Pam Shriver is a former professional tennis player who won 21 singles titles and 112 doubles titles in her career. She is also a fourth cousin of Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. How did this connection come about? Here is a brief overview of Pam Shriver’s family tree and how it links to the famous Kennedy clan.
The Irish Connection
Pam Shriver’s paternal great-great-grandfather was Patrick Kennedy, who was born in Ireland in 1823. He immigrated to Boston, Massachusetts in the early 1850s and eventually settled in East Boston. His son, P.J. Kennedy (Patrick Joseph Kennedy), became a successful politician and served as Mayor of Boston from 1885-1888. P.J. Kennedy married Mary Augusta Hickey, whose parents were also Irish immigrants.
P.J. and Mary had four children, one of whom was Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., the father of President John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, and five other siblings. Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. married Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald, the daughter of another prominent Boston politician, John F. Fitzgerald.
P.J. and Mary also had a daughter named Margaret Louise Kennedy, who married Charles Joseph Burke, a lawyer and businessman. Margaret and Charles had four children, one of whom was Mary Loretta Burke, who married Thomas Francis Shriver Jr., an insurance executive.
Mary Loretta and Thomas had three children, one of whom was Thomas Francis Shriver III, who married Frances Anne Hughes, a teacher and homemaker. Thomas and Frances had four children, one of whom was Pamela Howard Shriver, who was born on July 4, 1962 in Baltimore, Maryland.
The Tennis Career
Pam Shriver showed an early talent for tennis and started playing competitively at the age of nine. She turned professional in 1979 at the age of 16 and reached the final of the US Open that same year, losing to Chris Evert. She also reached the semifinals of three other Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open in 1981, 1982, and 1983; Wimbledon in 1981, 1987, and 1988; and the French Open in 1983.
Shriver’s greatest success came in doubles, where she formed a legendary partnership with Martina Navratilova. The duo won 79 titles together, including 21 Grand Slam titles and a calendar year Grand Slam in 1984. They also won the Olympic gold medal in women’s doubles at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Shriver retired from professional tennis in 1997 and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2002. She is currently a tennis broadcaster, pundit, and coach.
The Kennedy Connection
Pam Shriver is related to the Kennedys through her paternal grandmother’s side. She is a fourth cousin of Caroline Kennedy, who is the only surviving child of President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
Caroline Kennedy was born on November 27, 1957 in New York City. She is a lawyer, author, diplomat, and activist. She served as the United States Ambassador to Japan from 2013 to 2017. She is married to Edwin Schlossberg, an interactive media designer, and has three children: Rose, Tatiana, and Jack.
Pam Shriver and Caroline Kennedy share a common ancestor in Patrick Kennedy, who was their great-great-great-grandfather. Patrick Kennedy had four children: Mary L., Joanna L., John III, and P.J.
Mary L. Kennedy married James Cox Jr., a merchant tailor. They had no children.
Joanna L. Kennedy married John Francis Fitzgerald Jr., a physician and politician. They had two children: Rosemary Fitzgerald (who married William J.F.Kennedy) and John Francis Fitzgerald III (who married Helen O’Donnell).
John III Kennedy died as an infant.
P.J. Kennedy married Mary Augusta Hickey. They had four children: Joseph P., Francis B., Mary Loretta (who married George W.Connelly), and Margaret Louise (who married Charles J.Burke).
Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. married Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald (the daughter of John F.Fitzgerald Jr.). They had nine children: Joseph P.Jr., John F., Rose Marie (who never married), Kathleen (who married William Cavendish), Eunice (who married Sargent Shriver), Patricia (who married Peter Lawford), Robert F., Jean (who married Stephen Smith), and Edward M.
Francis B.Kennedy died as an infant.
Mary Loretta Connelly married Edward Moore Sr., a banker and politician. They had two children: Edward Moore Jr.(who married Katherine Gilloon) and Mary Augusta Moore (who married Henry Lee).
Margaret Louise Burke married Charles Joseph Burke, a lawyer and businessman. They had four children: Charles Joseph Jr.(who married Mary Agnes O’Leary), Mary Loretta (who married Thomas F.Shriver Jr.), Margaret Mary (who married John J.Daly), and George William (who married Mary Louise O’Connell).
Charles Joseph Burke Jr. had no children.
Mary Loretta Shriver married Thomas Francis Shriver Jr., an insurance executive. They had three children: Thomas Francis III (who married Frances Anne Hughes), Mark Kennedy (who married Jeannie Eileen Ripp), and Robert Sargent (who married Malissa Feruzzi).
Thomas Francis Shriver III married Frances Anne Hughes, a teacher and homemaker. They had four children: Pamela Howard (who never married), Thomas Francis IV (who married Karen Lutz), Marion Elizabeth (who married James Robert Husted), and William Patrick (who married Stephanie Ann Watkins).
Mark Kennedy Shriver married Jeannie Eileen Ripp, a social worker. They had three children: Molly Elizabeth, Emma Rose, and Tommy.
Robert Sargent Shriver married Malissa Feruzzi, a graphic designer. They had two children: Samuel Kennedy and Kathleen Hughes.
Margaret Mary Daly married John Joseph Daly, a lawyer and politician. They had four children: John Joseph Jr.(who married Patricia Ann O’Brien), Margaret Louise (who married James Francis Kenney), Mary Loretta (who married William Francis Ryan), and Charles Joseph (who married Mary Catherine O’Donnell).
John Joseph Daly Jr. had no children.
Margaret Louise Kenney had no children.
Mary Loretta Ryan had no children.
Charles Joseph Daly married Mary Catherine O’Donnell, a nurse. They had two children: Charles Joseph Jr.(who married Kathleen Marie O’Connor) and Mary Catherine (who married John Patrick McGowan).
Charles Joseph Daly Jr. had no children.
Mary Catherine McGowan had no children.
George William Burke married Mary Louise O’Connell, a teacher. They had two children: George William Jr.(who married Patricia Ann Murphy) and Mary Louise (who never married).
George William Burke Jr. had no children.
Mary Louise Burke had no children.
Conclusion
Pam Shriver is a fourth cousin of Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. They are both descendants of Patrick Kennedy, who was born in Ireland in 1823 and immigrated to Boston, Massachusetts in the early 1850s. Pam Shriver is also a former professional tennis player who won 21 singles titles and 112 doubles titles in her career, including 21 Grand Slam titles with Martina Navratilova and an Olympic gold medal in 1988. She is currently a tennis broadcaster, pundit, and coach.
