John F. Fitzgerald

For the American author John Fitzgerald, see John D. Fitzgerald. For the footballer, see John Fitzgerald.

John Francis "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald (February 11, 1863–October 2, 1950) was a politician and the grandfather of President John F. Kennedy.

Fitzgerald was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Irish immigrants. He was educated at Boston Latin School before attending Boston College. He enrolled at Harvard Medical School for one year, but withdrew following the death of his father in 1881. He became a banker in Boston and was active in the local Democratic Party. In 1892 he became a member of the Massachusetts Senate and would later be elected to Congress. In 1906 Fitzgerald was elected mayor of Boston, becoming the first Irish-Catholic to hold the office. He was the most prominent political figure in the city of Boston along with Patrick J. Kennedy.

In 1914 these two powerful political families (Kennedy and Fitzgerald) were united when Patrick Kennedy's son Joe married Fitzgerald's daughter Rose.

Fitzgerald was an unsuccessful candidate for the Senate in 1916 and Governor of Massachusetts in 1922.