedy-mania” is sweeping the cultural landscape. Long before the series’ focus on the tragic romance of JFK Jr., the foundation of the Kennedy family’s most enduring partnerships was being built on the campus of Manhattanville University.
While the television series focuses on JFK Jr. and the glare of the 1990s spotlight, the Kennedy family has deep roots in Manhattanville. It was there that a young Ethel Skakel Kennedy met Robert F. Kennedy — introduced by her classmate and his sister, Jean Kennedy Smith.
The connection between the Kennedy family and Manhattanville is not merely a footnote; it is a decades-long relationship.
“Ethel Kennedy’s story is part of Manhattanville’s story,” said President Frank Sánchez, Ph.D. “Her time here reflects the power of a liberal arts education to cultivate intellectual confidence, moral courage, and a lifelong commitment to service. Those values remain central to Manhattanville today as we prepare the next generation of socially responsible leaders dedicated to the common good.”
The university boasts an alumni list that reads like a “who’s who” of American public service:
Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy (Class of 1910)
The Kennedy family matriarch attended the Academy of the Sacred Heart.
Jean Kennedy Smith & Ethel Skakel Kennedy (Class of 1949)
The classmates whose friendship sparked the RFK-Ethel union.
Joan Bennett Kennedy (Class of 1958)
Former wife of Senator Ted Kennedy.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver
Attended Manhattanville from 1939–1941 before transferring to Stanford University, where she graduated in 1943.
Maria Shriver
Attended Manhattanville before transferring to Georgetown University, where she graduated in 1977.
Honorary doctorates from Manhattanville include Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy (1953), Eunice Kennedy Shriver (1963), Senator Ted Kennedy (1970 — who delivered the commencement address), Joan Bennett Kennedy (1984 — who delivered the commencement address), Maria Shriver (1992 — who delivered the commencement address), and Ethel Skakel Kennedy (2021 — whose daughter Kerry Kennedy delivered the commencement address on her behalf).
The Manhattanville campus even bears the family’s mark; in 1957, the Kennedys funded the university’s gymnasium, and in 1975, Eunice Kennedy Shriver chose the campus grounds to host the Special Olympics.
Continuing a Legacy of Social Justice
Manhattanville is not just looking toward the past. The university continues to translate the Kennedy family’s commitment to public service into modern action.
In 2021, the university established the Ethel Kennedy Award for Human Rights Leadership to honor her lifelong dedication to social justice.
The bond remains active through the Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center, which will co-host the upcoming Young Women’s Leadership Summit (YWLS) on campus on April 27. The YWLS was recently developed in partnership with Kerry Kennedy and President Sanchez in 2024. .
As Love Story concludes its run this spring, the real narrative continues at Manhattanville — a story not just of romance, but of a lasting commitment to leadership, public service, and human rights.
