FCS Timeline

By Hannah Scherbel

  • Population Growth

    The 1800s through the 1890s there was a dramatic population growth in cities due to the Industrial Revolution.

  • Morrill Act

    The Morrill Act motivated federal government to designate a parcel of land for a university in each state.
  • Ellen Swallow goes to College

    Ellen Swallow goes to College

    Ellen was admitted to Vassar College.
  • Vote to allow Ellen into MIT

    Vote to allow Ellen into MIT

    The Committee on the School of Industrial Science voted to admit Ellen Swallow as a Special Student in Chemistry.
  • Ellen marries Professor Robert H. Richards.

    Ellen marries Professor Robert H. Richards.

  • The Woman's Laboratory opened and Ellen was names assistant director.

  • Ellen Richards cofounded the Association of Collegiate Alumnae.

  • She worked in sanitation chemistry and it was the first time she was paid for her work.

  • Ellen served as a chemist to the Manufacturers Mutual Fire Insurance Company until 1894.

  • Term "New Woman" was first being used.

    Fashion was a method of showing the rise in women's societal stature. Hemlines were rising, corsets were being discarded, and hair was being worn shorter than ever before,

  • Subsequent legislation established historically Black Land Grant institutions.

  • Rumford Kitchen

    Rumford Kitchen

    The creation of the Rumford Kitchen at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. They served inexpensive, nutritious meals and educated people about nutrition and proper food preparation.

  • First Summer Conference at Lake Placid

    Ellen and her colleagues organized a summer conference at Lake Placid to define standards for teacher training and certification in the new field of home economics.

  • 10th Annual Conference where they formed the American Home Economics Association

  • Ellen spear-headed the inception of the Journal of Home Economics

  • Ellen Swallow Richars Died

  • National Honor Society established at Michigan Agricultural College

  • Women gained right to vote

  • Smith-Lever Act

    Established the Cooperative Extension Service

  • Smith-Hughes Act

  • Perkins Act

  • U.S joined Great Britain and France in World War 1

    Women began working in factories in order to replace many of the workers serving in the miltary. Home economists provided nutrtion education to military personnel, served as volunteers and nurses, and designed programs for conserving and preserving war rations.

  • Economic prosperity contributed to more disposable income.

  • Home economics association adopted the Betty Lamp as a symbol of the association.

    Home economics association adopted the Betty Lamp as a symbol of the association.

  • New York stock market crashed

  • New homes, jobs, fashion, and ideas for parenting and educating women.

    1940s-1950s

  • Civil Rights movement made great advances

  • World War II.

    Women had a huge role during the role back home, just like during the first World War.

  • Florence Low served as President of the American Home Economics Assocation

  • Civil Rights was amended including gender.

  • Women's Liberation Movement

    Presidential Commission of the Status of Women questioned the unequal treatment of women, giving birth to the Women's Liberation Movement.

  • Annual AHEA meeting

    A feminist leader at a AHEA annual meeting claimed the home economics were manipulating women as consumers and idealizing the traditional nuclear family and that she was adderessing "the enemy". The leaders within the profession critically-analyzed the role of home economics society so the profession became very career-focused.

  • Growth and Prosperity

    Consumerism was at an all-time high.

  • Nature of families changed.

  • Electronic age - access to interent and world wide web

  • The term "home economics" seemed outdated and irrelevant

  • A group set forth to find a new name for Home Economics.

    At a conference in Scottsdale a group set forth to develop a new conceptual framework for describing the purpose, mission, and visioin of home economics.

  • Annual convention of AHEA

    Members voted to change the name of organization to American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences.