She was born on April 1, 1900 in Johnson County, Wyoming, the daughter of James Norman Penrose and Julia Corcoran.
[1] In 1934, after Alison Settle was sacked, Penrose was sent to London to address British Vogue's "excessively sprightly nature".
[3] In 1939, Penrose came to the United States and was unable to return to England due to the outbreak of the Second World War.
[4] In 1955 Penrose went to work for The New York Times as women's news editor, She retired in 1965.
[5] In 1952, she married retired British Army Officer and financial consultant Colonel Walter Ashby Howkins.