Helen Hayes Brown was born in Washington, D.C., on October 10, 1900. Her mother, Catherine Estelle "Essie" (née Hayes), was an aspiring actress who worked in touring … See more

Hayes was a Catholic and a Republican who attended many Republican National Conventions (including the one held in New Orleans in 1988), but she was not as politically vocal as … See more

According to her daughter-in-law, HB MacArthur, Hayes took the most pride in her philanthropic work with Helen Hayes Hospital, a physical rehabilitation hospital located in West Haverstraw, New York. She was extremely proud of the strides the hospital made … See more

Hayes was in the inaugural class of inductees to the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1972.
In 1972, she received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement. The following year, in 1973, Hayes was … See more

Hayes began a stage career as a five-year-old singer at Washington's Belasco Theatre, on Lafayette Square, across from the White House. By … See more

Hayes was a generous donor of time and money to a number of causes and organizations, including the Riverside Shakespeare Company of … See more

Hayes died on March 17, 1993, of congestive heart failure in Nyack, New York. Hayes's friend Lillian Gish, the "First Lady of American Cinema", was the designated beneficiary of her estate, but Gish had died only 18 days earlier. Hayes was interred in Oak … See more