Purdue News

October 12, 2001 Consumer and Family Sciences celebrates 75 years of social change WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A Purdue school whose history is a mirror of social change will celebrate its 75th anniversary beginning Thursday (10/25) at Purdue University. The Purdue School of Consumer and Family Sciences was founded just before the Great Depression when almost all women considered homemaking their only viable career option. Nutrition was not well understood. The automobile and interstate-highway system had yet to open the roadways for the tourism and hospitality business. Retailing was primarily a mom-and-pop operation, and there wasn't much disposable income among the nation's consumers. It was a time when the few women who went to college largely limited their study to home economics. At Purdue, most of those early alumnae graduated from the School of Home Economics, which was eventually renamed the School of Consumer and Family Sciences to reflect its changing mission. "Just as society has undergone a social revolution over the last century, so has our school," said Dean Dennis Savaiano. "And we're still evolving. With the continuing changes in the workplace, technology, international economics, consumer behavior and the family unit, there is much left to do." The school will celebrate its "diamond jubilee" during this Homecoming Weekend (October 26-28) with many events and activities for alumni, their families and prospective students. The celebration is part of Discover Purdue, a yearlong effort to highlight Purdue achievement and promise. Purdue's School of Home Economics was formally established in 1926, but its roots actually extend back 21 years earlier, when the Department of Household Economics was created in the School of Science in 1905. In its first year as a "stand-alone" school, there were a combined 371 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in five departments: applied design, clothing and textiles, foods and nutrition, home administration and institutional management. Some significant milestones in the school's early history include: • Aviatrix Amelia Earhart served as a career counselor for women students for several years before her disappearance in 1937 while attempting to circumnavigate the globe in an airplane purchased by the Purdue Research Foundation. • Lillian Gilbreth, a professor of industrial engineering and author of the book "Cheaper by the Dozen," taught management classes in the home administration option from 1938-42. • Indiana's first nursery school was established at Purdue in 1926 to give senior students child-care experience. • Mary Matthews, head of the Department of Home Economics, was the only woman in Indiana to receive a federal commission during World War I for her efforts to educate homemakers on how to adjust their meal preparation in response to rationing. Matthews was later named the school's first dean. • Male student enrollment jumped from 8.6 percent to 21.7 percent during the first seven years after the school changed its name from "Home Economics" to "Consumer and Family Sciences" in 1976. Today, the Purdue School of Consumer and Family Sciences is consistently rated among the top programs of its kind in the country. Current enrollment stands at 1,930 undergraduates and 181 graduate students in five units: child development and family studies, consumer and family sciences education, consumer sciences and retailing, foods and nutrition; and hospitality and tourism management. Annie Watts Cloncs, chair of the CFS 75th Anniversary Committee, graduated from the one department that retains its original name from 1926: foods and nutrition. "The name has remained the same, but the field of food science and nutrition has seen remarkable changes and growth not only due to new developments in the technology of food processing, but also in our understanding of the role of nutrition in a healthy lifestyle," Cloncs said. "This has resulted in a growing number of interdisciplinary centers being headquartered at Purdue, which is a real testament to its leadership in the field." The school's research and extension efforts are reflected in several of its centers. The Arthur Avery Research Center supports research in food service equipment, design, engineering and food product development. The Center for Customer-Driven Quality works with businesses to provide research and education for improving customer service. The Center for Families conducts multidisciplinary research aimed at improving the quality of life for families. The Tourism and Hospitality Research Institute and the Retail Institute work with industry leaders throughout the service economy. Purdue's newest center is also is housed in the School of Consumer and Family Sciences. The Botanical Center for Age-Related Diseases, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, is a joint effort with the University of Alabama Birmingham to study dietary supplements. The school's 75th anniversary celebration will get under way Thursday (10/25) with tours and an evening of activities for alumni and their families. On Friday (10/26) , distinguished alumni and faculty will present 'back-to-class' sessions. Contributors to the School's "Inspiring Families, Building Communities" planned-giving campaign will be honored at a special luncheon that is part of the university's ongoing Discover Purdue celebrations. A special reception and dinner will highlight current student organizations, research programs and partnerships on and off campus. On Saturday, CFS alumni will enjoy a school-sponsored tailgate party and to sit together in Ross-Ade Stadium for Purdue's homecoming game against Northwestern. Writer: Sharon A. Bowker, (765) 494-9723, sbowker@purdue.edu Sources: Dennis Savaiano, (765) 494-8213, savaiano@cfs.purdue.edu Annie Watts Cloncs, (765) 522-2300, awatts@tds.net Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page