- Won Broadway's 1951 Tony Award as Best Supporting or Featured Actress (Musical) for "Guys and Dolls."
- Her mother was a concert singer and Isabel trained early as a singer herself, studying at Juilliard and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.
- Tall, slender and lovely musical leading lady who made her Broadway debut in the chorus of "Oklahoma!" in 1946. She then took over the role of Laurey in the London production opposite Howard Keel and continued with the role for three years.
- Originated the missionary role of Sarah Brown in "Guys and Dolls" on Broadway and played the part for over three years.
- Married Lawrence Barnett, president of the talent agency Music Corporation of America in 1953; she subsequently retired from the stage in the late 50s to concentrate on raising a family, living in Rye, New York for over 30 years. The couple had six children: Lawrence Jr., Robert, William, James, Claudia and Laurey.
- She co-starred on Broadway with soap veteran Bill Hayes in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "Me and Juliet." The role was written especially for her.
- Along with her husband who in 1985 founded the ALS Association, Isabel shared a passion for finding a cure for ALS. Together they went on to establish the Lawrence and Isabel Barnett Post-Doctoral Fellowship for Research, as well as supporting world-class ALS research scientists throughout the globe.
- Isabel and Lawrence Barnett established a graduate program in arts policy and administration at Ohio State University, the first of its kind in the United States.
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