Paige Palmer is a woman of many talents, involvements and accomplishments who earned her celebrity status through countless hours of hard work and pursuit of success through many different avenues.
Born and raised in Akron, she studied at The University of Akron and at the University of California-Berkeley.
Her fitness and lifestyle showcase, “The Paige Palmer Show,” aired live, five days a week, from the WEWS Cleveland studios of Scripps Howard from 1948 to 1973, but she was much more than just a television star. Palmer has also been described as a fashion maven, a fitness pioneer, and a community activist in addition to trying her hand as a teacher, writer, model, dancer, athlete, museum donor and inventor. The United States Congress honored Palmer, as recorded in the Congressional Record, for improving the quality of life for American women.
She began teaching swimming, dancing and tennis at the Akron Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) at age 15. Her own School of Expression soon followed. Palmer also worked in fashion and modeling in New York City and Beverly Hills, developed and promoted her own line of exercise equipment (The Complete Home Gym), and authored 20 award-winning travel books.
Her life and memorabilia were showcased in Panache: Paige Palmer-A Salute to 50 Years of Fashion and Fitness, at Kent State University Museum in 1999. The Paige Palmer Gallery was dedicated at the museum in 2000 in honor of her generous gift of her 130-piece collection of Ohio art pottery “Uncommon Clay” to the museum’s permanent collection.
Photos courtesy of the Beacon Journal.
–Zachary Jackson