Katharine Hepburn was a person.
Katharine Houghton Hepburn ( May 12 , 1907 -- June 29 , 2003 ) was an American actress . Known for her fierce independence and spirited personality , Hepburn was a leading lady in Hollywood for more than 60 years . Raised in Connecticut by wealthy , progressive parents , Hepburn began to act while studying at Bryn Mawr College . She married once , as a young woman , but thereafter lived independently .