Political involvement Kennedy (known as Jean Kennedy Smith following her 1956 marriage to
Stephen Edward Smith) was intricately involved with the political career of her older brother John. She worked on his
1946 congressional campaign in
Boston, his
1952 U.S. Senate campaign in Massachusetts, and, ultimately, his
presidential campaign in 1960. She and her siblings helped John knock on doors in primary states such as
West Virginia and
Wisconsin, and on the campaign trail played the role of sister more than volunteer, citing her parents' family lesson of "working together for something".
Very Special Arts In 1974, Smith founded
Very Special Arts, now known as the Department of VSA and Accessibility at the
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. VSA provides arts and education programming for youth and adults with disabilities. As of 2011, VSA's programs reportedly served "some 276,000 students in 43 states and 52 countries". Smith traveled extensively throughout the world on behalf of VSA to advocate for greater inclusion in the arts for people with disabilities. Her book,
Chronicles of Courage: Very Special Artists, co-written with
George Plimpton, was published by
Random House in April 1993.
U.S. Ambassador to Ireland In 1993, President
Bill Clinton appointed Smith the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland. The appointment continued a legacy of diplomacy begun by Smith's father, Joseph Kennedy, who was the
United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom during the
administration of U.S. President
Franklin D. Roosevelt. As ambassador, Smith played a significant role in the
Northern Ireland peace process. In January 1994, President Clinton granted a U.S. visa to
Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams. Smith played a major part in persuading Clinton to take this action, and she was criticized for her stance. Adams later stated that his 1994 trip to the United States--made possible by the visa--was a key step in the Northern Ireland peace process that led to the Irish Republican Army ceasefire in August 1994. In March 1996, Smith was reprimanded by U.S. Secretary of State
Warren Christopher for retaliating against two
Foreign Service Officers at the
Embassy of the United States in Dublin who had objected to her recommendation to the U.S. government to grant Adams the visa and had sent in a "
Dissent Channel" message. The
Foreign Service Journal called the
U.S. State Department's report on the matter "scathingly critical". Smith's management of the embassy came under criticism by the
Boston Herald in December 1996, when she reportedly pressured embassy staff to spend taxpayer money to refurbish her residence in Dublin. Smith was also alleged to have violated U.S.
conflict-of-interest laws. The
United States Department of Justice issued a press release on September 22, 2000, announcing that she had paid $5,000 in a civil settlement to resolve the allegations. As a demonstration of her
ecumenical views, on at least one occasion, Smith--a Roman Catholic--received
communion in a cathedral of the
Church of Ireland, an
autonomous province of the
Anglican Communion.
President of Ireland Mary McAleese conferred
honorary Irish citizenship on Smith in 1998, in recognition of her service to the country. ==Awards and later work==