Barometric Pressure Record Would Have Given Wensell Frantzich More to Talk About

When the barometric pressure in Bigfork Minnesota plummeted to 28.20 on Tuesday, October 26, possibly setting a U.S. record, I couldn't help but think of Wensell Frantzich's barometric pressure lecture in NWA stewardess school, circa 1957.He would have loved to expound on this week's phenomena.

He called his lecture "Your Boyfriend and the Weather." It was part of our very cursory introduction to meteorology. When we settled into the classroom eagerly (?) awaiting his wisdom, he asked us a question. "When was the last time you had a fight with your boyfriend?" (Remember, those were the days when stewardesses were not allowed to be married.) He would then look up the weather report for that day and proceed to patiently explain the correlation between barometric pressure and human behavior. We would be amazed and gratified to find a "reason" for our altercations, regardless of their substance or lack, thereof, or whose fault we perceived it to be (the boyfriend or us.)

Wensell also taught first aid for the NWA Training Division. Above is the only photo of him I could unearth in the NWA History Centre archives yesterday. He is demonstrating on stewardess-in-training Mary Kay Racine. I'll bet there are more (at least better) photos - perhaps easily retrievable someday by an electronic archival cataloging system. Maybe in my lifetime? One can only hope. As soon as I raise enough money to re-upholster the pair of Boeing B-377 Stratocruiser seats donated to the museum, I'll turn my attention to archive cataloging. It's been fun to remember Wensell Frantzich. He had a great sense of humor.

So - last Tuesday on the fateful low pressure day? How did your personal interactions fare?

I was feeling no pressure at all - that I remember, anyway.