AggieJohn
05-16-2005, 01:51 AM
Monday, May 16th.
The comfort of air travel took a big step forward this week 75 years ago — when United Airlines hired the nation’s first airline stewardess. Ellen Church tended passengers on a flight from San Francisco to Cheyenne, Wyoming. The criteria for the job was that she could be no older than 25, no taller than 5 feet, 4 inches and weigh no more than 115 pounds — and be a registered nurse. The idea soon caught on and being a stewardess became one of the most sought-after jobs for young women. Today, of course, the proper term is “flight attendant;” and within an airline industry of 57- thousand employees, 90-thousand women and men are flight attendants — down from 113-thousand in the year 2000.
The comfort of air travel took a big step forward this week 75 years ago — when United Airlines hired the nation’s first airline stewardess. Ellen Church tended passengers on a flight from San Francisco to Cheyenne, Wyoming. The criteria for the job was that she could be no older than 25, no taller than 5 feet, 4 inches and weigh no more than 115 pounds — and be a registered nurse. The idea soon caught on and being a stewardess became one of the most sought-after jobs for young women. Today, of course, the proper term is “flight attendant;” and within an airline industry of 57- thousand employees, 90-thousand women and men are flight attendants — down from 113-thousand in the year 2000.