Sally Kirkland (editor)

Sally Kirkland (1 July 1912–1 May 1989) was a manager at Lord & Taylor, a fashion editor at "Vogue" and the only fashion editor at "Life" for 25 years.

Born Sarah Phinney in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, she was the daughter of Col. Robert Phinney. She had one brother Robert Phinney, Jr., who was a Vice President of Braniff. She married Frederic McMichael Kirkland, the son of a wealthy main line Philadelphia family. They were the parents of actress Sally Kirkland.

She was known for putting Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Faye Dunaway and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis on "LIFE" as fashion icons. She was one of a "trio of formidable and colorful women" the other two being: Mary Letherbee, movie editor; and Mary Hamman, modern living editor. [Hamblin, Dora Jane: "That Was The LIFE", page 161. W.W. Norton & Company, 1977.] Together they led the "back of the book" at "LIFE" and were given free rein by Ed Thompson as managing editor and later editor in chief.

She died of emphysema at 76 years of age at St. Vincent's Hospital in New York City. ["Sally Kirkland, 77, Editor at Life; Brought Readers European Styles" by Bernadine Morris, 3 May, 1989, New York Times obituary, Section D, p. 27.]

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