Barbara Cushing

Barbara Cushing Mortimer Paley (July 5, 1915 – July 6, 1978) was an American magazine editor and socialite. Her second husband William S. Paley was the founder of CBS. Affectionately known as "Babe" throughout her life, Paley made notable contributions in 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. Early life Barbara Cushing Mortimer Paley, born Barbara Cushing in Boston, Massachusetts, was the daughter of renowned brain surgeon Harvey Cushing, who held professorships at Johns Hopkins, Harvard, and Yale, and Katharine Stone (née Crowell). She spent her formative years in Brookline, Massachusetts. Barbara had two older sisters, Mary and Betsey, who both entered into unions with affluent families: Mary Cushing became the second wife of Vincent Astor, while Betsey Cushing married James Roosevelt, the son of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and later John Hay Whitney. Together, the Cushing sisters were often referred to by the public as 'The Fabulous Cushing Sisters'. Barbara attended the Westover School in Middlebury, Connecticut, where she pursued her education. In October 1934, she made her debut as a debutante in Boston, an event that garnered attention amid the challenges of the Great Depression. Notably, sons of Roosevelt attended her debut. This marked the beginning of her social journey. She completed her high school education at Winsor School in Boston in 1934. Career In 1938, Paley embarked on her career as a fashion editor at Vogue in New York City. This role granted her access to designer clothing, often obtained in exchange for her high-profile image. In 1941, Time magazine ranked her the world's second-best dressed woman, following Wallis Simpson and preceding Aimée de Heeren. She was also named on the best-dressed lists of 1945 and 1946.