America had
a top social class from our national inception until 1960. It is truly
tragic that this fact is virtually unknown. It is worse than tragic,
it is a disgrace to all of academia.
When I grew up there was a top social class that had membership in select clubs in every major city. Non-members of the top class were not permitted entry to the clubs. The members of this top class had books with listings of all the other members of the class. The books were called the 'blue books' or the 'social registry', you can see a copy here. (I have written about this before). All members of the top class knew their peers or knew how to reach their peers...these social registries had home addresses and phone numbers. The social registers were published from the founding of the country to 1960. Membership of the top social class was hereditary.
Entry to this top class was open to newly wealthy families, known as nouveau riche, after one generation if the next generation followed the proper code of behavior which included debutant balls, proper schools and colleges, proper military service, correct occupation and acceptance in the proper clubs.