Babette March (born 1941), pronounced Marx, born Barbara Marchlowitz, formerly Babette Russell, or simply Babette,[1] who is now known by the name Babette Beatty,[2] was the first Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover model.[3][4][5] She was on the swimsuit issue cover of the January 20, 1964, issue.[6] This has been credited with making the bikini a legitimate piece of clothing.[7]