Who

The sole survivor of the Camelot White House, Caroline Kennedy is a writer, philanthropist, and keeper of the Kennedy flame.

Backstory

Caroline Bouvier Kennedy was just six when her father, President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated. She later moved with her mother Jackie to a penthouse at 1040 Fifth Avenue, and spent her teenage years at Concord Academy before attending Harvard, where she studied fine arts. Caroline largely managed to avoid the limelight during her younger years: She dabbled in journalism for a spell (she interned at the Daily News in the late 1970s, and covered Elvis Presley's funeral for Rolling Stone), later turning her attention to the arts. From 1980 to '85, she worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (which is where she met her husband), then took time out at the end of the decade to attend law school at Columbia and raise a family. For the past decade or so—and particularly since the death of her mom in 1994—Caroline has been increasingly active in the public sector, writing/editing books and working with a number of philanthropic organizations.

Of note

Though she'll no doubt be followed by the media's magnifying glass for the rest of her days, Caroline has generally shunned public attention; even when she's been engaged in civic efforts in recent years, she's been quick to downplay her own role. In 2002, Michael Bloomberg and Joel Klein tapped her to raise money for the public school system and she raked in $65 million before stepping down in 2004. She's also been active with the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and American Ballet Theater (where she sits on the board), and continues to preside over the Profile in Courage award which is given to public officials who show "politically courageous leadership." She's published a handful of books over the years, too. In addition to a collection of her mother's favorite poems, she co-authored two books about civil liberties with Ellen Alderman, In Our Defense: The Bill of Rights In Action (1990) and The Right to Privacy (1995).

In a rare foray into the center of the spotlight, Kennedy took to the campaign trail in 2008 to stump for Barack Obama along with uncle Ted Kennedy. Just don't expect to see Caroline's own name on ballots anytime soon. Although it's long been suggested she might run for office one day, members of her inner circle have said that's unlikely given her private nature.

Personal

Kennedy married interactive media/exhibit designer Edwin Schlossberg in 1986. (The Profiles in Courage Award trophy—based on a ship's lantern—was designed by him.) They have three children—Rose, Tatiana, and John—and live on the Upper East Side. The family sold their two-story weekend home in Sagaponack in March 2006 for $5.75 million.

For the record

Although she's frequently referred to as Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, she never legally adopted her husband's name.

---