1635 Dame schools
 | taught the alphabet, counting, prayers, Catechism, some Bible reading and sewing |
late 1700's some schools began to include classes related to domestic concerns
1827-1874 Catharine Beecher wrote 33 books of which 96% of content was related to home economics
1841 Catharine Beecher wrote A Treatice on Domestic Economy
| first home economics textbook recognized by a state department of education |
1857 Edward Youmans wrote Household Science
| the book was a scientific study of air, heat, food and light and gave a definition of household science which was later adapted by home economists |
1887 Hatch Act passed
| developed the Central Office of the Agricultural Experimental Stations, of which W. O. Atwater, the father of nutrition, was the first director |
1889 Lake Placid Conference
| eleven attendees adapted the name "home economics" to this field |
1909 10th Lake Placid Conference
| American Home Economics Association emerged |
1910 American Home Economics Association chartered on January 1
1914 Smith-Lever Act passed
| created the Agricultural Extension Services, including home economics |
1914 commission on vocational education presented report to congress
| this report suggested occupational training in several fields, including dietitian, cook, housemaid, institution manager, and household director |
1917 Smith-Hughes Act passed on February 23
| established the Federal Board of Vocational Education |
| established home economics as part of vocational education |
| provided financial aid by paying for salaries of vocational teachers in the high school and aided higher education facilities in training such teachers |
1920 some high school home economics clubs had developed
1927 Capper-Ketcham Act
| extended Smith-Lever Act to cover home economics and agriculture |
1929 George-Reed Act
| authorized added appropriations for home economics and agriculture which were to increase annually for five years |
| made home economics funding more equitable in comparison with other service areas |
| permitted more funding for rural areas than urban areas |
1934 George-Ellzey Act
| annual appropriations of 3 million dollars to each field for three years |
| resulted in increased enrollment in vocational programs |
1936 George-Dean Act
| authorized appropriations of 4 million dollars to each field |
1943 committee appointed by AHEA
| recommended that home economics clubs should form a national organization |
1945 Future Homemakers of America officially drafted a temporary constitution on June 11
1946 George-Barden Act
| allowed flexible use of funds |
| the largest share went to rural areas |
1958 Caroline L. Hunt wrote The Life of Ellen H. Richards
| biography of the first president of AHEA |
| Hunt was a friend of Richards and also was present at Lake Placid |
1958 National Defense Education Act
| resulted in increased understanding of technical education and its part in a technical society |
1959 "New Directions" published
1962 Manpower Development and Training Act
| laid the groundwork for occupational home economics |
| produced curriculum materials useful for occupational home economics |
1963 Vocational Education Act of 1963 (Perkins Bill)
| in society, the household had become a consumer rather than a producer |
| resulted in two types of home economics -- useful employment (consumer) and gainful employment (occupational) |
| no categorical funding was specifically earmarked for home economics, and 10% of home economic funds must be used for related occupational programs |
1968 Vocational Amendments of 1968
| consumer homemaking earmarked for funds |
| occupational programs were still block grants |
| stressed the dual role of the wage earner and homemaker |
| name changed to consumer and homemaking education |
| 1/3 of funds was set aside for "economically depressed" areas |
1971 approved Home Economics Related Occupations (HERO) chapters nationally
| FHA national advisory board and national executive council voted to included HERO chapters with FHA chapters |
1973 eleventh Lake Placid Conference
| developed a list of issues that should take top priority in home economics programs |
1975 "New Directions II" published
| developed a new statement of purpose |
| listed five new priorities in home economics |
1976 unified statement of purposes, recommendations, and programs for vocational home economics
| developed by home economics division of American Vocational Association, American Home Economics Association, and Home Economics Education Association |
1976 Vocational Amendments of 1976
| provided vocational funding of over $1 to $1.7 billion dollars until 1982 |
| devised categories for funding |
| required state administration |
| developed national priorities for spending of grant monies |
| funded vocational education for displaced homemakers |
| attempted to remove stereotypes |
1981 first black national president of FHA/HERO
1983 new national FHA/HERO building constructed in Reston, VA
1986 first male national president of FHA/HERO
1993 profession changed its name to Family and Consumer Sciences
| 100 invited professionals representing 21 related professional organizations met in Scottsdale, Arizona, in June and voted to change the name |
1994 School-to-Work Opportunities Act passed
1994 AHEA changed name to American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences
1998 Carl Perkins Act of 1998
| new funding program passed in October |
| not all of the details have been relased yet |
Resources:
Blankenship, M. L., & Moerchen, B. D. (1979). Home Economics Education. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Pulliam, J. D., & Van Patten, J. (1995). History of Education in America (6th ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences website
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