Katherine Murphy Halle, commonly known as Kay Halle, was an American journalist, broadcaster, and author. She is also remembered as a Washington hostess and a close friend of several famous men, such as George Gershwin, W. Averell Harriman and Randolph Churchill. Halle collated several books about the latter, including ‘Irrepressible Churchill: A Treasury of Winston Churchill's Wit’.
Background
Ethnicity:
Katherine Murphy Halle’s father was Jewish and came from Germany, and her mother had Irish origins.
Katherine Murphy Halle was born about 1904 in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. She was a daughter of Samuel Horatio Halle, a wealthy businessman, and Blanche Halle (maiden name Murphy). Samuel Horatio established the Halle Brothers department store along with his brother, Salmon Portland Chase Halle.
Education
Kay Halle studied at Smith College and attended the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Kay Halle made her professional career as a reporter. She had a distinguished career, which included writing the column ‘A Chair on the Boulevard’ from London for the Cleveland News. After work for the Cleveland Press from New York City, she joined Cleveland WGAR-Radio and interviewed celebrities as host of her own program ‘Know Your City’ from 1938 to 1942. She also commented Cleveland Orchestra broadcasts.
During World War II, Halle worked for the Office of Strategic Services in intelligence. In 1948, she returned to Cleveland as a feature writer for the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
During her lifetime, she also served on the Advisory Committee of the National Cultural Center of Washington, which is now called the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts appointed by President John F. Kennedy. Other committee involvement included work with the Bicentennial Committees of Washington, D.C., and Cleveland, as well as the Woman’s National Democratic Club.
She wrote and compiled books under the name Kay Halle, including ‘Irrepressible Churchill: A Treasury of Winston Churchill’s Wit’, ‘Winston Churchill: On America and Britain’, ‘Randolph Churchill: The Young Unpretender’, and ‘The Grand Original Portraits of Randolph Churchill by His Friends’.
Kay Halle was an energetic and enthusiastic person.
Physical Characteristics:
Kay Halle was an elegant tall woman with a slim figure and blonde hair. She managed to keep her beauty through all her life.
Connections
Kay Halle was never married but had a lot of admirers. She had intimate relations and sometimes romantic relationships with such notable personalities as Fred Astaire, George Gershwin, Buckminster Fuller, Joseph P. Kennedy, Buckminster Fuller, Walter Lippmann, and Randolph Churchill, the son of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.