A Woman of Distinction

Susan Manning Middlecott grows up in a wealthy New England family and excels academically, earning her bachelor's, master's, and doctorate. She becomes a teacher and then enlists during World War II, staying on to care for French orphans after the war.

Shortly after returning from WWII, Susan becomes the dean of Benton College in New England, a position that becomes central to her life. She lives with her father Mark and raises her adopted daughter Louisa, devoting herself to her work.

Susan is featured on the cover of Time Magazine for her accomplishments in education. The spotlight attracts attention from colleagues, including a French department professor who expresses interest, but Susan insists she has no time for romance.

British astronomy professor Alec Stevenson arrives in the United States to present a lecture tour. He becomes entwined with Susan through a publicity scheme involving a locket that Teddy wants to deliver.

Publicist Teddy Evans is told Alec has a locket belonging to Susan and he tracks down the jeweler to obtain Susan's Connecticut address. This sets up the misused storyline about a romance for publicity.

Teddy invents the story that Alec and Susan are involved in a romance to boost publicity for the lecture. Susan sees the article and decides to confront him, boarding a train to Boston.

Alec and Susan unknowingly share the same train to Boston. A confrontation leads to a public dispute when a photographer captures them getting off the train, and Susan strikes Alec with her purse.

Susan immediately boards a return train to Connecticut, with Alec following to explain. He reveals that the locket came from a concentration camp prisoner named Benoit and that he was delivering it at the prisoner’s request; Susan remains defensive.

Susan's father, Mark, invites Alec to visit; he suggests Susan should make time for romance. Susan and her daughter escape to the family cabin, where Alec's private observatory is located.

The next morning, Susan joins a cycling outing with friends, but Alec insists on joining as a rider. He has mishaps with the bike, and at a lake Susan slips into plants she believes are poison ivy; Alec applies mud to ease itching.

The couple attend a college dance, but a misunderstanding prompts Susan to leave with a student. The student then causes trouble by drag racing with another car, jeopardizing her career.

Teddy plants the sensational rumor that Alec is the father of Susan's little girl. Susan's job is placed in jeopardy by the publicity storm as Alec tries to cover for her, claiming they are actually married, while a professor also lends support to the lie.

Facing pressure from a board that believes idle gossip, Susan resigns from Benton College. She refuses to let the romance drama derail her life and resolves to decide what matters most.

She hurries to catch Alec at the train station, implying a final attempt to reconcile personal life with professional life. The film leaves her ultimate choice open, focusing on the tension between love and career.