Helen Gurley Brown
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Helen Gurley Brown ( Helen Marie Gurley; February 18, 1922 – August 13, 2012) was an American author, publisher, and businesswoman. She was the editor-in-chief of ''
Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...
'' magazine for 32 years. Garner 2009.


Early life

Helen Marie Gurley was born February 18, 1922, in
Green Forest, Arkansas Green Forest is a city in Carroll County, Arkansas, Carroll County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 2,972 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Geography Green Forest is located at (36.334924, -93.432655). According to the ...
, Scanlon 2009, p. 1. the younger daughter of Cleo Fred ( Sisco; 1893-1980) and Ira Marvin Gurley.Scanlon 2009, pg. 2.Scanlon 2009, pg. 3. At one time her father was appointed Commissioner of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.Scanlon 2009, pg. 6. After his election to the Arkansas state legislature the family moved to
Little Rock, Arkansas (The Little Rock, The "Little Rock") , government_type = council-manager government, Council-manager , leader_title = List of mayors of Little Rock, Arkansas, Mayor , leader_name = Frank Scott Jr. , leader_ ...
. He died in an elevator accident on June 18, 1932.Scanlon 2009, pg. 7. In 1937, Gurley, her older sister Mary Eloine (later Mrs. Alford; 1917-1997), and their mother moved to
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
.Scanlon 2009, p. 12. A few months after moving, Mary contracted
polio Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe s ...
. While in California, Brown attended John H. Francis Polytechnic High School.Scanlon 2009, p. 14. After Gurley's graduation, the family moved to
Warm Springs, Georgia Warm Springs is a city in Meriwether County, Georgia, United States. The population was 425 at the 2010 census. History Warm Springs, originally named Bullochville (after the Bulloch family, which began after Stephen Bullock moved to Meriwether ...
.Scanlon 2009, p. 17. She attended one semester at Texas State College for Women and then moved back to California to attend Woodbury Business College, from which she graduated in 1941.Scanlon 2009, p. 18. In 1947, Cleo and Mary moved to Cleo's native
Osage, Arkansas Osage is an unincorporated community in Carroll County, in the U.S. state of Arkansas. The community is on the south side of Osage Creek at the junction of Osage and Kenner Creek Kenner Products, known simply as Kenner, was an American toy comp ...
, while Helen stayed in Los Angeles.Scanlon 2009, p. 22. After working at the
William Morris Agency The William Morris Agency (WMA) was a Hollywood-based talent agency. It represented some of the best known 20th-century entertainers in film, television, and music. During its 109-year tenure it came to be regarded as the "first great talent a ...
,
Music Corporation of America MCA Inc. (originally an initialism for Music Corporation of America) was an American media conglomerate founded in 1924. Originally a talent agency with artists in the music business as clients, the company became a major force in the film ind ...
, and Jaffe talent agencies, Gurley worked for
Foote, Cone & Belding Foote, Cone & Belding (FCB), is one of the largest global advertising agency networks. It is owned by Interpublic Group and was merged in 2006 with Draft Worldwide, adopting the name Draftfcb. In 2014 the company rebranded itself as FCB. Parent ...
advertising agency as a secretary.Scanlon 2009, p. 26. Her employer recognized her writing skills and moved her to the
copywriting Copywriting is the act or occupation of writing text for the purpose of advertising or other forms of marketing. The product, called copy or sales copy, is written content that aims to increase brand awareness and ultimately persuade a person or ...
department, where she advanced rapidly to become one of the nation's highest-paid ad copywriters in the early 1960s. In 1959, she married David Brown, who later became a noted film producer.


Career


Publishing

In 1962, Brown's book ''
Sex and the Single Girl ''Sex and the Single Girl'' is a 1962 non-fiction book by American writer Helen Gurley Brown, written as an advice book that encouraged women to become financially independent and experience sexual relationships before or without marriage. The ...
''Scanlon 2009, p. ix. was published in 28 countries, and stayed on the bestseller lists for over a year. In 1964 the book inspired the film of the same name starring
Natalie Wood Natalie Wood ( Zacharenko; July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981) was an American actress who began her career in film as a child and successfully transitioned to young adult roles. Wood started acting at age four and was given a co-starring r ...
. In 1965, Brown became editor-in-chief of ''Cosmopolitan'', then a literary magazine famed for high-toned content, and reinvented it as a magazine for the modern single career-woman. In the 1960s, Brown was an outspoken advocate of women's
sexual freedom A sexual norm can refer to a personal or a social norm. Most cultures have social norms regarding sexuality, and define ''normal sexuality'' to consist only of certain sex acts between individuals who meet specific criteria of age, consanguinity ...
and sought to provide women with role models in her magazine. She claimed that women could have it all – "love, sex, and money". As a result of her advocacy, glamorous, fashion-focused women were sometimes called "Cosmo Girls". Her work played a part in what is often called the
sexual revolution The sexual revolution, also known as the sexual liberation, was a social movement that challenged traditional codes of behavior related to sexuality and interpersonal relationships throughout the United States and the developed world from the 1 ...
. In 1997, Brown was ousted from her role as the U.S. editor of ''
Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...
''Scanlon 2009, p. xiv. and replaced by
Bonnie Fuller Bonnie Fuller (born Bonnie Hurowitz; September 8, 1956) is a Canadian media executive who is the owner and editor-in-chief of Hollywood Life. Fuller previously worked as editor-in-chief for publications such as '' YM'', ''Cosmopolitan'', '' Glamou ...
. When she left, ''Cosmopolitan'' ranked sixth at the newsstand and, for the 16th straight year, ranked first in bookstores on college campuses. However, she stayed on at Hearst publishing and remained the international editor for all 59 international editions of ''Cosmo'' until her death on August 13, 2012. In September 2008, Brown was named the 13th-most-powerful American over the age of 80 by ''
Slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...
'' magazine.


