Agatha Louise Huepenbecker Burnet was born to Arthur Walter and Margaret Huepenbecker on November 23, 1930, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She earned a B.S. (1952) from Indiana University, a M.S. (1956) from Iowa State College (University) and a Ph.D. (1969) from Ohio State University.



Huepenbecker began her career at Iowa State in 1956 serving as an Instructor in the Department of Textiles and Clothing after completing her graduate degree. She was soon hired as an Assistant Professor (1959-1965) of textiles and clothing and promoted to Associate Professor (1968-1972) and Professor (1972-1993). For many years, she served as Head (1968-1993) of the Department of Textiles and Clothing. Huepenbecker retired from Iowa State University in 1993 and was named Professor Emeritus.



Huepenbecker served in many professional organizations throughout her career. She was President of the American Home Economics Association, President of the Association of College Professors in Textiles and Clothing, and President of the Iowa Home Economics Association. In addition to these roles, she was a member of Phi Kappa Phi, the International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, and others.



Huepenbecker has received numerous awards from organizations, including the Unsung Hero Award from the Ames Tribune, the Distinguished Service Award from the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, and an Alumni Award from Iowa State University.



Agatha Huepenbecker married George Burnet, a member of Iowa State University's College of Engineering faculty, in 1995. She died on August 23, 2012, in Ames, Iowa.