Boeing Air Transport, a precursor of United Air Lines, began carrying
passengers in 1927 on small, uncomfortable airplanes with few amenities.
Steve Stimpson, manager of Boeing's San Francisco office, considered
hiring stewards to alleviate passengers' concerns. Ellen Church
convinced him that employing women, especially nurses, as stewardesses
would be a visionary solution. Eight brave young women entered Boeing's
brief training program in Cheyenne in May 1930, making them the first
airline stewardesses in the world. In 1947, United Air Lines established
its Stewardess Training Center in Cheyenne, operating for nearly two
decades. Authors Starley Talbott and Michael Kassel celebrate the
world's first stewardesses, as well as the thousands who followed in
their footsteps.