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Count Rumford
A combined program of teaching and feeding hungry children began in Munich, Germany by Benjamin Thompson, also known as Count Rumford. Count Rumford was constantly seeking to develop meals which would provide the best nutrition at the lowest possible cost. -
Children's Aid Society of New York
In 1853, the Children's Aid Society of New York started a program serving meals to students attending the vocational school. -
Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo, a great Frenchman, provided funds for hot meals for children in a nearby school. -
Victor Duray
In 1867, Victor Duray, then minister of Public Instruction, requested school officials pay close attention to the nutrition of children. This resulted in establishing a school lunch program for needy children in four hundred and sixty-four schools. -
The Society for People's Kitchen in Public Schools
The Society for People's Kitchen in Public Schools was established in Angers, France. The objective was to furnish meals at school to children who were unable to pay. -
Philanthropic School Society
Needy children were supplied free text-books, clothing, and food by the Philanthropic School Society in Hamburg, Germany. -
School Canteens
In 1877, Paris began school canteens. This service provided meals at public expense for children whose parents names were on the Poor Board list. Two years later, the city council voted to support the program. Canteens were setup in every school district. -
The Society for Feeding Needy Children
Privately funded societies for the specific purpose of school feeding. The first was established in Dresden in 1880. -
Vacation Colonies
Vacation colonies were organized and operated, under this program sickly and weak children from crowded areas of the cities were given a vacation in the country for a few weeks each summer. The programs were sponsored by teachers and doctors. -
Philadelphia Penny Lunches
In Philadelphia, the Starr Center Association began serving penny lunches at one school. -
Investigation for School Feeding
Report published of the investigation into need for school feeding under the backing of the government. -
Bill Defeated
in 1897 a bill was introduced in the Reichstag which would have provided for school meals in all cities. The bill was defeated on the representation that it's passing would cause a increase of people into the cities. -
Holland
By royal decree in 1900, Holland became the first country to adopt national legislation specifically to provide school lunches. -
Switzerland
Dr. Huber's findings of children's attendance based on free meals, resulted in a National order being issued making it an obligation on the part of municipalities to provide food and clothing to children in need. In 1906, the program had grown rapidly and the use of State funds was authorized. -
"Poverty"
"Poverty," a book by Robert Hunter had a strong influence upon the United States efforts to feed hungry, needy children in school -
The Education Provision of Meals Act
in 1905, in England, the Education Provision of meals Act was passed. This Act was the combined effort of 365 private, charitable organizations in attempting to provide meals at school for needy children. In 1914, the serving of meals through vacation periods was added. -
Dr. Cheesman A. Herrick
Dr. Cheesman A. Herrick, who was principal of the William Penn High School for Girls successfully accomplished the transfer of responsibilities for operation and support of the lunch program from charitable organizations to the Philadelphia School Board. -
Department of High School Lunches
In 1912, the William Penn High School for Girls established a Department of High School Lunches and directed that food services be incorporated in all the high schools of the city. -
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Early Federal Aid
Th earliest Federal Aid came from the Reconstruction Finance Corporation in 1932 and 1933 when it granted loans to several towns in Southwestern Missouri to cover the cost of labor employed in preparing and serving school lunches. In 1933 and 1934 under the operations of the Civil Works Administration and the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, thirty-nine states were reached and 7.442 women were employed. -
Milk Marketing Board
The Milk Marketing Board provided milk to school children free of charge or at a price of half a penny per 1.3 pint. -
W.P.A. Lunch Programs
The work projects administration provided a substantial contribution from Federal sources in this area of the program. School Lunch Work was assigned to the Community Service Division of the W.P.A. With much of the labor being provided without cost to a school district, lunch prices were held to a minimum, more children participated , which resulted in a rapid expansion of the program within the Nation. -
Public Law 320
Public Law 320, passed by the 74th Congress and approved August 24, 1936, made money available to the Secretary of Agriculture. This amount of money was equal to thirty percent of the gross receipts from duties collected under the custom laws during each calendar year. -
National School Lunch Act
In 1946, the 79th Congress, recognized the need to have legislation give the program a permanent status and to authorize the necessary appropriations for it. The house Committee on Agriculture stated, " The need for a permanent legislative basis for a school lunch program, rather then operating on a year-to-year basis or dependent solely on agricultural surpluses that for a child may be nutritionally unbalanced, has now become apparent." [Picture: Harry Truman signing the bill] -
1952 Amendent
The first amendment to the National School Lunch Act occurred in 1952. It changed the formula concerning the apportionment of school lunch funds to Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands, regarding food and non-food assistance funds. -
1962 Amendments
In October of 1962 the Congress enacted some significant amendments to the National School Lunch Act. The apportionment of funds among the states had become disproportionate as the program expanded. -
National School Lunch Week
An annual National School Lunch Week was established on October 9, 1962, by a Joint Resolution of Congress. -
Child Nutrition Act
The inauguration of the Child Nutrition Act in 1966. The policy of Congress where efforts should be extended, expanded, and strengthened under the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture as a measure to safeguard the health and well-being of the Nation's children, through grants-in-aid and other means. -
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Pilot Breakfast Program
A pilot breakfast program was authorized for two years, beginning with fiscal year 1966-67 and ending June 30, 1968. The breakfasts were required to meet the nutritional standards established by the Secretary of Agriculture, based on tested nutritional research. Schools were required to serve the meal free of charge or at a reduced cost. -
Milk Program
The Milk program had been functioning since 1954 under Public Law 86-478 and was extended until June 30, 1970, and made part of the Child Nutrition Act.
