The legacy of Cornell home economics


 

Since Martha Van Rensselaer’s arrival on campus in 1900 to start a correspondence course for farmer’s wives, the field of home economics – now encompassed by the College of Human Ecology – has been a mainstay at Cornell.

A new sesquicentennial exhibit, “The History of the Home Economics Fellowship: Reflections on an Evolving Field,” in Mann Library celebrates this legacy. It presents more than two decades of scholarship on Cornell home economists’ influence on improving living standards for millions and increasing women’s access to higher education. Curated by College of Human Ecology archivist Eileen Keating and designed by administrative assistant Angelica Hammer, the display presents research by past fellows, some of whom selected rare texts and photos from the Cornell archives for inclusion.

The exhibit tells how the fellowship was created in 1992 by then Human Ecology dean Francille Firebaugh on the heels of a widely attended conference at Cornell, “Rethinking Women and Home Economics in the 20th Century.” Now in its 23rd year, fellows have used Cornell’s holdings to explore early career opportunities for home economists, ergonomics in the kitchen and other parts of the home, the advent and commercialization of baby food and many other topics.

Among the materials on display are copies of a letter from New York Gov. Franklin Delano Roosevelt and a telegram from President Herbert Hoover upon Van Rensselaer’s death in 1932.

An opening reception will be held Thursday, April 16 at 4:30 p.m., in conjunction with a talk by 2014 Dean’s Fellowship recipient Barbara Penner, senior lecturer at University College London Bartlett School of Architecture, in 102 Mann Library.