Ellen Church
Ellen Church | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 22, 1904 Boeing Air Transport (Predecessor of United Airlines) |
| Known for | First female flight attendant |
| Awards |
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Ellen Church (September 22, 1904 – August 22, 1965) was the first female
Biography
Church was born in Cresco, Iowa. After graduating from Cresco High School, Church studied nursing and worked in a San Francisco hospital.[3] She was a pilot and a registered nurse. Steve Stimpson, the manager of the San Francisco office of Boeing Air Transport (BAT), would not hire her as a pilot, but did pass along her suggestion to put nurses on board airplanes to calm the public's fear of flying.[3] In 1930, BAT hired Church as head stewardess, and she recruited seven others for a three-month trial period.[3]
The stewardesses, or "sky girls" as BAT called them,[1][4] had to be registered nurses, "single, younger than 25 years old; weigh less than 115 pounds [52 kg]; and stand less than 5 feet, 4 inches tall [1.63 m]".[1] In addition to attending to the passengers, they were expected to, when necessary, help with hauling luggage, fueling and assisting pilots to push the aircraft into hangars.[4] However, the salary was good: $125 a month.[1][3]
Church became the first stewardess to fly (though not the first
The innovation was a resounding success - the other airlines followed BAT's example over the next few years - but an injury from an automobile accident ended her career after 18 months.
She obtained a bachelor's degree in nursing education from the
In 1964, she married Leonard Briggs Marshall, president of the
Legacy
Cresco's municipal airport was named Ellen Church Field (KCJJ) in her honor.[1]
See also
- Nelly Diener (1912–1934), the first female flight attendant in Europe
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Chasing the Sun - Ellen Church". PBS. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012.
- ^ Haynes, Danielle (May 25, 2020). "First female flight attendant took maiden trip 90 years ago". UPI. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
- ^ a b c d "Ellen Church: The Flying Nurse". Iowa Public Television. Archived from the original on February 7, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
- ^ a b Long, Tony (May 15, 2008). "May 15, 1930: The Skies Get a Little Bit Friendlier". Wired. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
- ^ a b c Nolan, Shane (April 30, 2010). "United Airlines Celebrates 80 Years Of The Flight Attendant Profession". Aviation Online Magazine. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
- ^ Baird, Cary (February 2007). "New Book Marks Jeppesen's 100th Birthday". airportjournals.com. Archived from the original on June 27, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e "Ellen (Marshall) Church". Cresco website (crespochamber.com). Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved August 25, 2012.