Amy Vanderbilt (July 22, 1908 - December 27, 1974) was a U.S. authority on etiquette. In 1952 she published the best selling book Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Book of Etiquette. The book, later retitled Amy Vanderbilt's Etiquette, has been updated and is still in circulation today. The most recent edition (ISBN 0385413424) was edited by Nancy Tuckerman and Nancy Dunnan. Its longtime popularity has lead to it being considered a standard of etiquette writing. 22 July is the 203rd day (204th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 162 days remaining. ... 1908 (MCMVIII) is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ... The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America, the States, or (archaically) Columbia—is a federal republic of 50 states located primarily in central North America (with the exception of two states: Alaska and Hawaii). ... Etiquette is the code that governs the expectations of social behavior, the conventional norm. ...

Vanderbilt descended from either an uncle or brother of Cornelius Vanderbilt and is therefore not an official descendant-member of the Vanderbilt family. She was born in New York City and worked as a part-time reporter for the Staten Island Advance when she was 16. She was educated in Switzerland and at the Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn before attending New York University. She worked in advertising and public relations, and published her famous book after five years of research. From 1954 to 1960 she hosted the television program It's in Good Taste and from 1960 to 1962 she hosted the radio program The Right Thing To Do. She also worked as a consultant for several agencies and organizations, including the U.S. Department of State. Cornelius Vanderbilt Cornelius Vanderbilt (May 27, 1794 – January 4, 1877) was a U.S. entrepreneur who built his wealth in shipping and railroads and was the patriarch of the Vanderbilt family. ... This article details the family of Cornelius Vanderbilt. ... The construction of the Empire State Building, 1930. ... The Staten Island Advance is a daily newspaper published in the borough of Staten Island in New York City. ... Packer Collegiate Institute is an independent, private, college prepatory school for students from prekindergarten through high school. ... A map highlighting Brooklyn and the rest of New York City. ... New York University (NYU) is a major research university in New York City. ... The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, equivalent to foreign ministries in other countries. ...

On December 27, 1974, she died from multiple fractures of the skull after falling from a second-floor window in her townhouse on East 87th Street in New York. To this day, it is not clear whether her fall was accidental (most likely due to the medications she took for hypertension, which friends and relatives later said caused her to have severe dizzy spells) or whether she committed suicide. For other forms of hypertension see hypertension (disambiguation) Hypertension or high blood pressure is a medical condition where the blood pressure is chronically elevated. ... It has been suggested that Suicide and culture be merged into this article or section. ...

External links

• Women in history: Amy Vanderbilt