Helen Gurley Brown Helen Gurley Brown Helen Gurley Brown (February 18, 1922 – August 13, 2012; born Helen Marie Gurley) was an American author, publisher, and businesswoman. She was the editor-in-chief of "Cosmopolitan" magazine for 32 years. Helen Marie Gurley was born February 18, 1922 in Green Forest, Arkansas, the daughter of Cleo Fred (née Sisco; 1893-1980) and Ira Marvin Gurley. At one time her father was appointed Commissioner of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. After his election to the Arkansas state legislature the family moved to Little Rock, Arkansas. He died in an elevator accident on June 18, 1932. In 1937,
Calvin H. Gurley for public schools if his own son were attending them. Gurley said he would voluntarily take a drug test and challenged Barry to do the same. Gurley said the most serious problem facing the District was that federal authorities had taken control of certain functions of the government of the District of Columbia due to mismanagement, resulting in what Gurley called "the loss of home rule". Gurley said that the District had not improved at all during the previous four years, with the exception of downtown. At a meeting of the District of Columbia Ward 6 Democrats, the group decided