This paper will point out the reasons for the great popular success of Katharine Cornell as an actress. This paper will examine the background of Miss Cornell to determine the influences that helped shape her career, and the theatre training that brought her to her first Broadway "hit." Special attention will be given to Miss Cornell's philosophy of acting as she expressed it in her autobiography and in interviews. Further, this paper will take each role played by Miss Cornell during her career and through the reviews of the dramatic critics determine the artistic merit of each role. Finally, the roles selected to be of artistic merit will again be subjected to the reviews of the drama critics to determine whether or not Miss Cornell achieved artistic excellence in her portrayal of them.