Interview conducted by Carol McLaughlin on February 26, 1999.
Final transcript
The interview describes Yvonne V. Olivier’s experiences as a flight attendant, purser and flight director for Pan American World Airways from 1946 to 1982; her work with the Research and Development department; training as a flight attendant in San Francisco in 1946 and subsequent work; attitudes of male flight attendants toward female hires; describes the Treasure Island terminal in 1942; advancement to purser and flight director; seniority system; her role in organization of flight attendants into the Transport Workers Union; experiences as the first female flight attendant to work on the San Francisco to Manila route; routes she flew: Pacific Division from San Francisco to Honolulu, Wake Island, Manila, Guam, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Guatemala City, Calcutta, Delhi, Bangkok, Fiji, and Auckland, Atlantic Division route from New York to South Africa (Johannesburg), and the ‘round-the-world route; aircraft: Douglas DC-4, DC-6, Lockheed Constellation, Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, 707, 747; encounters with John Lindbergh (Pan American’s Director of Research and Development), Charles Lindbergh, Juan Trippe, Harold Gray, General Carlos Romulos (Philippine Ambassador to the United States), Loretta Young, Charlton Heston, Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, and Cary Grant; in-flight incident over Rangoon involving a passenger security issue; changes she observed over time in air travel; thoughts about the demise of Pan American.
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