New York State College of Home Economics records

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: 23-2-749

Abstract

Collection includes administrative records; records of the College's involvement with government, educational, and private organizations at the national, state, and local levels; College activities within divisions of the University; the College's involvement in World War I, World War II, ; student activities of undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni; teaching and research studies and reports; and extension work. Also included is a large amount of material related to the history of the College of Home Economics, Martha Van Rensselaer, Flora Rose, and their correspondence previous to 1921.

Dates

1875-1979.

Creator

New York State College of Home Economics (Organization)
Babbitt, Kathleen. (Person)
Troy, Hugh. (Person)
New York State College of Human Ecology (Organization)

Language of Materials

Collection material in English

ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY

Home Economics began as part of the Extension Service in 1900 with the arrival of Martha Van Rensselaer and the establishment of the Farmers' Wives Reading Course. In 1903-1904 Martha Van Rensselaer and Anna Botsford Comstock taught three courses within the College of Agriculture at Cornell University, relating to home and family life. In 1907 the Department of Home Economics was established at Cornell, with Martha Van Rensselaer and Flora Rose as its first instructors. In 1911 the two women became the first full-time female faculty members at Cornell. The Department of Home Economics became a school in 1919 and in 1925, the first state chartered College of Home Economics in the country. In 1969 it was renamed the New York State College of Human Ecology.

CHRONOLOGY: COLLEGE OF HOME ECONOMICS

1900 Martha Van Rensselaer arrived at Cornell to organize a reading course for farmers' wives
1901 First bulletin of the Cornell Reading Course for Farmer's Wives, Saving Steps, published and distributed
1903 Three courses relating to home and family life offered for credit at Cornell University
1905 First winter course taught in home economics. The program was non-credit, open to any woman in the state, and it continued until 1921
1907 First curriculum for the four-year course in home economics completed
Flora Rose joined the staff of home economics
Department of Home Economics established
1909 Martha Van Rensselaer received her A.B. from Cornell University
1911 First three students graduated from the Department of Home Economics
Martha Van Rensselaer and Flora Rose granted the first full professorships for women at Cornell
1912 Martha Van Rensselaer and Flora Rose voted members of the Cornell faculty and named co-directors of the Department of Home Economics in the College of Agriculture
1913 Department of Home Economics moved into its own building, called Comstock Hall, today the Computing and Communications Center
1914 Smith-Lever Act passed by United States Congress
1919 Department of Home Economics became the School of Home Economics within the New York State College of Agriculture
1922 Department of Hotel Administration established in the School of Home Economics
First M.S. in Home Economics awarded to Amy L. Hunter
1923 Martha Van Rensselaer named one of the twelve greatest women in the country by the League of Women Voters
1925 New York State College of Home Economics established at Cornell
Purnell Act made federal research funding available through 1930
1930 First Ph.D. in Home Economics at Cornell University awarded to Helen Canon
1932 Martha Van Rensselaer died
1933 College of Home Economics moved into Martha Van Rensselaer Hall
1936 Flemmie Kittrell awarded a Ph.D. in Home Economics, the first African American in the United States to earn such a degree
1940 Flora Rose retired and Mary Henry appointed acting director of the College
1941 Sarah Blanding appointed director of the College
1942 Sarah Blanding became the first female dean at Cornell
1944 Van Rensselaer and Rose Lectures established to bring distinguished women, such as Margaret Mead, to campus
1946 Sarah Blanding resigned to become first female president of Vassar College
Elizabeth Vincent appointed dean of the College
Home Economics Education became a department in the College
1947 First television broadcast planned and produced by the College of Home Economics
Catherine Personius, Head of the Department of Food and Nutrition, appointed coordinator of research and assistant director of Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station
1949 College of Home Economics became one of thirty-two constituent units of the State University of New York (SUNY)
1952 Mann Library opened, combining the libraries of the College of Agriculture and the College of Home Economics
1953 Elizabeth Vincent retired
Helen Canoyer became dean of the College
1954 The School of Hotel Administration separated from the College of Home Economics and became its own college, with H. B. Meek as dean
1955 Home Bureau Federation established
1958 Fifty-seven home economists from twenty countries gathered for the first time at the Institute and Workshop on International Education in Home Economics
1959 Flora Rose died
1960 Catherine Personius elected as the first female faculty trustee
1962 Television and Film Center completed
1963 Ghana Project established to assist women's education in Africa
1964 Home Economics International Activities Office established
1966 Head Start Program initiated
President's Committee to Study the College of Home Economics convened with Sara Blackwell as chair
1967 Final report of the President's Committee to Study the College of Home Economics submitted
1968 North Wing of Martha Van Rensselaer Hall dedicated
Dean Helen Canoyer retired
1969 David Knapp appointed dean
New York State College of Home Economics reorganized and renamed the New York State College of Human Ecology