At ''Cosmopolitan''

In 1965, Gurley took over as editor-in-chief of ''
Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...
'' magazine and was in that position until 1997. Brown revamped the magazine by taking it from a women's magazine written by men to one of the most widely sold women's magazines, now available in more than 100 countries. When she began at the magazine, Brown had no editing experience. Her take on the magazine was to be frank when talking about sex in this new version of ''Cosmopolitan''. ''
Sex and the Single Girl ''Sex and the Single Girl'' is a 1962 non-fiction book by American writer Helen Gurley Brown, written as an advice book that encouraged women to become financially independent and experience sexual relationships before or without marriage. The ...
'' gave Brown the formula that is today's ''Cosmopolitan''. She gave women the freedom to know that women do have sexual desires. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' described the Cosmo Girl that Brown was after as "self-made, sexual and supremely ambitious. ... she looked great, wore fabulous clothes and had an unabashedly good time when those clothes came off." After being gently let go, in 1996 at age 74 due to her increasing disconnection from young women, Helen Gurley Brown went on to be editor of the international ''Cosmopolitan'' magazines.
Betty Friedan Betty Friedan ( February 4, 1921 – February 4, 2006) was an American feminist writer and activist. A leading figure in the women's movement in the United States, her 1963 book ''The Feminine Mystique'' is often credited with sparking the se ...
, author of ''
The Feminine Mystique ''The Feminine Mystique'' is a book by Betty Friedan, widely credited with sparking second-wave feminism in the United States. First published by W. W. Norton on February 19, 1963, ''The Feminine Mystique'' became a bestseller, initially selling ...
'', disliked what Brown had done in her book and in the magazine. Friedan said that what Brown was doing was "anti-feminist" and an "immature teenage-level sexual fantasy". Feminist views of the magazine were re-evaluated in the 1990s, however, with ''New York Times'' media reporter Randall Rothenberg writing, "In retrospect, the magazine played an important role in helping young women redefine their roles in society."
Audie Cornish Audie N. Cornish (born October 9, 1979) is an American journalist and a former co-host of NPR's ''All Things Considered''. She was previously the host of ''Profile'' by Buzzfeed News, a web-only interview show that lasted one season, as well as ' ...
from
NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
said that Helen "has been called a bad girl, a pioneer in
Prada Prada S.p.A. (, ; ) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding t ...
, a revolutionary in stilettos." Brown looked at herself as a feminist, but this description was contested by several others.


Personal life and death

After a brief hospitalization, Helen Gurley Brown died August 13, 2012, at the McKeen Pavilion at
New York–Presbyterian Hospital The NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is a nonprofit academic medical center in New York City affiliated with two Ivy League medical schools, Cornell University and Columbia University. The hospital comprises seven distinct campuses located in the New Y ...
/ Columbia. She was 90. In a statement announcing the news of her death, Hearst Publications noted that "Helen was one of the world's most recognized magazine editors and book authors, and a true pioneer for women in journalism – and beyond." The cause of her death was not disclosed. ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' said that "Gurley Brown will be remembered for her impact on the publishing industry, her contributions to the culture at large, and sly quips like her famous line: 'Good girls go to heaven. Bad girls go everywhere.'" Then-New York City Mayor
Michael Bloomberg Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman, politician, philanthropist, and author. He is the majority owner, co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P. He was Mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013, and was a ca ...
, in a statement, said: "Today New York City lost a pioneer who reshaped not only the entire media industry, but the nation's culture. She was a role model for the millions of women whose private thoughts, wonders and dreams she addressed so brilliantly in print." Brown's only husband, David, preceded her in death in 2010, passing away on February 1, 2010, at the age of 93. In late November 2012, Brown and her husband were buried in adjacent graves at Sisco Cemetery, her maternal family cemetery in Osage,
Carroll County, Arkansas Carroll County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,260. The county has two county seats, Berryville and Eureka Springs. Carroll County is Arkansas's 26th county, formed on November ...
.


