Nancy Ludlow Tuckerman (October 24, 1928 – August 1, 2018) was the

White House Social Secretary The White House social secretary is responsible for the planning, coordination and execution of official social events at the White House, the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Function The social s ...

during the

Kennedy administration John F. Kennedy's tenure as the 35th president of the United States, began with his inauguration on January 20, 1961, and ended with his assassination on November 22, 1963. A Democrat from Massachusetts, he took office following the 1960 ...

. After the

Kennedy assassination John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was assassinated on Friday, November 22, 1963, at 12:30 p.m. CST in Dallas, Texas, while riding in a presidential motorcade through Dealey Plaza. Kennedy was in the vehicle with ...

, she remained the personal secretary to Jackie Kennedy until the latter's death in 1994.

Early life

Tuckerman (nicknamed "Tucky") was the daughter of Betty ( née Thompson; 1901-1977) and Roger Tuckerman (1898-1967). She grew up in

Southampton, New York Southampton, officially the Town of Southampton, is a town in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, partly on the South Fork of Long Island. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the town had a population of 69,036. Southampton is included in the stret ...

and

Farmington, Connecticut Farmington is a town in Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The population was 26,712 at the 2020 census. It sits 10 miles west of Hartford at the hub of major I-84 interchanges, 20 miles ...

. Her father was a successful Manhattan stockbroker. Her aunt (her father's sister) was the decorator

Dorothy Draper Dorothy Draper (November 22, 1889 – March 11, 1969) was an American interior decorator. Stylistically very minimalism, anti-minimalist, she would use bright, exuberant colors and large prints that would encompass whole walls. She incorporated b ...

. She had a sister, Cynthia Tuckerman Gay (died 2014) and a brother, Roger Tuckerman. Her nephew John Gay Jr., married Deborah Hearst, of the Hearst family. Her brother Roger was married to Caryn Ryan, daughter of businessman Clendenin J. Ryan. She was also related to Walter Tuckerman. Her great-great-great grandfather was

Oliver Wolcott Oliver Wolcott Sr. (November 20, 1726 December 1, 1797) was an American Founding Father and politician. He was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation as a representative of Connecticut, and t ...

, the 19th

Governor of Connecticut The governor of Connecticut is the head of government of Connecticut, and the commander-in-chief of the U.S. state, state's Connecticut Military Department, military forces. The Governor (United States), governor has a duty to enforce state laws, ...

. Jackie Bouvier and Tuckerman met as 8 or 9 year olds at the Chapin School in New York City. Their families spent summers together on Long Island. They later were roommates at Miss Porter's Boarding School in Connecticut before becoming

debutantes A debutante, also spelled débutante, ( ; from french: débutante , "female beginner") or deb is a young woman of aristocratic or upper-class family background who has reached maturity and, as a new adult, is presented to society at a formal ...

. Tuckerman was a bridesmaid at the wedding of Bouvier and John F. Kennedy in 1953.

Career

Tuckerman started her own travel business before being asked by Jackie Kennedy to work for her in the White House after her husband was elected president. In 1963, Jackie Kennedy threw a surprise 35th birthday party for Tuckerman at the White House. When John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Tuckerman was responsible for responding to the thousands of letters that poured into the White House as condolences for Jackie Kennedy. These letters are now collectors items and are signed by Tuckerman. After leaving the White House, she remained the personal secretary to Jackie Kennedy until the latter's death in 1994. Tuckerman's personal papers reflecting her time in the White House were released in 2015 and are known as the ''Nancy Tuckerman Files'' within the ''Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis Personal Papers'' . In 1994, Tuckerman was left 250,000 U.S. dollars in Jackie Kennedy's last will and testament. In the 1970s, Tuckerman worked in public relations for Olympic Airways, which was owned by Aristotle Onassis; in that role, she helped develop the first New York City Marathon. She also co-authored a revised edition of ''Amy Vanderbilt’s Complete Book of Etiquette'' in 1995. A private person, she apparently never gave an interview or wrote a book about her relationship with Jackie Kennedy Onassis. She spoke with author William Kuhn in preparation for his book, ''Reading Jackie''. She lived her retirement in

Salisbury, Connecticut Salisbury () is a town situated in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The town is the northwesternmost in the state of Connecticut; the Massachusetts-New York-Connecticut tri-state marker is located at the northwest corner of the town ...

. In the 2016 biographical film '' Jackie'', Tuckerman is portrayed by actress

Greta Gerwig Greta Celeste Gerwig (; born August 4, 1983) is an American actress, screenwriter, and director. She first garnered attention after working on and appearing in several mumblecore films. Between 2006 and 2009, she appeared in a number of films ...

Death

Tuckerman died on August 1, 2018, of

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of progressive lung disease characterized by long-term respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. The main symptoms include shortness of breath and a cough, which may or may not produce ...

, at an assisted-living center in

. She was 89.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tuckerman, Nancy 1928 births 2018 deaths People from Manhattan Miss Porter's School alumni Kennedy administration personnel Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis American book publishers (people) Respiratory disease deaths in Connecticut Deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease