Helen Elizabeth Focht was born June 29, 1901, in Wilton Junction, Iowa, and was raised in Eagle Grove, Iowa. She received her B.A. in mathematics, with a minor in chemistry, from Drake University in June 1923. She took her M.A. in education from the State University of Iowa in August 1934.

After graduation she taught high school mathematics at several Iowa towns: Manson, 1923 to 1926; Hampton, 1926 to 1929; and Iowa City, 1930 to 1935. She was employed at the State University of Iowa in 1935 as assistant to the Dean of Women, Mrs. Adelaide L. Burge. This position put her in contact with the issues of female students living in dormitories and in the more economical cooperative dormitories. In 1942 she was named assistant director in the Office of Student Affairs, where she worked for the next 28 years. This title was renamed counselor to women in 1947. After retiring in 1967, Ms. Focht served as counselor to emeritus women, within the Office of Student Affairs, until 1970.

In a May 1962 interview with the Iowa City Press-Citizen, Ms. Focht related her many duties. These included interviewing female students who applied for student loans; interviewing female students who wished to withdraw from incomplete courses; reviewing the policy governing female student's hours; providing general counseling; working with various committees; and serving as adviser to Associated Women Students. By 1968, the general catalog identifies these duties as divided and performed by a number of staff, reflecting the growth of the University. During this interview, Ms. Focht advocated for the empowerment of female students, suggesting they be allowed to request changes in policies governing their curfew, a move away from the source of proposed changes being the administration. As counselor to women, she further recommended the elimination of penalties for violation of the women's curfew. This newspaper article may be found in the Helen E. Focht Faculty Vertical File. Focht died March 24, 2001.

Historical Note:

Associated Women Students is a national organization that existed on college and university campuses. On some campuses, all enrolled female students were automatically designated as members and the organizations were self-governing. The organization provided support and social functions for female students, as well as a voice in such policies as curfew for women. The AWS was organized at varying times on campuses, from the 1910s through the 1950s. Declining membership forced many campuses to dissolve their AWS organization during the late 1960s and early 1970s. On some campuses, AWS was merged with general student government groups during this period of decline. The organization remains active on some campuses.