Finishing schools have largely disappeared, but the ones that remain have a different focus – Reading Eagle

Miss Porter’s School, a college preparatory school founded in 1843 by Sarah Porter in Farmington, Conn., is just one example of the early finishing schools that women flocked to in order to learn the ins and outs of social behavior as well as being a proper wife and mother, says Vanity Fair. Famous alumni include Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Lilly Pulitzer and heiresses of Kellogg’s cereal and Pillsbury, along with women from extremely wealthy families such as the Rockefellers and Forbeses.

While some finishing schools included academic lessons in their curriculum (mostly for the intent of becoming more “interesting” women to husbands and society, rather than to educate), like English, history lessons, and fine arts, all finishing schools taught social manners and sometimes embroidery, needlework, horseback riding, cooking, cleaning and table manners.

While this type of education might sound like an easy one compared to the regular academic institutions girls attend today, 20th century finishing schools weren’t all charm. At Porter’s school, strict rules were enforced that students today would gawk at. Phone calls to students could only be answered during emergencies, they could not leave the school grounds without permission and were seldom allowed to leave, and they were, surprisingly, advised to avoid conversing with people in town. Not only that, they couldn’t play cards, chew gum, read popular novels of the day, fix or smooth hair when eating, or, oddly enough, crumble cookies into ice cream.

Since most finishing schools solely aimed to mold young women into successful socialites, wives and mothers, it seems fairly outdated in today’s feminist climate, which encourages women to be whatever they want to be: businesswomen, politicians, spokeswomen, writers and mothers.

However, the small population of finishing schools that still exist (Switzerland used to be the hub for daughters of wealthy Europeans and royalty, but only one stands today) are giving students a major edge in the world of business by perfecting manners, teaching customs in different countries and sharpening their social etiquette, says the New York Post about the Institut Villa Pierrefeu in Switzerland.

“Lots of people have MBAs, but few have the extra knowledge we can give them,” says school Principal Viviane Neri in the article. “People now realize that good manners make for good business.”

Women (and just recently, men) learn everything from detailed customs in 20 countries and how to make the trendiest desserts to styling flowers, properly decorating a table and serving tea in just six weeks and 216 hours of classes, according to Time magazine.

A diverse array of women now attend the school: princesses, wealthy lawyers, industry leaders, presidents’ daughters and doctors.

Same schools, different goals.

“The motive is not marriage; it’s money,” says Time.