Origins & Early Life

Barbara Cushing Mortimer Paley (July 5, 1915 – July 6, 1978) was an American magazine editor and socialite. Affectionately known as Babe throughout her life, Paley made notable contributions to the field of magazine editing. In recognition of her distinctive fashion sense, she was inducted into the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1958. Together with her two sisters, Minnie and Betsey, she was a popular debutante in her youth and the trio were dubbed "The Fabulous Cushing Sisters" in high society.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

She was married twice; first, to the sportsman Stanley G. Mortimer Jr. and second, to CBS founder William S. Paley. Barbara Cushing Mortimer Paley, born Barbara Cushing in Boston, Massachusetts, was the daughter of renowned brain surgeon Harvey Cushing, who belonged to a prominent Cleveland medical family and held professorships at Johns Hopkins, Harvard, and Yale, and Katharine Stone (née Crowell), a granddaughter of Ohio congressman John Crowell.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

She spent her formative years in Brookline, Massachusetts. Summers were spent at the family cottage, Little Boar’s Head, on the coast of New Hampshire. Barbara's father was committed to his career and would spend...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• 1915 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1915
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• 1978 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1978
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