Coffee, Tea, or Hostess College? Braniff International Hostess College is a Trip Back to Groovier Times

Oh, if these walls could talk.

The secrets and gossip that must have seeped into the walls at 2801 Wycliff Ave. in Dallas surely would make a bestseller. And if you’re ready to put an ear to the sheetrock, the Dallas building once known as the Braniff International Hostess College is up for sale again.

In 1968 — the year The Beatles released their White Album, Richard Nixon was elected president, and mini skirts were all the rage — the Braniff International Hostess College was built. Five stories and 60,000 square feet made it a city landmark, and now it’s even listed on the National Register of Historic Places, too.

Flying High at Braniff International Hostess College

Dallas-based Braniff was the darling of the airline industry. Don’t believe it?

The hostesses — who were not yet dubbed flight attendants — got to call the college their home during their multi-week training. Nothing could have been groovier than the training site’s sunken living area with its modern metal fireplace.

“You could have people there, and you could see what was going on,” remembers Yvonne Crum, former hostess turned flight attendant turned retired. Although she herself was trained four to a room at a Holiday Inn, Crum often was at the hostess college for refresher courses. She saw it as a significant improvement over what earlier flight attendants experienced.

“It was all so modern and pristine,” Crum said. “Those of us who had been four to a room at the Holiday Inn were jealous.”

Cooler Than Cool

Braniff planes were painted jelly-bean colors. Even better than that were the hostess college graduates flew in very groovy Emilio Pucci uniforms in lavender, pink, orange, and green. Later, none other than designer Halston was hired to design the sleeker uniforms in more subtle colors with his icon “H” fabric.

Being hired to be a hostess was a coveted job, one that inspired entertainment such as the book “Coffee, Tea or Me?” and the curiosity of the public. Moving into the dormitory and training facility near Dallas Love Field was the beginning of a lifestyle seen as glamorous.

Looking the part — which was eye-catching — was part of the course work at the Braniff International Hostess College.  Nylons, shoes, and hair styles were checked with “a twirl around,” upon flight check-in.

“The Pucci uniform was a little on the wild side,” said Crum. “The colors were just outrageous.”

Prepare For Turbulence

Times changed. The airline industry was deregulated, and the airline was permanently grounded in 1982. Since then, the former home of Braniff hostesses has been bought and sold, bought and sold. It was recently destined to be transformed into a hotel, but a pandemic might have affected those plans. The decision was made for it to be sold again instead.

Centurion American, which purchased it in 2019, has listed the building with Davidson Bogel Real Estate. The price is undisclosed. To flight attendants like Crum, the facility and all its history is priceless. 

“It was so iconic,” she said. “It was so different to have all the flight attendants to be able to go there. It was a great time in aviation. It was a different time, passengers appreciated everything and flight attendants loved being there.”