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Rosemary Kennedy
Lobotomy Victim
Daughter of Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. who was subjected to a lobotomy at age 23 by Walter Freeman without her knowledge or consent, leaving her permanently incapacitated for the remaining 63 years of her life
Overview
Rose Marie "Rosemary" Kennedy (1918-2005) was the eldest daughter of Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, and the sister of President John F. Kennedy, Senators Robert F. Kennedy and Ted Kennedy, and Eunice Kennedy Shriver. In November 1941, when Rosemary was 23 years old, her father arranged for Walter Freeman and James Watts to perform a prefrontal lobotomy on her without the knowledge or consent of her mother. Joseph Kennedy authorized the procedure because Rosemary had been exhibiting mood swings and what he perceived as rebellious behavior, and he feared her behavior might embarrass the family political ambitions. The procedure was catastrophic: Rosemary was left permanently incapacitated, unable to speak intelligibly, incontinent, and reduced to the mental capacity of an infant. She was immediately institutionalized at St. Coletta in Jefferson, Wisconsin, where she lived for the remaining 63 years of her life. Her father did not visit her, and her mother was not told her whereabouts for 20 years. The family concealed what had happened, publicly claiming Rosemary was "mentally retarded" from birth. Her story was not widely known until the 1980s and became a powerful indictment of both the lobotomy practice and the willingness of powerful families to destroy their own members to protect their public image. Her sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver later founded the Special Olympics in part inspired by Rosemary experience.
Key Affiliations
Controversies & Concerns
Subjected to a prefrontal lobotomy at age 23 by Walter Freeman and James Watts at the direction of her father without her knowledge, consent, or her mother knowledge
The lobotomy left her permanently incapacitated: unable to speak intelligibly, incontinent, and reduced to infant-level mental capacity
Institutionalized at St. Coletta in Jefferson, Wisconsin for 63 years; her father never visited and her mother was not told her location for 20 years
The Kennedy family concealed the lobotomy for decades, publicly claiming Rosemary had been mentally disabled from birth
Her father ordered the procedure because he feared her mood swings and perceived rebelliousness would embarrass the family political career
Her case became one of the most cited examples of the barbaric nature of the lobotomy era and the abuse of medical authority over women
Related Investigations (1)
Known Associates & Connections
Walter Freeman
The physician who performed the lobotomy that destroyed her cognitive function at age 23
Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.
Father who authorized the lobotomy without her or her mother knowledge or consent to protect the family political image
Eunice Kennedy Shriver
Sister who founded the Special Olympics partly inspired by Rosemary experiences with disability
Sources & Documentation
2 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports
Larson, K. - Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter (Houghton Mifflin)(2015)
National Public Radio: The Tragic Story of Rosemary Kennedy(2015)
Personal Information
- Born
- 1918-09-13
- Birthplace
- Brookline, Massachusetts
Education
- •Various private schools and tutoring programs
Key Timeline
1918-09-13
Born in Brookline, Massachusetts, the third child of Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy
1941-11
Walter Freeman and James Watts perform a prefrontal lobotomy at her father direction; the procedure is catastrophic and leaves her permanently incapacitated
1941-12
Institutionalized at St. Coletta in Jefferson, Wisconsin; her mother is not informed of what happened or where she is
1961
Her mother Rose Kennedy finally learns the truth about the lobotomy and Rosemary location, 20 years after the procedure
1962
Her sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver begins the effort that will lead to the Special Olympics, partly inspired by Rosemary experience
1987
The full story of her lobotomy becomes public through biographical accounts of the Kennedy family
2005-01-07
Dies at age 86 at St. Coletta, having spent 63 years institutionalized after the lobotomy