Air stewardess work is a challenging job and not for someone who wants to see the world,” said chief stewardess Anna Lönnqvist, who attended Uppsala University.
Ellen Church, a 25-year-old registered nurse, was the first female flight attendant. In 1930, United Airlines hired her as the first nurse on an aircraft. Following suit, other airlines hired nurses to serve as flight attendants, then called “stewardesses” or “air hostesses,” on most flights. The job was one of the few in the 1930s to permit women, which, combined with the Great Depression, led to large numbers of applicants. In December 1935, Transcontinental and Western Airlines offered 43 positions to 2000 women. The number of female flight attendants quickly replaced the number of male ones, and by 1936, they had virtually taken over the role. Flight attendants were selected not only for their knowledge but also for their physical attributes. According to a 1936 New York Times article:
The girls who qualify for hostesses must be petite; weigh 100 to 118 pounds; height 5 feet to 5 feet 4 inches; age 20 to 26 years. The rigid physical examination each must undergo four times every year, and you are assured of the bloom that goes with perfect health.
Here are some photos of McConnell Air Hostess School in the 1940s, which trained air hostesses for TWA. Participants learned how to serve drinks correctly, deal with intoxicated passengers, and even change nappies during the training. Interestingly, they are also pictured chewing gum to reduce a double chin, having their posture checked, doing the conga and having a bubble bath.
