Photo: Robert Clark — CC BY-SA 3.0Source
Helen Brockman
- September 24, 1902
- July 22, 2008
- 105 years
- natural causes
About Helen Brockman
Helen Brockman, 105, American fashion designer, author and professor, natural causes.
Explore other notable deaths in 2008 or deaths in July 2008.
The Deaths Archive presents
How well do you know Helen Brockman?
Explore their life. Test your knowledge. Beat the challenge.
10 questions · One legacy · How much do you really know?
Challenge your friends
Play together in real-time.
Advertisement
Full Biography
|Helen Brockman (née Lewis; September 24, 1902 – July 22, 2008) was an American fashion designer, writer and professor.
Biography
Brockman was born in Palo, Iowa to Levi Lewis and Ida Mae Ashworth. She attended the University of Iowa and graduated with a B.A. in Latin and Greek. After college, she spent seven years teaching English and history in Schenectady, New York.
She was living in New York City at the outbreak of World War II without a career, and later without a husband, who sent her a letter from London, England stating that he was divorcing her to marry his secretary, although she kept his surname after the divorce. Undaunted, she essentially created a career for herself in the fashion industry as a pattern designer. Before her first retirement in 1968, she taught at New York City's Fashion Institute of Technology for nine years.
At age 66, when most people are retiring, Brockman accepted a position at Kansas State University in the College of Human Ecology's Department of Clothing and Textiles teaching fashion design. She remained with the department until her second retirement in 1974.
Brockman's 1965 work, The Theory of Fashion Design, is what made her name widely known in the fashion industry; this text was a definitive work on the subject for many years.
Until November 2007, Brockman lived independently in her home adjacent to the university campus. She worked as a social host to visiting faculty and other dignitaries who stayed as guests of the university in the Brockman House. Helen Brockman died in Manhattan, Kansas. She donated her body to the University of Kansas School of Medicine.
Publications
- Air Raid Precautions (New York: American Women's Voluntary Services), 1942 (with May Breen).
- The Theory of Fashion Design (New York: Wiley), 1965.
- Development of a Crepe Fabric for Use in Scarfs (Dayton, OH: Air Force Systems Command), 1966.
- The Skirt Handbook (Manhattan, KS: Kansas State University), 1968.
- The Slacks Handbook: Basic Pattern Development and Derivation of City Pants, Culottes and Slim Pants (Manhattan, KS: Kansas State University), 1968.
- The Slacks Handbook: Basic Pattern Development and Styling of City Pants, Jeans and Gaucho Pants (Manhattan, KS: Kansas State University), 1973.
- Mod-u-lar Pattern System Handbook (Manhattan, KS: Kansas State University Research Foundation), 1993.
- My Be-Attitudes (Manhattan, KS: Kansas State University Research Foundation), 1997.
- Both Sides of Nice (Manhattan, KS: KS Publishing, Inc.), 2005. ISBN 0-9754109-3-8
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Interactive
Test Your Knowledge – Trivia Challenge
How well do you know this person's life and legacy?
No account needed to play. Sign in to keep your score on the leaderboard.
Books & Media
Find books, audiobooks and films about Helen Brockman on Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Brockman
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- September 28, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Helen Brockman's archived record and the sources above.
1.In which city was Helen Brockman born?
- A.Schenectady, New York
- B.Dayton, Ohio
- C.Palo, Iowacorrect
- D.Manhattan, Kansas
Helen Brockman was born in Palo, Iowa to Levi Lewis and Ida Mae Ashworth.
Source: Biography section
2.What subjects did Helen Brockman study at the University of Iowa?
- A.Fashion and Design
- B.Latin and Greekcorrect
- C.Mathematics and Science
- D.History and English
Helen Brockman attended the University of Iowa and graduated with a B.A. in Latin and Greek.
Source: Biography section
3.What professional role did Helen Brockman hold in Schenectady, New York, after college?
