The first time I came face to face with resistance to equal opportunities for women was in 1966. I was managing a fast-food franchise and found it difficult to attract qualified men to work in the restaurant during the daytime hours.
This restaurant chain was an all-male business at the time. I knew there was a rule against hiring women, but it occurred to me that the same traits homemakers needed to keep a home running smoothly, such as cleanliness, hospitality, and caring, were also needed in running a restaurant. So I hired eight women to work the order-taking positions.
This was a first for the organization. Once it was discovered, the corporate office asked my employer—the franchise owner—to terminate me, as well as the women.
