Laura Barney Harding

Laura Barney Harding (June 2, 1902 – August 9, 1994) was an American socialite and philanthropist. She became a close friend of Katharine Hepburn in the late 1920s when they were both aspiring actresses; the two travelled together to California to seek work in films, and shared a house in Franklin Canyon Park, near Hollywood. Early life Laura Barney Harding was born on June 2, 1902, to James Horace Harding and Dorothea Barney in the family home at 1816 South Rittenhouse Square, and grew up in a townhouse on Fifth Avenue, New York City. Her mother was Jay Cooke's granddaughter and Charles D. Barney's daughter. Both of her brothers, Charles Barney Harding and William Barclay Harding, served as chairman of the family firm Smith, Barney & Co. She debuted into society aged 18 in 1920 at the Plaza Hotel, accompanied by Wilmarth Sheldon Lewis. Harding was invited to a dance hosted by Anne Harriman Vanderbilt in 1921, confirming her position among American high society. Harding's sister, Cammie, married polo player Lorillard Suffern Tailer. Harding attended Miss Porter's School but did not go to college. In 1967, Monmouth College awarded Harding with an honorary degree of doctor in humane letters.