From 1928 to 1933 Rankin Barbee wrote the column "Profiles" in The Washington Post, earning him "a large and loyal audience".
He was the nephew of Tennessee Attorney General George J. Stubblefield and Federal District Judge William R. Rankin.
The family's political fortunes were tied to its relationship with then Tennessee Governor and future President Andrew Johnson.
In addition, Johnson's maternal grandfather, Andrew McDonough, had married Barbee's great-grandmother, Rhoda Sartain Roberson, in his second marriage.
Barbee's family included first cousin Thomas Turley Rankin, who was head attorney for the Home Owners Loan Corporation and the War Assets Administration.