File:Boeing Air Transport air hostess uniform (6202788516).jpg

On May 15, 1930, Boeing Air Transport became the first airline in the world to introduce a new service - an on-board air hostess. A pioneering group of eight women, headed by Ellen Church who herself came up with the idea, took to the skies that day. Church's idea was that the uncomfortable aircraft of the day needed a registered nurse on board to look after any possible needs of the passengers, and since Church herself was a registered nurse, she could do the job. Church had applied to be a pilot initially, but had been declined.

This uniform is the exact one worn by Ellen Church herself - except for the beret cap, which is a reproduction as the original had decayed quite badly.

The profession, which replaced sporadic passenger service previously provided by pilots and male baggage handlers, evolved over the years. Air hostesses soon became glamorized as air stewardesses, and were subject to strict standards in height, weight, age, appearance, and marital status. In the wild 1960s and early 1970s, air stewardesses often had to wear skimpy outfits as they were reduced to the male business passengers' sex objects. Feminism and labor rights evolution after that has re-defined the profession; married women, women of more modest appearance, and men have joined the profession, the title has become gender-neutral "flight attendant" or the even more respectful "cabin crew," and today's flight attendants are as much of safety professionals as they are hosts and hostesses.

As for Boeing Air Transport, a year after introducing air hostesses, it merged with three other airlines to form United Airlines. In fact, when one applies to become a flight attendant at United, s/he needs to remember that s/he is following the footsteps of the very first flight attendant, Ellen Church. (Forgetting that would mean flunking the interview.)