Helen Gurley Brown 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" 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" described the Cosmo Girl that Brown was after as "self-made, sexual and supremely ambitious. ... she looked great, wore fabulous
William Gurley the firm of Oscar Hanks, who was a well-known maker of surveying instruments and church bells in Troy. He worked for Hanks for five years. In 1845, Gurley established his own scientific instrument manufacturing business in partnership with James Phelps. Phelps had had his own shop since 1838. They called the business Phelps & Gurley. In 1844, William Gurley's brother Lewis Ephraim Gurley joined Phelps' shop as an apprentice and he then attended Union College from 1847 to 1851. Lewis Gurley rejoined the firm in 1851, at which point it was renamed Phelps and Gurleys. In 1852, Phelps sold out