Mary Cookman Bass (July 13, 1905 – August 26, 1996) was an American journalist, writer, and executive editor of the Ladies' Home Journal from 1936 to 1963.
Her father was a college professor but wanted to be in the newspaper business and eventually got a job with the Associated Press and was posted to Mexico.
Bass was responsible for day-to-day operations of the magazine while the Goulds engaged in longer range creative strategy and planning.
Bass oversaw the creation of one of the most popular features of the Journal called How America Lives.
A native of Chicago, Bass was the daughter of James S. Carson, who later was chairman of the Colonial Trust Company of New York.