Katherine M. Bonniwell, Life Magazine Publisher, Dies at 70
Ms. Bonniwell was an “early glass ceiling breaker” who led a “groundswell of very talented women” into top positions at
Time Inc., Life’s parent company, said Chris Meigher, who was president of the organization during her time there.
Ms. Bonniwell, known for her innovative solutions to complicated problems, was the second
woman to serve as publisher of Life; the first was her immediate predecessor, Lisa Valk.
Mr. Leibovitz recalled that once, seeing that Time Inc.’s Money magazine was performing poorly, Ms. Bonniwell proposed a new content strategy.
Ms. Bonniwell was publisher from 1988 to 1991, a period marked by high magazine readership
but also by advertising downturns and shifts in consumer interest.
Katherine M. Bonniwell, a former publisher of Life magazine who was widely considered
a role model for female magazine managers, died on Aug. 31 at her home in Manhattan.
“She was strong and stalwart and could stand toe to toe with anybody,” Mr. Meigher said.