Photo: Harris & Ewing, photographer / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
William S. Paley was born on September 28, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois, United States and was credited as a journalist, businessperson and art collector. William S. Paley died on October 26, 1990 at the age of 89. Education on record includes Carl Schurz High School. Recorded honors include Legionnaire of Legion of Merit, Trustees Award (1979) and Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism (1984).
My Take
William S. Paley fascinates me as an architect of the modern media landscape. Taking a tiny radio network and forging CBS into a broadcasting powerhouse required not just business nerve but an instinct for where audiences were heading, from radio into television. What interests me most is that he was also a serious art collector and trustee, a man whose eye for value extended beyond ratings into culture itself. The structures and habits of American broadcasting still bear his fingerprints. I see Paley as one of those rare figures who shaped a medium so thoroughly that we no longer notice the shape he gave it.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- William S. Paley
- Name (Japanese)
- ウィリアム・S・ペイリー
- Reading
- うぃりあむ・S・ぺいりー
- Born
- September 28, 1901 – October 26, 1990
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Libra / Ox
- Origin
- Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Occupation
- journalist / businessperson / art collector / trustee
2. Background
- High school
- Carl Schurz High School
Awards & achievements
- Legionnaire of Legion of Merit
- 1979 Trustees Award
- 1984 Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism
3. Links
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William%20S.%20Paley
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1288608
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-19
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was William S. Paley born?
Born September 28, 1901.
When did William S. Paley die?
Died October 26, 1990, aged 89.
Where was William S. Paley from?
William S. Paley was from Chicago, Illinois, United States.
What did William S. Paley do?
William S. Paley worked as journalist, businessperson, art collector, trustee.
Journalist — see all → · Businessperson — see all → · More people from the United States →