Businesswoman. A minor actress in her youth, she is remembered instead for her line of ladies’ hair care products. Born Paula Jane Baer, she was raised within the entertainment milieu, was a childhood friend of Debbie Reynolds, and had early show business ambitions, but by 15 she had dropped-out of school, married, and had a baby. Divorced at 17, she worked as a secretary while still desiring to break into entertainment; Paula was named Miss Las Vegas Turf Club of 1954 and taking the name ‘Paula Kent’ made her television bow on a 1955 episode of “The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickock”. She was to appear in a number of commercials and be seen on “State Trooper” and “77 Sunset Strip”, but was handicapped by her allergy to theatrical make-up. In 1960 Paula took $3,000 she earned from a Hamm’s beer ad and teamed with stylist Jheri Redding, who had a knowledge of chemistry, to introduce Redken, the first hypoallergenic shampoo. She was to add new products, branch-out into Redken Salons, eventually buy Mr. Redding out, and, with the assistance of her husband John Meehan, see her company’s sales grow exponentially. In 1993, she sold Redken to L’Oreal but remained in Beverley Hills where she was a philanthropist of much renown, serving on several boards and being a major donor to the 9/11 Memorial Garden. Paula died after a long battle with chronic lung infections. (bio by: Bob Hufford)  Family links:  Spouse:  John E Meehan (1927 – 2004)