Marian Cannon Schlesinger
Marian Cannon Schlesinger | |
|---|---|
Schlesinger, c. 1930 | |
| Born | Marian Cannon September 13, 1912 |
| Died | October 14, 2017 (aged 105) |
| Alma mater | Radcliffe College |
| Occupations | Artist, author |
| Spouse | Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. (1940–1970; divorced) |
| Children | 4, including Christiana and Stephen |
| Parents |
|
Marian Cannon Schlesinger (born Marian Cannon; September 13, 1912 – October 14, 2017) was an American artist and author. From 1940 to 1970, she was the wife of historian Arthur M. Shlesinger Jr., during which she was among John F. Kennedy's circle.
Biography
Schlesinger was born on September 13, 1912, in Franklin, New Hampshire, to physiologist Walter Bradford Cannon and feminist author Cornelia James Cannon. Her siblings included surgeon Bradford Cannon and art historian Wilma Cannon Fairbank. Raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, she graduated from Radcliffe College in 1934. She travelled from an early age, including three months in Europe at age 17, and living in China for a year alongside her sister Wilma following her graduation from college.[1]
In 1940, Schlesinger married historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., who she had met at her parents' house during college. They had four children together, including Christina and Stephen Schlesinger. Through her husband, she met John F. Kennedy, who she endorsed. They divorced in 1970, after which Arthur remarried in 1971, and Schlesinger never remarried.[1]
Following their divorce, Schlesinger returned to Cambridge, where she worked as an author and painter. She published two volumes of her memoir, Snatched from Oblivion: A Cambridge Memoir and I Remember: A Life of Politics, Painting and People, as well as five children's books, which she also illustrated.[2] She painted landscapes and portraits, and spent time in China, where she visited her sister and studied art.[3]
The New York Times described Schlesinger as having been "raised in an opinionated family". She did not consider herself a feminist, despite her mother being one. She was still independent, with Robert F. Kennedy once asking Arthur if he was in control of his wife. She did, however, inherit her mother's ethnic hatred; she said Irish people were "too attractive for defeat", though still supported Kennedy, who was of Irish descent.[4]
Schlesinger died on October 14, 2017, aged 105, in Cambridge.[4][5][6]
Works
- San Bao and his Adventures in Peking, 1939; 2d. edition Cambridge MA: Gale Hill Books, 1998.
- Children of the Fiery Mountain, New York: E.P. Dutton and Company, 1940.
- Snatched From Oblivion: A Cambridge Memoir, Boston: Little Brown and Company, 1979.
- I Remember: A Life of Politics, Painting and People, Cambridge MA: TidePool Press, 2012.
References
- ^ a b Roberts, Sam (17 October 2017). "Marian Cannon Schlesinger, Author and Eyewitness to History, Dies at 105". The New York Times. Retrieved 2026-01-11.
- ^ Legg, Heidi (2013-11-19). "A Centenarian's Advice to Young Women: Figure Out What You Want". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2026-01-11.
- ^ "Honoring Marian Cannon Schlesinger On Her 100th Birthday". Archived from the original on 2015-07-02. Retrieved 2015-04-14.
- ^ a b Roberts, Sam (17 October 2017). "Marian Cannon Schlesinger, Author and Eyewitness to History, Dies at 105". The New York Times.
- ^ "费正清夫人妹妹玛丽安105岁去世，曾写《三宝北平奇遇记》_逝者_澎湃新闻-The Paper". m.thepaper.cn. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
- ^ "Marian Cannon Schlesinger, artist and memoirist of Washington, Harvard and beyond, dies at 105". The Washington Post. 2017-10-16. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-01-11.
External links
- "Marian Cannon Schlesinger Remembers", radcliffe.harvard.edu; accessed December 9, 2016.