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Benjamin Thompson labels Nutrition
Benjamin Thompson, a physicist and inventor, officially was the first to label "nutrition" as an actual science. He as also responsible for inventing the first range with temperature controls. -
First FACS text book is written by Catherine Beecher
Catherine Beecher writes "A Treatise on Domestic Economy," which became the first FACS text to be recognized by the Department of Education. Throughout he rest of her life, she wrote 33 textbooks. -
Justin Smith Morrill/Morrill Act of 1862
Justin Smith Morrill, a Vermont Congressman, sponsored this act. It provided grants of land (up to 30,000 acres per congressional seat) to states to finance the building of colleges that were to specialize in agriculture and mechanic arts. Some funds were used to start brand new schools, while other funds were used to develop programs in already existing schools. -
Land Grant University
Under the first Morrill Act of 1862, Land Grant Universities were institutions that had been designated by state legislature or Congress to receive benefits. The primary goal of these universities was to teach agriculture, mechanic arts, military tactics, and skills of the working class. It was created to help with the growing demand for agricultural and technical education within the United States. -
Land Grant Universities in AR (Fayetteville)
The University of Arkansas was founded as a land grant university in 1871. To this very day, there are still opportunities for students to learn about agricultural practices, food science, life sciences, and family consumer science through the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences program. -
Ellen Richards
Richards was the founder of the home economics movement in the United States and one of the firsts to begin the practice. She was the first MIT graduate and worked as a chemistry faculty member for the rest of her life. She started a women's chemistry lab at MIT in hopes that it could improve the health of people. She started a school lunch program in 1894 and used her home as a laboratory for nutrition and FACS practices. She was also a key leader at the Lake Placid Conference. -
W.O. Atwater
Atwater is considered to be the "Father of Nutrition" because of his many studies over fertlizing effects, nutriton values, and metabolism in mammals that ocntributed greatly to human nutrition and exercise sciences. He received a PhD in Chemistry at Yale University and is responsible for inventing the Bomb Calorimeter. He also wrote several nutrition bulletins at the request of Ellen Richards -
The Rumford Kitchen
Named after Benjamin Thompson "Count Rumford," the Rumford Kitchen was a place at the Chicago World's Fair where nutritious lunches were sold and was run by Ellen Richards. Not only did customers receive healthful lunches, they were also given nutritional values and costs per serving. -
"Home Economics" is adopted
Home Economics becomes the official name as the field of study begins. It was decided on by 11 leaders who gathered for the first Lake Placid Conference. -
Lake Placid Conference
Eleven leaders gathered in Lake Placid, New York in order to discuss a title and what all this new field of study would entail. They later agreed on Home Economics after much debate, starting the groups push to teach it in schools across the nation. -
Martha Rensselaer
Rensselaer started a program for the New York State's rural women to teach strategies for daily tasks, and after much success she was offered a full time home economics course at Cornell in 1908. Then from 1914-1916, she served as the president of AHEA. Her work continued to influence women and society through her writings/texts, policies, and help "home life" tips. She was named on of the 12 most important women in America by the League of Women Voters. -
American Home Economics Association was Founded
Created in 1908 by the same 11 members of the Lake Placid Conference. This organization's job was to ask federal and state governments for funding to do research in home economics, as well as teach the study. -
Smith Lever Act
This act created the Cooperative Extension Service that worked to educated rural Americans about agricultural and technological practices through land grant universities. It helped to increase American agricultural productivity. -
Smith Hughes Act
While this act was gender role discriminative/confined, it was a bridge between the federal government and home economics by providing federal funding for preparation in home economic classes. It officially established Family Consumer Science as part of the Vocational Education. -
Vocational Education Acts
Vocational Education was focused on preparing people for entry level jobs by teaching them the basic trades. Eventually it was upgraded to teach others how to prepare for higher levels of education. This act expanded vocational education and increased the funding. -
Vocational Education Amendment of 1968
This amendment focused on continuing funding for students who were at risk or had a disability while also addressing the nation's social/economic problems of the time. -
Vocational Education Amendment of 1973
Further protected those with disabilities by approving grants to states for "rehabilitation services, supported employment, independent living and client assistance." -
Vocational Education Amendment of 1976
This amendment worked to overcome the sex/gender discrimination within the original act, and worked to promoted women and girls equally. -
Carl Perkins Act
This act aimed to increase the quality of education within the United States while developing the academic, career, and technical skills of secondary and postsecondary students who are enrolled. This act was reauthorized in 1990, 1998, and 2006 as the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. -
UCA officially switches from “Home Economics” to “Family Consumer Science”
In August, the University of Central Arkansas follows suit and changes Home Economics to Family Consumer Science. -
Home Economics Officially Becomes Family Consumer Science
In June, the AHEA voted to officially change the profession "Home Economics" to the name "Family Consumer Science." The association also changed from AHEA to AAFCS.
