| Creator | The School/Department of Household Economics |
| Title | The School/Department of Household/Home Economics records |
| Dates | 1900-1972 |
| Identification | RG 2202 |
| Quantity | 1.45 linear feet (4 boxes) |
| Collection Abstract | The records of the School/Department of Household/Home Economics cover the period prior to the opening of Simmons College in the beginning of the twentieth century to the Department's restructuring in 1973 into the Department of Nutrition. The bulk of these materials falls within the years covered by the Annual Reports to the President (1913-69) when the School was under the administration of Mary Schenck Woolman (1912-14), Dr. Alice F. Blood (1914-41), Dr. Elda Robb (1941-55) and Dr. Margaret Louise Ross (1956-70). Other School administrations that fall within the scope of these records, but are not as well-represented, include those of Sarah Louise Arnold (1903-12), Dr. Eleanor J. Gawne (1970-72) and Diana B. Abbott (1972-73). [Prof. Abbott continued to chair the Department of Nutrition until 1975]. The records of the School constitute 17.5 linear inches and contain "historical information", annual reports, program records, course announcements, bibliographies, course records and materials, correspondence, faculty records, publications (both Simmons and non-Simmons) and clippings. These records document the related forerunners to and origins of the Simmons College program in household economics, and the organization, development, and achievements that occurred in the School and which reflect home economics education in general in the United States, for the better part of the twentieth century. The records in this collection document the various directions taken at Simmons College in vocational and professional training in home economics in response to a variety of educational and social trends in the field, as well as in response to the necessities of two world wars. Such trends can be observed in the emphases placed on certain programs and requirements, the types of summer and extension courses offered, the ever-changing nature of the curriculum, the development of graduate programs and of training in child development and child care, the various associations and affiliations of the School with other schools, departments, colleges and institutions, and finally in the Department's ultimate reorganization into the Department of Nutrition. Of particular note in this collection are the Annual Reports to the President, which chronicle the yearly activities, schedules and recommendations of the School from 1913-69. Also of interest are the materials relating to the Women's Educational and Industrial Union (WEIU), the Boston Cooking School and various course materials, especially the sewing samples of a Household Economics student and food illustrations used for nutrition instruction. [Other materials relating to the activities of the School are held by the Simmons University Archives. For information on academic/administrative activities of department faculty, consult the records of the Faculty Council. For further information on the relationship between Simmons and the Boston Cooking School, see the Woman's Education Association collection. Information on related academic programs after 1973 are located in the records of the Department of Nutrition and of the Department of Education.] |
| Historical Abstract | The School/Department of Household Economics (later Home Economics) was part of Simmons College from its inception. In keeping with President Lefavour's belief that a broad background of knowledge as well as specific technical or professional training was important, students in professional programs were to take both science and liberal arts courses and professional/technical courses. In this department it is proposed to give courses in all subjects that are of advantage to a woman who has charge of an institution, a social settlement, or a private home, or who wishes to prepare for teaching the household arts or for nursing. These will include the construction of a house and its appropriate architecture, the plumbing, heating, lighting, and ventilation of a building, the artistic principles of house furnishing and decoration, the materials used in furnishing, their preservation and care; the laws of sanitation and health, the principles of cookery, the planning of meals and dietaries for people of different ages and conditions, food-values, and the proper economy of food; the care of accounts, the supervision of domestic servants, and the general sociological questions that are involved in the relations of employer and house assistants. The initial goals of the department's programs were to prepare students to manage a variety of institutions, with an emphasis on food preparation and service, and to teach household economics subjects, primarily cooking and sewing. |
| Language | Material in English. |
| Location | Collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Archives staff for more information. |
Collection is open.
Copyright for materials resides with Simmons University unless otherwise designated.
Please contact the University Archivist with requests to publish any material from the collection.
[Identification of item: description and date], The School/Department of Household/Home Economics records, RG 2202, Simmons University Archives, Boston, MA, USA.
Records were transferred to the Archives from the Nutrition Department and various alumnae, or were "found" in the Archives collection of vertical file materials, collected before the establishment of the Archives for the Libraries' "archives" collection. Check with the University Archivist for accession updates.
Accession number: 78.068, 78.171, 80.006, 81.001, 84.035, and unaccessioned vertical file records.
Processed by Elizabeth Balcom and Gary Yela, November 1985
Supervised by Megan Sniffin-Marinoff
The School/Department of Household Economics (later Home Economics) was part of Simmons College from its inception. The programs conformed to the purpose of the College, noted by Henry Lefavour, Simmons' first president:
The provisions in Mr. Simmons’ will founding the college and the act of incorporation leave no doubt that the principal character of the college is to be professional or industrial, and that everything done by the college must be in the nature of a direct contribution to a bread-winning career or fundamental to its acquisition." (1)
In keeping with President Lefavour's belief that a broad background of knowledge as well as specific technical or professional training was important, students in professional programs were to take both science and liberal arts courses and professional/technical courses. (2) The plan for the professional course in Household Economics in the 1902 preliminary announcement gives a sense of the College's aim:
In this department it is proposed to give courses in all subjects that are of advantage to a woman who has charge of an institution, a social settlement, or a private home, or who wishes to prepare for teaching the household arts or for nursing. These will include the construction of a house and its appropriate architecture, the plumbing, heating, lighting, and ventilation of a building, the artistic principles of house furnishing and decoration, the materials used in furnishing, their preservation and care; the laws of sanitation and health, the principles of cookery, the planning of meals and dietaries for people of different ages and conditions, food-values, and the proper economy of food; the care of accounts, the supervision of domestic servants, and the general sociological questions that are involved in the relations of employer and house assistants. (3)
In addition, courses for those interested in child care would be offered. (4)
The initial goals of the department's programs were to prepare students to manage a variety of institutions, with an emphasis on food preparation and service, and to teach household economics subjects, primarily cooking and sewing. Training for nursing was eventually handled by another department, but the two continued to cooperate. (5)
These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.
