The Rules Every 1960s Stewardess Had to Obey

In the 1960s, a stewardess could be fired for getting married, or for turning 32. Who wrote those rules, and what were they really for? In this episode: the hiring list, the monthly scale, the girdle check, the marriage and age rules, and the stewardesses who took the airlines to Washington, and won. CHAPTERS 00:00 Fired for marrying, or for turning 32 01:05 Welcome aboard 01:22 The hiring list: single, no children 02:36 A pound over: the scale 04:02 The girdle check 05:01 Fired for a wedding ring 05:49 Too old at 32 07:28 How the stewardesses won 08:44 Who wrote the rules, and why 09:59 They stayed anyway 10:24 Your memories SHARE YOUR MEMORY Did you fly, or serve, in the golden age? Tell us the job, the year, and the one rule you still remember. With your permission, Peggy may read your memory on a future episode (first name and airline only). SOURCES ("the manifest") Sprogis v. United Air Lines, 444 F.2d 1194 (7th Cir. 1971): https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/... Nell McShane Wulfhart, The Great Stewardess Rebellion (2022), excerpt at Literary Hub: https://lithub.com/how-airline-stewar... PBS, People's Century, interview with Barbara "Dusty" Roads: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/peoplescentu... Ms. magazine, "Today in Feminist History" (September 2, 1965): https://msmagazine.com/2020/09/02/tod... Lynda Eck, "Being a Stewardess in the 1960s," Museum of Flight blog (2021): https://blog.museumofflight.org/being... Also: Sprogis v. United Air Lines, 308 F.Supp. 959 (N.D. Ill. 1970); Civil Rights Act of 1964, Public Law 88-352, Title VII; Ms. magazine, "Today in Feminist History" (September 12, 1967); APFA, "Barbara 'Dusty' Roads" (2017); Kathleen M. Barry, Femininity in Flight timeline (femininityinflight.com); Rick Seaney, ABC News / GMA, interview with Valerie Waterman (2011); Julia Cooke, Come Fly the World (2021); Daily Mail on Wulfhart's book (2022); PBS, Fly With Me (2024); KJZZ; Wings Magazine; U.S. House Historian, Women in Congress: Martha Wright Griffiths; CBS News / AP (2003). IMAGE CREDITS Film: Prelinger Archives, Internet Archive: An Airplane Trip by Jet (1961); Government Workers (1959); The Wonderful Jet World of Pan American (1959); Plane Talk (1965); Aviation: The Career for Marc (1964); The Airport in the Jet Age (1962); home movie (1955). Photographs, public domain or CC0: San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives; Library of Congress (U.S. News & World Report, Marion S. Trikosko and Warren K. Leffler; Carol M. Highsmith); National Archives; LBJ Presidential Library; Architect of the Capitol; Provincial Archives of Alberta; Nationaal Archief / Anefo (Daan Noske); Rijksmuseum; U.S. Department of Agriculture; National Park Service; U.S. Forest Service; Hagley Library via DPLA; Estormiz (1982 cabin). Pan Am stewardess, about 1970: John Atherton, CC BY-SA 2.0 U.S. Capitol from the West, 1965: Roger W, CC BY-SA 2.0 Wedding rings: slgckgc, CC BY 2.0 Court opinions: Caselaw Access Project. Statutes: GovInfo. #stewardess #aviationhistory #womenshistory