This work looks behind the media image of upper-class women and observes how these women use their societal power not only to benefit other, less-fortunate people but also to benefit themselves and their families. The personal narratives of elite women as they describe their views on philanthropy, the need for exclusivity in their by-invitation-only volunteer organizations (such as the Junior League and The Links), their childhood experiences and college years in prestigious schools and sororities, and the debutante presentations and other upper-class rituals in which they participate are drawn from Diana Kendall's ethnographic research. Participating in meetings and social functions with elite women in several Texas cities, along with conducting systematic interviews, the author gained access to elite women across racial and ethnic categories. The text offers insights and knowledge on the upper classes and how the charitable activities of privileged women contribute to the process of legitimation, maintaining an ideology of class-based and race-based segregation in the United States.