 College of Family and Consumer Science records
Collection DescriptionHistorical NoteThe College of Family and Consumer Science, formerly know as the College of Home Economics, can trace its history back to February 23, 1918 when the Georgia State College of Agriculture of the University of Georgia approved the first degree program for women. A Bachelor of Science in Home Economics was established in September of 1918 through the College of Agriculture, opening the College to women. Mary Ethel Creswell received the first undergraduate degree and soon became the Director of the College of Home Economics. Initially two subjects were taught: Foods and Cookery plus Clothing and Textiles. In the beginning many different facilities were used to house the College of Home Economics. The food laboratories were housed by the Dairy Division, the cafeteria was located on the ground floor of Conner Hall, and the clothing laboratory was on the second floor of Lumpkin Hall. The "first twelve" women students were housed in "The Student Cottage" a rented house on Lumpkin Street during the construction of the Woman's Building, now Soule Hall, which began during the second year of the program. The new Woman's Building was furnished by gifts because there were no state funds appropriated for the task. In 1930 the College of Home Economics had grown to 304 students. The facilities now included the Woman's Building, Soule Hall, a Home Management House consisting of nine rooms, a cottage Nursery School, and a small art building. Space was borrowed in Conner Hall for the cafeteria, in Hardman Hall for a nutrition research laboratory, in the Physical Education Building for an art laboratory, and in Barrow Hall for a laboratory for electrical household equipment. In 1931 funds from the Dawson Trust of 1925 were made available by President Soule of the Georgia State College of Agriculture to construct Dawson Hall increasing the facilities of the College of Home Economics. In 1939 four new Home Management houses were completed which provided laboratory housing for students. On January 2, 1940 the specially designed Nursery School opened. The 1933 organization of The University of Georgia established the School of Home Economics when the Household Arts Department of the State Teachers College merged with the Division of Home Economics of the State College of Agriculture. Classes were offered allowing vocational preparation for careers in General Home Economics, Institutional Management, Home Demonstration Work, and Teacher Training. The Child and Family Development Center was completed on July 17, 1970 followed by the completion of the Dawson Hall Annex on February 10, 1971. With these two additions the School of Home Economics' facilities was doubled. In 1985 major renovations to Dawson Hall resulted in the construction of a new entrance to the building. Scope and ContentThe collection consists of annual reports and administrative files documenting the growth and development of the department; photographs; building construction and renovation files; material documenting the department's name change; material documenting American Home Economics Association reaccreditation and the Cooperative State Research Service review; and files related to the Georgia Home Demonstration Council, Georgia Extension Homemakers Council, and student clubs. Administrative InformationCustodial HistoryThe collection was transferred from the College of Family and Consumer Sciences in 2006 and may consist in part of materials assembled by Dr. Jesse Mize in compiling her 1985 history of the college, The History of Home Economics at the University of Georgia. Preferred CitationCollege of Family and Consumer Science records, UA06-174, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries. Related Materials and SubjectsSubject TermsRelated Collections in this RepositoryRelated collections in this repository: Family and Consumer Sciences records and student scrapbooks, UA0054; Mary Ethel Creswell papers, UA0014; and Sharon Nickols papers, UA0035. | ||||||||||||||||||