- A.University administrator
- B.Fashion designer
- C.Textile consultant
- D.Teacher of English and historycorrect
After college, Helen Brockman spent seven years teaching English and history in Schenectady, New York.
Source: Biography section
4.What major world event was occurring when Helen Brockman was living in New York City without a career?
- A.The Great Depression
- B.World War IIcorrect
- C.The Korean War
- D.World War I
Helen Brockman was living in New York City at the outbreak of World War II without a career.
Source: Biography section
5.Where did Helen Brockman's husband send her a letter stating he was divorcing her?
- A.Schenectady, New York
- B.Manhattan, Kansas
- C.London, Englandcorrect
- D.Palo, Iowa
Helen Brockman received a letter from London, England, where her husband was located, stating he was divorcing her.
Source: Biography section
6.For how many years did Helen Brockman teach at the Fashion Institute of Technology before her first retirement?
- A.Nine yearscorrect
- B.Seven years
- C.Ten years
- D.Twelve years
Before her first retirement in 1968, Helen Brockman taught at New York City's Fashion Institute of Technology for nine years.
Source: Biography section
7.At what age did Helen Brockman accept a position at Kansas State University?
- A.60
- B.70
- C.66correct
- D.62
At age 66, Helen Brockman accepted a position at Kansas State University in the College of Human Ecology's Department of Clothing and Textiles.
Source: Biography section
8.Which of Helen Brockman's works, published in 1965, made her name widely known in the fashion industry?
- A.The Skirt Handbook
- B.The Slacks Handbook
- C.The Theory of Fashion Designcorrect
- D.Both Sides of Nice
Helen Brockman's 1965 work, The Theory of Fashion Design, is what made her name widely known in the fashion industry.
Source: Biography section
9.When did Helen Brockman have her second retirement?
- A.1970
- B.1974correct
- C.1980
- D.1968
Helen Brockman remained with the department at Kansas State University until her second retirement in 1974.
Source: Biography section
10.What is the name of the house where Helen Brockman lived and hosted dignitaries?
- A.The Manhattan Residence
- B.The University Guest Home
- C.The Lewis House
- D.The Brockman Housecorrect
Helen Brockman worked as a social host to visiting faculty and other dignitaries in the Brockman House.
Source: Biography section
11.In which city did Helen Brockman die?
- A.Schenectady, New York
- B.Iowa City, Iowa
- C.Dayton, Ohio
- D.Manhattan, Kansascorrect
Helen Brockman died in Manhattan, Kansas.
Source: Biography section
12.To which institution did Helen Brockman donate her body after her death?
- A.Kansas State University
- B.Fashion Institute of Technology
- C.University of Kansas School of Medicinecorrect
- D.University of Iowa
Helen Brockman donated her body to the University of Kansas School of Medicine.
Source: Biography section
13.What was the title of Helen Brockman's 1942 publication co-authored with May Breen?
- A.The Skirt Handbook
- B.The Theory of Fashion Design
- C.My Be-Attitudes
- D.Air Raid Precautionscorrect
Helen Brockman published Air Raid Precautions in 1942 with May Breen.
Source: Publications section
14.Which of these books was published by Helen Brockman in 1997?
- A.Both Sides of Nice
- B.My Be-Attitudescorrect
- C.Mod-u-lar Pattern System Handbook
- D.The Slacks Handbook
Helen Brockman published My Be-Attitudes in 1997 through the Kansas State University Research Foundation.
Source: Publications section
15.In what year was Helen Brockman born?
- A.1898
- B.1905
- C.1902correct
- D.1912
Helen Brockman was born on September 24, 1902.
Source: Biography section
16.What year was Helen Brockman's book 'Both Sides of Nice' published?
- A.1997
- B.2005correct
- C.2007
- D.1993
Helen Brockman published Both Sides of Nice in 2005.
Source: Publications section
Explore the archive
People who died on July 22
Spotted an error?
Help us keep the archive accurate. Report a correction with a source.
Report an error for Helen Brockman →Advertisement
