Helen Valentine

Helen Valentine (1893-1986) was the founder and editor in chief of Seventeen and Charm magazines.[1]

Helen Valentine
Born
Helen Rose Lachman

1893
Manhattan
Died1986 (aged 92–93)
Miami, Florida
NationalityUnited States
Occupationmagazine editor
Known forfounder of Seventeen
Spouse(s)Herbert Valentine
ChildrenBarbara Valentine Hertz
Barry Valentine
Parent(s)Bertha Kahn Lachman
Gustave Lachman
FamilySam Kass (greatgrandson)

Early life and education

Born Helen Rose Lachman in Manhattan,[2] she was the only child of German Jewish immigrants.[3][4] Her father Gustave was an accountant and her mother Bertha (née Kahn) was a homemaker.[3] Although she attended temple with her mother and went to Jewish Sunday school, her family also celebrated Christmas.[3] She graduated from the Ethical Culture School and Barnard College.[2]

Career

After school, she worked in the magazine industry.[5] In 1944, while serving as promotion director for Mademoiselle magazine at Walter Annenberg's Triangle Publications, she was asked by Annenberg to help revive a movie magazine.[2] Although the concept of "teenager" as a distinct demographic segment of the population was a relatively new idea at that time,[5] Valentine instead proposed a magazine for teen-age girls.[2] Noticing the wide popularity of a King Features Syndicate comic strip by cartoonist Hilda Terry that focused on the trials and tribulations of a typical teenager's life entitled Teena which began running in July 1944,[5] Valentine convinced Annenberg that teenage girls needed a magazine of their own and that the then unserved demographic had the potential to become an important and lucrative new consumer market segment[5] stating that "It was time to treat children as adults."[2]

The magazine was launched in September 1944[5] and within a year, Seventeen had a circulation of a million.[2] Seventeen is credited with creating a teen market for clothing manufacturers and other industries.[2] In 1950, she accepted a job with Street & Smith to revamp a fading fashion magazine called Charm which she re-configured into the country's first magazine for working women.[2] Charm was eventually merged into Glamour magazine after being bought by Conde Nast Publications.[2] In 1958, Valentine was hired by Good Housekeeping magazine to write a column, Young Wife's World, where she remained until she retired in 1963.[2]

Personal life

Valentine was married to banker Herbert Valentine (died 1978).[2][6] She had two children: Barbara Valentine Hertz and Barry Valentine.[2][7] Her granddaughter, Valentine Hertz Kass[3] was one of the first women Producer/Directors at KQED in San Francisco, the first Director of the Navy Pier IMAX Theater, and the Founding Director of the American Children’s Television Festival.[8][9] Her great-grandson, Sam Kass, served as Barack Obama's Senior Policy Advisor For Nutrition Policy.[10] Valentine died in 1986 in Miami at her daughter's home.[1]

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References
  1. "Helen Valentine, Former Editor". Sun Sentinel. November 16, 1986. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
  2. Ennis, Thomas W. (November 15, 1986). "Helen Valentine, 93; Founded Seventeen, Editor of Magazines". New York Times. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  3. Massoni, Kelley Bringing Up "baby": The Birth and Early Development of "Seventeen" Magazine 2007
  4. Women's Studies Librarian's Office: "Archival Resources on the HIstory of Jewish Women in America" retrieved July 6, 2014.
  5. Massoni, Kelley (March 2006). "'Teena Goes to Market': Seventeen Magazine and the Early Construction of the Teen Girl (As) Consumer" (PDF). The Journal of American Culture. 29, Number 1 (Theme Issue). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-07-14.
  6. New York Times: "Miss Lachman Marries H. Valentine at Home Instead of at St. Regis" February 06, 1920
  7. New York Times: "David Hertz Obituary" July 6, 2014
  8. 8th World Conference of Science Journalists: "Valentine Kass, Program Director Informal Science Education program, National Science Foundation, US - So you want to do science documentaries? Tips and tricks for journalists willing to tell their story in film" June 24, 2013
  9. Friends Seminary: "Valentine Hertz Kass ’64" Archived 2014-07-14 at the Wayback Machine retrieved July 7, 2014
  10. Chicago Sun Times: "Sam Kass, White House chef; exclusive interview" by Lynn Sweet Archived 2014-09-06 at the Wayback Machine November 8, 2009
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