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,
Gurley Precision Instruments trackers, theodolites, angle dividers, optical positioning systems, and various other precision guidance devices for guided missiles and for space launch vehicles. Teledyne Corporation acquired W. & L. E. Gurley in 1968. In 1993 Gurley was sold again and became Gurley Precision Instruments. The W. & L. E. Gurley Building in Troy was named a National Historic Landmark in 1983. GPI has been responsible for the creation of two commonly used units of measure. These units were so named due to the association with the devices used for their measurement. The Gurley second or Gurley unit is a unit that describes