CHRONOLOGY: MARTHA VAN RENSSELAER

June 21, 1864 Born in Randolph, New York
1884 Graduated from Chamberlain Institute, Randolph, New York
For 10 years taught in public schools of western New York
1894 Elected school commissioner of Cattaraugus County, New York and served for 6 years.
1896-1903 Lecturer in teacher's institutes and Secretary of the State Summer School at Chautauqua.
1900 Called to Cornell and started educational extension courses.
1907 Instructor in Home Economics at Cornell.
1909 A.B. degree from Cornell.
1911 Professor at Cornell.
1914-1916 President of the American Home Economics Association.
1917 During World War I made head of the food conservation work in New York State and was appointed to the office of director of the food conservation division of the U.S. Food Administration by Herbert Hoover.
1920 Appointed joint head of Home Economics at Cornell with Flora Rose.
1923 Sent to Belgium to study the educational needs of women for the Commission for Relief in Belgium.
1929 Appointed director of the White House Conference for Child Health and Protection by Herbert Hoover.
1930 Received honorary degree in Pedagogy from the New York State College for Teachers in Albany, New York.
1932 Martha Van Rensselaer Hall built; Martha Van Rensselaer died in New York City May 26, 1932.

CHRONOLOGY: FLORA ROSE

October 13, 1874 Born in Denver, Colorado.
1932-1940 Instructor at Kansas State Agricultural College.
1904 B.S. from Kansas State Agricultural College.
1907-1911 Lecturer at Cornell in Home Economics.
1909 M.S. from Columbia University.
1911-1940 Professor and head of the Department of Home Economics at Cornell.
1917-1919 Director of food conservation program in New York
1923 Belgian study of nutrition of school children for the Educational Foundation of the Commission on Relief for Belgium.
1924 Member of Weight Control Conference called by New York Academy of Medicine and the American Medical Association.
1931 Ph.D. from Albany State Teachers College.
1932-1940 Director of the College of Home Economics.
1940 Retired from Cornell as Emeritus Director.
July 25, 1959 Died in LaJolla, California.

CHRONOLOGY: FLORA ROSE

October 13, 1874
: Born in Denver, Colorado.
1932-1940
: Instructor at Kansas State Agricultural College.
1904
: B.S. from Kansas State Agricultural College.
1907-1911
: Lecturer at Cornell in Home Economics.
1909
: M.S. from Columbia University.
1911-1940
: Professor and head of the Department of Home Economics at Cornell.
1917-1919
: Director of food conservation program in New York
1923
: Belgian study of nutrition of school children for the Educational Foundation of the Commission on Relief for Belgium.
1924
: Member of Weight Control Conference called by New York Academy of Medicine and the American Medical Association.
1931
: Ph.D. from Albany State Teachers College.
1932-1940
: Director of the College of Home Economics.
1940
: Retired from Cornell as Emeritus Director.
July 25, 1959
: Died in LaJolla, California.

Extent

79 cubic feet. (79 cubic feet.)

Additional Description

SERIES LIST

Series I. Administration and Personnel records, 1906-1977,

Boxes 1-10, 60-63, 78-82, 85-86

Administrative records are filed by council, committee, or department; personnel records are filed alphabetically within the category of their employment including academic staff, department staff, and graduate students.

Series II. Cooperation of the College with Governmental, Educational, and Private Organizations, 1916-1959.

Boxes 10-15

Records are filed by groups designated as either government related, educational institutions, or private organizations. Files are also broken down into national, state, or local designations.

Series III. All College Activities, 1909-1979

Boxes 15-17, 73, 76

Filed by topics including Cooperation with College of Agriculture; Divisions of the University; SUNY; and Farmers Institute and Farmers Week, and Home Economics/Human Ecology Alumni Institutes (1952-1979.)

Series IV. World War I, World War II, and Wartime, Defense, and Relief Work, 1917-1947.

Boxes 17-19

Includes material about the U.S. Food Administration, Thrift Program, food conservation effort, National Defense Program, New York State Emergency Food Commission, New York State War Council, and Flora Rose's work with Belgian War Relief.

Series V. Student Activities, ca.1918-1969.

Boxes 19-21, 51, 65, 74, 83

Includes material about undergraduate and graduate programs, homemaking apartments, summer sessions, winter courses, nursing, fellowships, scholarships, international students, student organizations, the graduate staff organization, and alumni studies and surveys.

Series VI. Teaching and Research Series, 1911-1967.

Boxes 21-23, 84, 87, 89

Includes studies and reports including state projects on child development and family relationships, home economics education, textiles and clothing, housing and design, institutional management, hotel administration, and miscellaneous projects and reports. Also includes a history of research and the college research committee.

Series VII. Extension Series, 1901-1948.

Boxes 24-25

Includes general information with an early history of extension, material about extension publications, and Farmers' Wives Reading Course and Clubs material and booklets, 1901-1940.

