Helen Andelin
Encyclopedia
Helen Berry Andelin is the founder of the Fascinating Womanhood Movement, beginning with the women's marriage classes she taught in the early 1960s. Controversial among feminists for its advice toward women's fulfilling traditional marriage roles, her writings are still supported by a thriving community of women, with classes still being taught on-line and in seminars.
. Helen was the youngest of seven children in this Latter-day Saint (LDS) household. In her teens, Helen worked in a malt shop and at her parents' hotel. She graduated from Phoenix Union High School and attended Brigham Young University
, where she majored in Home Economics
.
School of Dentistry and practiced dentistry in Central California for many years. Dr. and Mrs. Andelin became the parents of eight children, four sons and four daughters.
in 1963 to correspond with marriage enrichment classes that she taught in Central California
. Mrs. Andelin sold 400,000 copies from her garage through a publishing firm she and her husband founded, Pacific Press. She based the classes and her book on a set of pamphlets that were published in the 1920s and 1930s, "The Secrets of Fascinating Womanhood." The classes started with an enrollment of eight women and grew to the point that many hundreds of women taught Fascinating Womanhood classes.
Fascinating Womanhood spawned a grassroots movement. Going against the "second wave" feminist tide of the 1960s and beyond, the classes and book focused on women being traditional wives and mothers. The classes continue to this day, being held in several countries, including the United States, Japan, Australia, Mexico, and the Philippines.
The first online Fascinating Womanhood class was held in 2000-2001 by a woman from Kansas, Mrs. Franky. Additional online teachers have served over the years. Discussion groups exist on the Internet and in live venues.
Eventually being reissued in several editions, Fascinating Womanhood (also known as 'The Book the Feminists Love to Hate') has sold over two million copies and has been translated into Spanish, French, Indonesian, Japanese and Russian. Random House
issued the latest edition of the book in February 2007. Mrs. Andelin hosted a website where she gave advice on marriage and motherhood.
Other books by Mrs. Andelin include The Fascinating Girl, a book addressed to single women, which was originally published in 1969 and remains in print in 2007, and All About Raising Children, published in 1980. Mrs. Andelin also designed The Domestic Goddess Planning Notebook to help women keep their busy lives organized.
Mrs. Andelin made many media appearances over the years. She has been interviewed by Michael Douglas, Larry King
, Phil Donahue
, Hugh Downs
, and Barbara Walters
. She appeared in the March 10, 1975, issue of Time magazine, in an article called "Total Fascination".
's The Feminine Mystique
.
In the early 2000s, Mrs. Andelin worked with research historian Julie Neuffer, who chose the Fascinating Womanhood Movement as the subject of her Ph.D. dissertation. In 2006, the Helen B. Andelin Papers were donated to the University of Utah
, where they remain housed in the Marriott Library Special Collections.
Mrs. Andelin died on June 7, 2009, in Missouri. She was survived by 8 children.
Early life
The year 1920 saw the birth of daughter Helen to Dr. Herbert and Mrs. Anna May Berry of Mesa, ArizonaMesa, Arizona
According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%...
. Helen was the youngest of seven children in this Latter-day Saint (LDS) household. In her teens, Helen worked in a malt shop and at her parents' hotel. She graduated from Phoenix Union High School and attended Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
, where she majored in Home Economics
Home Economics
Home economics is the profession and field of study that deals with the economics and management of the home and community...
.
Love and marriage
At Brigham Young University, she met and married Aubrey Passey Andelin, son of Aubrey Olof and Gladys Passey Andelin. Aubrey graduated from the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
School of Dentistry and practiced dentistry in Central California for many years. Dr. and Mrs. Andelin became the parents of eight children, four sons and four daughters.
Fascinating Womanhood
Helen Berry Andelin authored the book Fascinating WomanhoodFascinating Womanhood
Fascinating Womanhood is the title of a book written by Helen Andelin in 1963. The book recently went into its sixth edition, published by Random House...
in 1963 to correspond with marriage enrichment classes that she taught in Central California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Mrs. Andelin sold 400,000 copies from her garage through a publishing firm she and her husband founded, Pacific Press. She based the classes and her book on a set of pamphlets that were published in the 1920s and 1930s, "The Secrets of Fascinating Womanhood." The classes started with an enrollment of eight women and grew to the point that many hundreds of women taught Fascinating Womanhood classes.
