ELLEN CHURCH

'Ellen Church' (September 22, 1904 - August 22, 1965) was the first airline stewardess (flight attendant).

Contents

Biography

References

External links

Biography

Born in Cresco, Iowa, Church became a nurse and an early female pilot. Boeing Air Transit (the predecessor to United Airlines) wouldn't hire her as a pilot, but did take her suggestion to hire nurses as stewardesses in order to calm passengers' fears; Church was hired in 1930 as head stewardess and put in charge of hiring the others^[1]. During World War II Church flew for the Army Nurse Corps, earning an Air Medal. She moved to Terre Haute, Indiana, where she became director of nursing at Union Hospital. In 1964, she married Leonard Briggs Marshall, president of the Terre Haute First National Bank. She died in 1965 as a result from a horse riding accident. The municipal airport serving Cresco is named Ellen Church Field (KCJJ) in her honor.

References

1. The Original Eight: Genesis of the Modern Day Flight Attendant

External links

★ PBS website on aviation innovators

★ Iowa Public TV/Iowa Pathways article on Ellen Church

★ Welcome to Cresco: Ellen (Marshall) Church