 A Lincoln, she studied under Leon Friend who first exposed her to modern graphic design and the social responsibility of designers.de Bretteville holds degrees from Barnard College and Yale University and has been awarded Honorary Doctorates from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), the Moore College of Art and California College of the Arts.In 1971, de Bretteville founded the first design program for women at the California Institute of the Arts, and two years later co-founded the Woman's Building, a public center in Los Angeles dedicated to women's education and culture.