William S. Paley
William Samuel Paley (September 28, 1901 – October 26, 1990)[1] was an American businessman, primarily involved in the media, and best known as the chief executive who built the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) from a small radio network into one of the foremost radio and television network operations in the United States.[2] He was awarded the Carlos Manuel de Cespedes National Order of Merit by the Cuban government in recognition of his efforts to foster greater understanding between the peoples of Cuba and the United States of America.[3]
This article is about the broadcasting executive. For the philosopher, see William Paley. For the filmmaker, see William C. Paley.
William S. Paley
October 26, 1990 (aged 89)
Memorial Cemetery of Saint John's Church
Television executive
President of CBS
4
Carlos Manuel de Cespedes National Order of Merit of Cuba
Early life[edit]
Paley was born in 1901 in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Goldie (née Drell) and Samuel Paley. His family was Jewish, and his father was an immigrant from Ukraine who ran a cigar company. As the company became increasingly successful, Samuel Paley became a millionaire, and moved his family to Philadelphia in the early 1920s.[4]
William Paley matriculated at Western Military Academy in Alton, Illinois but later transferred to, and recorded his degree from, the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a member of the Theta chapter of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity. He was expecting to take an increasingly active role running the family cigar business upon graduation.[4]
In 1927, Samuel Paley, Leon Levy (who was married to Paley's sister, Blanche[5]), and some business partners bought a struggling Philadelphia-based radio network of 16 stations called the Columbia Phonographic Broadcasting System.[6] Samuel Paley's intention was to use his acquisition as an advertising medium for promoting the family's cigar business, which included the La Palina brand. Within a year, under William's leadership, cigar sales had more than doubled, and, in 1928, the Paley family secured majority ownership of the network from their partners. Within a decade, William S. Paley had expanded the network to 114 affiliate stations.
Art Collection[edit]
Paley acquired an important art collection with around forty works, many of which are today in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Paley's collection included works by Cezanne, Matisse, Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec, Degas, Derain, Bonnard, Gauguin, Rouault, and other modern masters.[17] He acquired Picasso's Boy Leading a Horse in 1936 and donated it to the MoMA in 1964[18] however its Nazi-era provenance turned out to be problematic and resulted in a claim for restitution filed by the heirs of Paul von Mendelssohn-Bartholdy who said it had been sold under duress. The lawsuit, known as Schoeps v. The Museum of Modern Art, was about to go to trial when a settlement between the parties was announced.[19][20][21]
Other works from the Paley collection include Paul Cézanne L'Estaque which he acquired in 1935,[22] Henri Matisse's Woman with a Veil, which he acquired in 1936,[23] Paul Gauguin's Washerwomen, which he acquired in 1958[24] and Paul Cézanne's Milk Can and Apples.[25]
The MoMA organized a special exhibition of the William Paley Collection in 1992. [26]
In 2022, twenty-nine artworks, including five on long term loan to the MoMA, from the Paley collection were auctioned at Sothebys on consignment from the William S. Paley Foundation.[27] [28][29]
Personal life[edit]
Marriage to Dorothy Hart Hearst[edit]
Paley met Dorothy Hart Hearst (1908–1998) while she was married to John Randolph Hearst, the third son of William Randolph Hearst. Paley fell in love with her, and, after her Las Vegas divorce from Hearst, she and Paley married on May 12, 1932, in Kingman, Arizona.[33]
Dorothy called on her extensive social connections acquired during her previous marriage to introduce Paley to several top members of President Franklin Roosevelt's government. She also exerted a considerable influence over Paley's political views. She later said: "I can't believe he would have voted Democrat without me."[7]
Dorothy began to become estranged from Paley during the early 1940s because of his infidelity. They divorced on July 24, 1947, in Reno, Nevada. She retained custody of their two adopted children, Jeffrey Paley and Hilary Paley. In 1953, Dorothy married stockbroker Walter Hirshon; they divorced in 1961.[33]
Marriage to Barbara Cushing Mortimer[edit]
Paley married divorcée, socialite and fashion icon Barbara Cushing Mortimer (1915–1978) affectionally referred to as "Babe" on July 28, 1947 and they remained married until her death. She was the daughter of renowned neurosurgeon Harvey Cushing. William and Babe Paley, in spite of their successes and social standing, were barred from being members of country clubs on Long Island because he was Jewish. As an alternative, the Paleys built a summer home, "Kiluna North," on Squam Lake in New Hampshire and spent the summers there for many years, routinely entertaining their many friends, including Lucille Ball, Grace Kelly, and David O. Selznick. The couple had two children, William and Kate.
Other affairs[edit]
Paley was a notorious womanizer his entire life. Indeed, his first marriage to Dorothy ended when a newspaper published a suicide note written to Paley by a former girlfriend. As a result of another relationship he provided a stipend to a former lover, actress Louise Brooks, for the rest of her life. In his later years he enjoyed keeping company with several women. Paley was included in a list of the ten most eligible bachelors compiled by Cosmopolitan magazine in 1985; the irony of the octogenarian Paley being on the list was an inspiration for Late Night with David Letterman's nightly Top Ten lists.[34]
Death[edit]
Paley died of kidney failure on October 26, 1990, less than a month after his 89th birthday.[2] He was buried at the Memorial Cemetery of St. John's Episcopal Church.[35]
