In the early twentieth century, Cornell home economists played a prominent role in improving American health and hygiene practices for both rural and urban families. Their educational programs, shaped by Anglo-Saxon middle-class values characteristic of Progressive Era reform, had an enormous impact on social welfare practices, public education, and immigrant experience. They also furthered the cause of unions, settlement houses, and women's suffrage.

Cornell's Progressive Era home economists designed and facilitated government programs to improve the public welfare, and federal agencies used their academic research as the basis for policies affecting women and children. The College of Home Economics also earned national acclaim for its innovative programs, such as the Department of Family Life, begun in 1925, which stressed the use of modern psychological research.

As the century progressed, research conducted by Cornell home economists contributed to a greater understanding of vitamins, calories, and proteins, as well the development of modern freezer equipment and food storage; better stain removal treatments and durable synthetic fibers; more efficient household design; and improved consumer practices. In the 1960s, the nationwide Head Start program incorporated Urie Bronfenbrenner's child development research in its strategy to improve educational opportunities for children from low-income families.

Cornell home economists became active in international affairs beginning in the l920s, engaging in cooperative teaching and research. By the 1950s, they were active in many countries, with extensive projects in Belgium, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Ghana, and Liberia, to name a few. Several affiliates of the College of Home Economics were invited to lead international conferences on the relationship between family and community and the role of education in women's lives. These international endeavors took on political significance when, at the height of the cold war, the Department of Human Development and Family Studies arranged a cross-national research program with the Soviet Union.

"The Home-Maker's Department"

Martha Van Rensselaer's monthly advice column addressed issues concerning the American woman and her home. She served as the home economics editor for this popular women's magazine from 1919 to 1926. At the time of her editorship, The Delineator ranked among the top five women's magazines in the nation, with an annual circulation of over two million.

Children's Crusade

Joining forces with leaders in the fields of education, public health, nursing, and medicine, Martha Van Rensselaer was a major contributor to the 1930 White House Conference on Child Health and Protection. This conference was influential in forming national policy on child health issues.

Affordable Meals with Milkorno

Cornell home economists influenced American nutritional habits by promoting the first nationally distributed cereal fortified with calcium and vitamins. A research team led by Flora Rose developed Milkorno, Milkoato, and Milkwheato cereals in the early 1930s. Nutritious and also inexpensive, initially the cereal was sold exclusively to the Federal Emergency Relief Administration for distribution to Americans impoverished by the Depression. Home economists claimed that by substituting Milkorno for flour and cornmeal, a family of five could eat on less than five dollars a week. A magazine advertisement for Milkorno claimed that First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt used Milkorno cereal for meals at state dinners in the White House. The Cornell researchers received nominal royalties from cereal sales and shared its knowledge about vitamin enrichment with commercial producers at no cost.

International Convention

Flora Rose represented the field of home economics and domestic science at an influential business convention in Washington, DC in 1938.

International Affairs

Flemmie Kittrell '36, active in international affairs, displays the broad array of countries Cornell home economists visited and influenced.

Visiting Women Educators

Women educators from Africa visited the College of Home Economics in 1960 and used the College as a model to initiate similar programs at home. Such interactions illustrated the need for an appreciation and understanding of other cultures. Cornell home economists infused this knowledge into their teaching overseas.

Voice of America

Voice of America (VOA), an organization promoting democracy and American values abroad, provided home economists with a way to spread their message internationally. In this photograph, Professor Hazel Hauck (far right) is discussing international home economics efforts in southeast Asia. In 1947, VOA also produced "A College of Home Economics," a film that featured the New York State College of Home Economics as a model for women's higher education.

Nutrition Studies

Cornell nutritionists used studies such as this one to improve the dietary conditions of people in developing nations. Another African study, also performed by Cornell nutrition expert Hazel Hauck, discovered that by changing the type of flour they used to peanut flour, which is cheap and readily accessible, the women could dramatically increase the protein content of their meals. Methods such as this, which reached out to the older generation and did not conflict with traditional and cultural norms, had a lasting impact.