The Fascinating History of Home Economics

Air Date:
Heard On The Larry Meiller Show
A black and white photo shows young women in aprons in the kitchen.
“Watch out boys, for the future homemakers!”, Home Economics Class, Durham High School, 1947
North Carolina Digital Heritage Center (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Home economics class in modern times is often disregarded as an “easy A” – involving sewing a mediocre pillow case or making blueberry muffins. Its history involves lots of “firsts” in education for women and even greater, female scientists that led with the desire to change the world through the household. We talk about the history and origins of the class with the author of a new book on the subject.

Episode Credits

  • Jill Nadeau Host
  • Natalie Guyette Producer
  • Danielle Dreilinger Guest

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