-
Benjamin Thompson (Count Rumford) (1753-1814)
Excellent soldier and scientist in his day. Studied a lot about heat as well as nutrition. The first to label nutrition as a science and invented many things including a kitchen range with temperature controls, drip coffeepot, and the double boiler. -
Catharine Beecher (1800-1878)
She founded several female seminaries, teaching a full range of subjects, wrote many textbooks, and founded the American Women's Educational Association. -
A Treatise on Domestic Economy
Written by Catharine Beecher this was the first FACS textbook. -
Morrill Land Grant College Act
This set aside federal lands to create colleges for the benefit of mechanical and agricultural arts. -
Land Grant University in Arkansas
University of Arkansas became a land grant university with the Morrill Act. -
Wilbur Olin Atwater (1844-1907)
Known as the "Father of Nutrition." He earned his PhD from Yale and began focusing on human nutrition. He invented the bomb calorimeter. -
Ellen H. Swallow Richards (1842-1911)
First president of the American Home Economics Association and the first female graduate and professor at MIT. -
Rumford Kitchen
Richards created her very own building for this at the World's fair after being determined to show that her work wasn't strictly for women. Named after Count Rumford, it was a restaurant with nutrient values on the menus. -
Atwater-Rosa Calorimeter (1892-1897)
The calorimeter made it possible to calculate the calories in different foods. -
1st Lake Placid Conference
The first time people met to discuss the latest advances in what they voted to call "Home Economics." -
Creation of the American Home Economics Association
At the annual meeting at Lake Placid the AHEA was officially established with Ella Richards as the first president. -
Journal of Home Economics (1909-1993)
A journal published by the AHEA in order to share the science that was being conducted. When AHEA became AAFCS the journal was retitled as the Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences and still continues. -
Smith-Lever Act
Enacted a system of cooperative extension services. -
Smith-Hughes Act
This provided federal aid to the states to promote vocational education in agriculture and home economics. -
Clara Belle Drisdale Williams (1885-1994)
First African American to graduate from New Mexico State University. After that taught students and their parents for 27 years. -
Vocational Education Act
This provided grants to the states to maintain, improve, and develop vocational-technical education programs. -
Vocational Amendment
This extended the work of the previous amendments but changed the emphasis to funding for students with disabilities or who were at risk. Created the STWOA and supplied funding to states to connect education and careers for all students. -
Vocational Amendment
Otherwise known as the Rehabilitation Act, this prohibited the discrimination on the basis of disability from these programs. -
Vocational Amendment
This took it a step further and required states who received funding to eliminate gender bias, stereotyping, and discrimination from these programs. -
American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences
The name of the AHEA was updated to AAFCS