John F. Fitzgerald

For the American author John Fitzgerald, see John D. Fitzgerald. For others, 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. He enrolled at Harvard Medical School for one year, but withdrew following the death of his father in 1881. He became a clerk at the Customs House in Boston and was active in the local Democratic Party. In 1892 he became a member of the Massachusetts Senate and in 1894 he would be elected to Congress for the 9th district, serving from 1895 to 1901. In 1906 Fitzgerald was elected Mayor of Boston, becoming the first Irish-Catholic to be elected to that office. Fitzgerald served as mayor of Boston from 1906 to 1907 and again from 1910 to 1914.

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.

From 1919 to 1921 he again served as a Congressman, now for the 10th district. Fitzgerald was an unsuccessful candidate for the offices of Senate in 1916 and Governor in 1922.