Legacy

Seven months prior to her death, continuing the work started with her husband in forming the Helen Gurley Brown Trust, Brown established the
Brown Institute for Media Innovation The Brown Institute for Media Innovation is a research institute that funds projects at the intersection of journalism and technology. It is a joint initiative between the Stanford University School of Engineering and the Columbia University Grad ...
. This institution is housed at both the
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is located in Pulitzer Hall on the university's Morningside Heights campus in New York City. Founded in 1912 by Joseph Pulitzer, Columbia Journalism School is one of the oldest journalism s ...
and Stanford's Engineering School. Their $38 million donation to the two schools develops journalism in the context of new technologies. Following her death, the trust continues donating much of its fortune to programs that serve the children of New York City and foster advancements in education and technology. Fifteen million dollars were donated to the
New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States (behind the Library of Congress ...
, and $7.5 million donated to the
American Museum of Natural History The American Museum of Natural History (abbreviated as AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. In Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park, the museum complex comprises 26 inter ...
. These donations have collectively created new media programs (David and Helen Gurley Brown Institute for Media Innovation at Columbia) and started initiatives to benefit at-risk youth (NYPL BridgeUp) and increase representation of women and minority groups in
STEM Stem or STEM may refer to: Plant structures * Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang * Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure * Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...
disciplines (the AMNH BridgeUp:STEM program). Among feminists, Brown's role has been highly contested as empowering women to be unashamed of their sexual urges and as creating a magazine that may live on as a sexist magazine with a body image problem. However, some feminists feel that the sexism in our world cannot be blamed all on ''Cosmopolitan'' and Brown, with other magazines circulating that objectify women's bodies. These other people look at Brown's work as both "progressive and retrogressive" when it comes to the feminist movement. Brown also funds the Helen Gurley Brown Fellowship within the BOLD Women's Leadership Network designed to facilitate the pathway for exceptional young women from college to career.


Awards

* 1985: Matrix Award from New York
Women in Communications The Association for Women in Communications (AWC) is an American professional organization for women in the communications industry. History Theta Sigma Phi The Association for Women in Communications began in 1909 as Theta Sigma Phi (), an ho ...
* 1995: Henry Johnson Fisher Award from the Magazine Publishers of America * 1996: American Society of Magazine Editors' Hall of Fame Award * 1998: Editor of the Year by ''Advertising Age'' magazine * 2013 (posthumously): Woman of Achievement Award from the
Women's Project Theater WP Theater (formerly known as Women's Project Theater) is a not-for-profit Off-Broadway theater based in New York City. It is the nation’s oldest and largest theater company dedicated to developing, producing and promoting the work of female-iden ...


Works

*''
Sex and the Single Girl ''Sex and the Single Girl'' is a 1962 non-fiction book by American writer Helen Gurley Brown, written as an advice book that encouraged women to become financially independent and experience sexual relationships before or without marriage. The ...
'' (1962) *''Lessons in Love''—LP Record on How To Love a Girl & How To Love a Man (1963) Crescendo Records, GNP 604 *'' Sex and the Office'' (1965) *'' Outrageous Opinions of Helen Gurley Brown'' (1967) *'' Helen Gurley Brown's Single Girl's Cookbook'' (1969) *'' Sex and the New Single Girl'' (1970) *''
Having It All ''Having it all'' was a five-episode 2007 radio drama series on BBC Radio Scotland written by Jackie Bird and produced by The Comedy Unit.The Late Show: A Semi Wild but Practical Guide for Women Over 50'' (1993) *'' The Writer's Rules: The Power of Positive Prose—How to Create It and Get It Published'' (1998) *'' I'm Wild Again: Snippets from My Life and a Few Brazen Thoughts'' (2000)


See also

*
List of women's rights activists This article is a list of notable women's rights activists, arranged alphabetically by modern country names and by the names of the persons listed. Afghanistan * Amina Azimi – disabled women's rights advocate * Hasina Jalal – women's empowerm ...


Footnotes


References

* * *


External links

*
Helen Gurley Brown papers
at the
Sophia Smith Collection The Sophia Smith Collection at Smith College is an internationally recognized repository of manuscripts, photographs, periodicals and other primary sources in women's history. General One of the largest recognized repositories of manuscripts, ar ...
, Smith College Special Collections
(26 June 2003) "Sex and the Octogenarian"
''(Telegraph Interview)''
Brown Institute for Media Innovation

New York Public Library BridgeUp

American Museum of Natural History BridgeUp:STEM
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Helen Gurley 1922 births 2012 deaths 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American women writers American feminist writers American magazine editors American magazine publishers (people) American copywriters Cosmopolitan (magazine) editors Feminist studies scholars John H. Francis Polytechnic High School alumni People from Carroll County, Arkansas Writers from Little Rock, Arkansas Texas Woman's University alumni Woodbury University alumni Writers from New York City Sex-positive feminists Women magazine editors