Fascinating Womanhood spawned a grassroots movement. Going against the "second wave" feminist tide of the 1960s and beyond, the classes and book focused on women being traditional wives and mothers. The classes continue to this day, being held in several countries, including the United States, Japan, Australia, Mexico, and the Philippines.
The first online Fascinating Womanhood class was held in 2000-2001 by a woman from Kansas, Mrs. Franky. Additional online teachers have served over the years. Discussion groups exist on the Internet and in live venues.
Eventually being reissued in several editions, Fascinating Womanhood (also known as 'The Book the Feminists Love to Hate') has sold over two million copies and has been translated into Spanish, French, Indonesian, Japanese and Russian. Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
issued the latest edition of the book in February 2007. Mrs. Andelin hosted a website where she gave advice on marriage and motherhood.
Other books by Mrs. Andelin include The Fascinating Girl, a book addressed to single women, which was originally published in 1969 and remains in print in 2007, and All About Raising Children, published in 1980. Mrs. Andelin also designed The Domestic Goddess Planning Notebook to help women keep their busy lives organized.
Mrs. Andelin made many media appearances over the years. She has been interviewed by Michael Douglas, Larry King
Larry King
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....
, Phil Donahue
Phil Donahue
Phillip John "Phil" Donahue is an American media personality, writer, and film producer best known as the creator and host of The Phil Donahue Show. The television program, also known as Donahue, was the first to use a talk show format. The show had a 26-year run on U.S...
, Hugh Downs
Hugh Downs
Hugh Malcolm Downs is a long time American broadcaster, television host, news anchor, TV producer, author, game show host, and music composer; and is perhaps best known for his role as co-host the NBC News program Today from 1962 to 1971, host of the Concentration game show from 1958 to 1969, and...
, and Barbara Walters
Barbara Walters
Barbara Jill Walters is an American broadcast journalist, author, and television personality. She has hosted morning television shows , the television newsmagazine , former co-anchor of the ABC Evening News, and current contributor to ABC News.Walters was first known as a popular TV morning news...
. She appeared in the March 10, 1975, issue of Time magazine, in an article called "Total Fascination".
Controversy
Although many women perceive that Fascinating Womanhood helped their lives, the book's teachings remain controversial. The book emphasizes traditional femininity and a wife's conditional obedience to her husband. In addition, the book teaches women to embrace girlish appearance and mannerisms, which some feel is strange behavior for an adult woman. Certain conservative Christian groups reject the book's teachings based on disagreement with Mrs. Andelin's devout observance of her faith as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Other conservative Christians who generally support Mrs. Andelin's teachings disagree with her ideas concerning sexuality in marriage and the behavior of wives. Finally, more than one author has indicated that Mrs. Andelin wrote her book in response to Betty FriedanBetty Friedan
Betty Friedan was an American writer, activist, and feminist.A leading figure in the Women's Movement in the United States, her 1963 book The Feminine Mystique is often credited with sparking the "second wave" of American feminism in the twentieth century...
's The Feminine Mystique
The Feminine Mystique
The Feminine Mystique, published February 19, 1963, by W.W. Norton and Co., is a nonfiction book written by Betty Friedan. It is widely credited with sparking the beginning of second-wave feminism in the United States....
.
Later life
Mrs. Andelin entered the World Wide Web in 1998. Her website has now received over a quarter of a million visits. Dr. Andelin's death in 1999 took its toll on her spirit. However, Mrs. Andelin returned to the world of Fascinating Womanhood about a year later, convinced of the necessity of her message.In the early 2000s, Mrs. Andelin worked with research historian Julie Neuffer, who chose the Fascinating Womanhood Movement as the subject of her Ph.D. dissertation. In 2006, the Helen B. Andelin Papers were donated to the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
, where they remain housed in the Marriott Library Special Collections.
Mrs. Andelin died on June 7, 2009, in Missouri. She was survived by 8 children.
External links
- Helen B. Andelin Papers – University of Utah Marriott Library Special Collections