1922-
Magazine Editor and Writer

A Model for Women.

During the 1970s there were several examples in the media of the independent, liberated woman, including Mary Tyler Moore, Gloria Steinem, and Helen Gurley Brown. Having worked her way up from humble beginnings to become editor in chief of a major magazine, Brown exemplified a combination of ambition, intelligence, and open sensuality that her magazine, Cosmopolitan, mirrored. Without being ideological in intent, Cosmopolitan injected its own brand of feminism into American culture thanks to Brown. Every year between 1976 and 1981 the World Almanac included her as one of the twenty-five most influential women in the country. In 1988 she was inducted into the Publishers' Hall of Fame.

Starting at the Bottom.

Helen Gurley was born in Green Forest, Arkansas. After attending a business college she worked as a secretary for several entertainment companies. In 1948 she joined Foote, Cone...