Evening star., 1922-07-02

leges which have in their curricEla
special secretarial courses. Promi-
nent among them are Simmons Col
lege, Carnegie Institute of Technol-
ogy, Rockford College. Columbia
University. the University of Chicago.
Drexel Institute and Temple Univer-
sity. Among the technical equipment
necessary are thorough knowledge
of stenography. typewriting. good
penmanship. filing, dictation of many
types of letters on both personal and
business subjects. general knowledge
of music. art, history of foreign ma
tions. the lives Of important persons.
all branches of social etiquette and
even politics. The clever secretary Is
often responsible for the success of
very complicated and brilliant social
functions, and can do much to win
popularity for her employer. No two
positions as social secretary are iden-
tical in requirements and methods of
treatment to be used. Many of the
most successful social secretaries to-
work, and in nearly every case they
state that 1T Is primarily essential
that the aspirant for success in this
field be of a family holding good So
cial position.
Mrs. Hoover Aids Many
Mrs Herbert Hoover has done much
to help ambitious young girls from
her home state-California- ac-
quire social training and an insight
into the especially fascinating social
life of the Capital city by arranging
SO that different ones can visit her
and act as her social secretary while
here. In this way they get a prac-
tical as we'll as an unusually inter-
esting view of the complicated eti-
auette of Washington society, with
it's many distinct circles of social
standing
Probably the highest position to
which social secretary can hope to
attain in the United States is the
much-coveted position of social sec
retary to the first lady of the land.
This position was established by Mrs.
Theodore Roosevelt, who selected
Miss Isabel Hagner to be the first
Previously this work was handled by
urderseC"etarins in the executive
offices. Miss HaRner. now Mrs Nor
man James of Baltimore. was well
known in social. civic and political
circles. and knew Washington thor
oughly.
Similarly. Miss Alice Blech (Mrs.
Richard Wainwright. jr). who was
Mrs. Taft's secretary, possessed in
valuable knowledge of official and
diplomatic life. and was especially
noted as linguist. speaking French.
fiuently as English. Miss Katherine
Letterman was another social secre-
tary to Mrs. Taft. and Miss Edith
Benham 0ater Mrs. Helm. wife Of
Admiral Helm. u. S. NJ acted in this
capacity for Mrs. Woodrow Wilson.
family and later to the curtailment
Of all social activities necessitated by
a state of war. Miss Benham did not
have as many opportunities to prove
her abilities while in the White
House as the other social secretaries
there have enjoyed.
Miss Harlan Expert.
Miss Laura Harlan, social secretary
to Mrs. Harding. is acknowledged by
ject to be. by far the most efficient
and accomplished social secretary
ever I'm the White House. Although
she Is of Kentucky birth. Miss Har-
Ian sis generally considered a Wash
ingtonian, as she grew up here and
where her family has always been
recognized as one of the leading fam
lilies of Washington. Her father was
the late John M. Harlan. associate
Justice Of the Supreme Court of the
United States and renowned as
the Mount Vernon Seminary. and
later went to Miss Graham's School
for Girls in New York city. She
studied music extensively, and has a
fine contralto voice.
The excellent music which has be-
come feature of many of the
White House entertainments is
largely due to Miss Harlan's excel
lent musical judgment. She has
among her many duties assisting Mrs.
Harding in arranging lists Of guests
to be asked to some of the large
lA1 vrykf fA1 1N,r
an official nature. and relieves Mrs.
Harding of many other similar prob
lens. Because Mrs. Harding real
ICES that she is practically hostess to
the entire United States as well as
foreign guests Of note and believes In
really democratic hospitality, Miss
Harlan's duties are more numerous
and complicated than those of any
preceding social secretary at the
White House.
Ever since her fathers death Miss
Harlan has devoted more OF her time