The Correct Thing - To Do - To Say - To Wear - By Charlotte Hawkins Brown

Jul 30, 2026

An etiquette guide for young people that frames “correct” behavior through the daily practice of manners, respect, and social graces. The work explains how to conduct oneself in social settings—guided by principles of kindness, consideration, and respect—while acknowledging changing times and outdated specific examples. Aimed at helping families connect the timeless rules to modern life, it emphasizes right and wrong codes of contact and encourages courteous interaction with guests, peers, and teachers.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLifestyle

FormatPDF

Pages156

Reading Time4 h 0 min

Foreword

Preface

Charlolle Haukins Broun https://archive.org/details/bwb_O9-AIB-153 # THE CORRECT THING MULTICULTURALSTUDENTPROGRAMS AND SERVICESINTERCULTURAL CENTER210 LAFoRTUNE STUDENT CENTERNoTRE DAME,IN46556 "Manners must adorn knowledge and smooth itsway in the world;without them it is like a greatrough diamond,very well in a closet by way ofcuriosity,and also for its intrinsic value;but mostprized when polished.” "I have to live with myself and soI want to be fit for myself to know.I want to be able as days go by Always to look myself straight in the eye.I don't want to stand with the setting sunAnd hate myself for the things I've done.” # The Correct Thing To Do - To Say - To Wear - ByCHARLOTTE HAWKINS BROWN BOSTON The Christopher Publishing HouseBoston,U.S.A. Reprinted by the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Historical Foundation,Inc.◎2003 COPYRIGHT 1941BY CHARLOTTE HAWKINS BROWN SECOND PRINTING,1943THIRD PRINTING,1945FOURTH PRINTING,1948FIRST REPRINTING,1990SECOND REPRINTING,2003 Grateful acknowledgment is given to the followingorganizations for making the reprinting of thispublication possible: Charlotte Hawkins Brown Historical Foundation,Inc.Sedalia,North Carolina Marion Stedman Covington FoundationGreensboro,North Carolina North Carolina Department of Cultural ResourcesDivision of State Historic SitesRaleigh,North Carolina Printed in Canada Book production by Whitline Ink IncorporatedPost Office Box 668Boonville,NC 27011e-mail:whitlineink@yadtel.net(336)367-6914 Production note:When this book was originally published,there were manydifferences in book production regarding style,usage,procedure,and technol-ogy.The goal of this reprinting was to maintain the original formatting,styleand appearance,although minor changes have been made in some instances. ## FOREWORD This reprinting of The Correct Thing To Do,To Say,To Wear is indeed a testament to the determination ofits writer,Dr.Charlotte Hawkins Brown,founder andlong-time president of Palmer Memorial Institute.Dr.Brown strove to make her concepts and precepts,as ex-pressed in this slim volume,second nature to her stu-dents.We were subtly taught that“Good Manners”arecolor-less!Many of us were used as role models in var-ious situations throughout the book which,of course,fills us with a special pride in our cultural upbringingat Palmer.This education has enabled numerous peersand former schoolmates in later years to be equally atease in the presence of “Cabbages and Kings.” We are two of the three nieces of Dr.CharlotteHawkins Brown and lived with her in Canary Cottage,her home on the Palmer campus,during most of ourformative years.Canary Cottage was the training groundwhere we and our fellow Palmerites virtually"lived bythe book,"with formal teas,lawn socials,"At Home”gatherings and other activities. Every generation has its own ideas of what is or isnot socially acceptable,but the basic rules of contactin the world’s society still demand “Good Taste.” —Charlotte Hawkins Sullivanand Maria Cole(February 1990) ## PREFACE In recent years,public discussions on behavior andmanners took center stage on television and on edito-rial pages.Not only are we rude,disrespectful,and dis-courteous,but our children are as well.This sad stateof American society has led many school boards anduniversity trustees to consider including "character edu-cation”in their curriculum. Character education,however,is nothing new.Atthe Alice Freeman Palmer Memorial Institute,an ac-claimed private school for African American youth,character education happened everyday.Palmer stu-dents were expected to practice correct manners,toshow respect to their teachers and peers,and to exceedthe high standards set for them by the school's founder,Dr.Charlotte Hawkins Brown.Fine manners and thesocial graces,she believed,were not an issue of blackor white,but an issue of right and wrong.There werecorrect and incorrect codes of behavior,and Dr.Brownfelt her students would achi

FAQs

What does the book teach readers to do, say, and wear?

It provides etiquette guidance focused on proper manners in social life, covering how to act (“To Do”), how to communicate appropriately (“To Say”), and how to present oneself socially (“To Wear”).

Why does the preface discuss character education and behavior?

It argues that character education and good manners are not new, describing how the author’s institute expected students to practice respectful conduct every day.

Is The Correct Thing still relevant if some guidelines seem outdated?

The preface notes that specific details may be outdated, but the core rules of graciousness, permission-seeking, and respect remain applicable for modern life.

Jul 30, 2026

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