Series VIII. Correspondence

Boxes 25-26, 70-72, 75, 102

Between Martha Van Rensselaer and Flora Rose with Cornell staff including A. R. Mann, Liberty Hyde Bailey, W. A. Stocking, Cornelius Betten, Jacob G. Schurman; Extension staff including R. H. Wheeler and M. C. Burritt; with agriculture professors; with politicians including the Hoovers and Roosevelts; and invitations and calling cards.

Series IX. Furnishings, 1927-1954.

Boxes 27-32, 100

Includes blueprints, sketches, photographs, samples, specifications, orders, estimates, plans, inventories, and printed material about the building of Martha Van Rensselaer Hall and all of the College of Home Economics office spaces, departments,classroom facilities, practice apartments, and laboratories.

Series X. College History, 1875-1965.

Boxes 33-38, 52-54, 56-57

This series was artificially created and includes material taken from other series, it depicts a history of the college from several research points including the history of Martha Van Rensselaer's life, Flora Rose's life, a small amount of material about the deanship of Sarah G. Blanding; annua1 reports of the college; Belgian War Relief material collected by Flora Rosa; material about the College Bill which was a state bill to start the College of Home Economics; and includes correspondence, telegrams, clip pings, photographs, printed material, biographical sketches, reminiscences, minutes of meetings and committees, conference material, and interviews.

Series XI. Photographs, Negatives, Slides, Videos, Motion Pictures, ca.1900-1968.

Boxes 39-43, 49, 55, 64, 68, 77, 90,96, 100, 101, 106

With early photos and a tintype of Martha Van Rensselaer's family. Photographs are identified and described, most are dated. They are arranged by topics including resident teaching, public relations efforts, all-college activities, administration and personnel, departments and divisions, buildings and equipment, and history of the College.

Series XII. Printed Material, 1895-1970.

Boxes 44-47, 66, 67, 88, 98-99, 102, 103, 104. 110

With reports, programs, announcements, schedules, calendars, pamphlets, booklets, and volumes concerning the College of Home Economics including programs of the Homemakers' Conference; programs of the Annual Convention of the Association of Land-Grant Colleges; Home Economics News; Belgian publications (in French); and Farmers Wives Reading Course Booklets, 1901 - 1940.

Series XIII. Scrapbooks and Miscellany, 1902-1962.

Boxes 40, 48-50, 58-59, 64, 91-95, 97, 105

Includes scrapbooks about the Farmers' Wives Reading Course, 1902-1912; Farm and Home Week Special, 1946; "Let's Make a Dress"; a letterbook with copies of Martha Van Rensselaer's letters,1902-1905; Dean Canoyer's desk calendars; and diplomas, a broadside, and an etching done by Anna Botsford Comstock.

RELATED MATERIAL

Additional material and digital versions can be found online here: http://ecommons.library.cornell.edu/handle/1813/22044

Human Ecology Historical Photographs website: http://he-photos.library.cornell.edu

See also New York State College of Human Ecology records, #23-2-2817; #21-24-1975, #23-11-4061, Cornell University Cooperative Extension records; and #21-24-692, 4-H Club records for related material

Annual Reports:

There are two major sets of annual reports of the New York State College of Home Economics, and later of the New York State College of Human Ecology. Both sets have been cataloged separately as serials, with the collection number 23-2-2523. One set, consisting of published reports to the New York State Legislature, is cataloged under these successive titles:

Annual report of the New York State College of Home Economics (1st-44th, 1926-1969)
Annual report of the New York State College of Human Ecology at Cornell University (45th-58th, 1970-1982/83)
Human Ecology at Cornell (1983/84-1987/88)
Report of the New York State College of Human Ecology (1988/89- )

The other set, consisting of typescript unpublished reports to Cornell University, is cataloged under these successive titles:

Annual report to the president of Cornell University (1951/52-1958/59)
Annual report to Cornell University (1959/60-1968/69)
New York State College of Human Ecology annual report (1969/70-2012/13)

Since 2013, the report has been available exclusively online. We retain printouts of it. Reports less than 10 years old are restricted.

Physical Description

Correspondence, photographs, course materials, records, pamphlets, booklets, compact disks, videos, audio tapes, and ephemera.

General

Contact Information:: Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections 2B Carl A. Kroch Library Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 (607) 255-3530 Fax: (607) 255-9524 rareref@cornell.edu http://rmc.library.cornell.edu
Compiled by:: NYS College of Home Economics
Date completed:: 2001
EAD encoding:: Peter Martinez, March 2002Evan Fay Earle, June 2009
Last modified:: Marcie Farwell, October 2018

General

See also New York State College of Human Ecology records, #23-2-2817.

General

See also Cornell University Cooperative Extension records, #21-24-1975.

General

See also New York State College of Human Ecology annual reports, #23-2-2523.

General

Boxes 70, 71, 72, and 75 have been removed and transferred to collection #23-11-4061, New York State College of Human Ecology Alumni Affairs and Development Office records