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.
| 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 & 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
|
| 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 D.Ped. from the New Yokr City College of
Teachers.
|
| 1932 |
Martha Van Rensselaer Hall built; Martha Van Rensselaer died
in New York City May 26, 1932.
|
| 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.
|