Collection is arranged into 4 series:
Part of the RG22.
These two folders consist of historical sketches, course catalogs and announcements, an exhibition catalog, a list of books and reports published by the Women's Educational and Industrial Union (WEIU), and news announcements. Folder 1 contains materials concerning the activities of the WEIU, and folder 2 contains information on Miss Farmer's School of Cookery and the Boston Cooking School's connection with Simmons College and the School of Household Economics.
Box 1
The Administrative records series consist of five subseries: annual reports to the President; program records; course records and materials; correspondence; and faculty records. The annual reports (Box 1, Folders 3-36, and Box 2) span the years from 1913-69, and cover the administrations of Mary Schenck Woolman (1912-14), Dr. Alice F. Blood (1914-41), Dr. Elda Robb (1941-55), and Dr. Margaret Louise Ross (1956-70). Annual reports were written by the directors of the School (and chairs of the departments), and generally include a summary of the year's activities, schedule of courses, classroom statistics, reports on the activities of the staff, lists of outside lecturers, recommendations for future changes, financial information and some printed materials issued by the department.
The Administrative records series consist of five subseries: annual reports to the President; program records; course records and materials; correspondence; and faculty records. The annual reports (Box 1, Folders 3-36, and Box 2) span the years from 1913-69, and cover the administrations of Mary Schenck Woolman (1912-14), Dr. Alice F. Blood (1914-41), Dr. Elda Robb (1941-55), and Dr. Margaret Louise Ross (1956-70). Annual reports were written by the directors of the School (and chairs of the departments), and generally include a summary of the year's activities, schedule of courses, classroom statistics, reports on the activities of the staff, lists of outside lecturers, recommendations for future changes, financial information and some printed materials issued by the department.
The course records and materials (Box 3, Folders 2-10; Box 4, Folder 1) are arranged by type of record and include course announcements, bibliographies, and course materials. The course announcements (Box 3, Folder 2) consist of mimeographed, non-published materials. The other course materials include a variety of items for a number of different courses. The material for Cookery 1 and 7 (Box 3, Folder 4) consists of instructional booklets published by Simmons College, entitled "Experiments and Recipes" [these are not included under the series on publications because they were designed, produced, and used specifically for Cookery 1]. There are two editions, 1912 and 1915, with the later edition extensively annotated by hand. There are also review questions and quizzes, assignments, and another Simmons publication, "Wheatless Recipes," developed by the class in Cookery 7 [again, not included with the publication series because it was a direct product of coursework, and is therefore considered course material].
The material for the "Sewing" course (Box 3, Folders 5-9) consists of fabrics, sewing samples, and texts, all belonging to a student named Adelaide A. Mayo, except for the last book. Mayo received her A.B. degree from Wellesley College in 1912, and then became a fourth-year student in Household Economics as a member of the Class of 1913. She does not, however, appear in any of the Registers of Graduates (Simmons College Catalogue, 1912-13, pp. 167 and 174). A number of sewing samples have instructor's comments attached to them. The texts include A Sewing Course, by Mary Schenck Woolman, 5th ed. revised (Washington, D.C.: Frederik A. Fernaid, 1911), The Dressmaker (New York: The Butterick Publishing Co., 1911), and Easy Ways to Pretty Frocks, by the Makers of Clark's O.N.T. Threads (New York: The Spool Cotton Co., 1928). Which course these materials were used for is difficult to determine. However, since Mayo was registered as a fourth-year student, the most likely courses appear to be Sewing 6, 8, 11, or B (see Simmons College Catalogue, 1912-13, pp. 55-61; pp. 89-90).
The "Nutrition" materials (Box 3, Folder 10) consist of a number of life-sized photographic, cardboard illustrations of foods which were intended as visual teaching aids and exhibit display pieces. A food models "Guide for Teachers and Other Leaders" is also included.
Correspondence on the new Master's program (Box 4, Folder 2) is arranged chronologically and includes copies of letters (all between Jan. 28 and Mar. 7, 1947) written by M. Catharine Starr, Assistant Professor of Home Economics Education, to the Journal of Home Economics and Practical Home Economics, and letters to Prof. Starr from Lorna Goodman, Business Manager of the Journal of Home Economics, and J.T. Emery, President of Practical Home Economics. All discuss advertising for the new Master's program at Simmons. Also included is a letter to alumnae of the School of Household Economics from the Director, Elda Robb, as well as prototypes for advertisements.
The faculty records (Box 4, Folder 3) consist of a questionnaire on organizational structure and decision making within the School (distributed by the Self-Study Committee to the faculty), and the set of answers given by Diana B. Abbott, who was Assistant Professor of Nutrition at the time (March 1964).
Box 1
Box 2-3
Box 4
This series consists of publications concerning the School that were published by Simmons College, but that do not relate directly to coursework. These materials consist of bulletins and announcements, a booklet prepared by the School entitled "What Do You See In Your Future?", and a "Selected List of Publications Relative to Food Economy," prepared by the Department of Household Economics for the Massachusetts Committee on Public Safety, distributed by the Free Library Commission of Massachusetts.
The most complete records are the announcements for the graduate courses and programs, which chronicle the development of the program (for information on the graduate program after 1973, see the records of the Department of Nutrition and the Department of Education).
[Publications of the Women's Educational and Industrial Union can be found in Box 1, Folder 1. Simmons publications concerning coursework are located in Box 3, Folder 4. Non-Simmons publications concerning coursework are located in Box 3, Folders 7-9.]
Box 4
The clippings record news about Simmons College Household/Home Economics students, the program, and its activities.
Box 4
