thumb|200px|right adelaide hoodless born as addie hunter (february 27, 1858 &ndash; february 26, 1910) was a canadian educational reformer who founded the international womenâs organization known as the women's institute. ==biography== she was born on a farm in st george, canada west (now ontario), the youngest of 13 children. her father died a few months after her birth. her mother, jane hamilton hunter was left to manage the farm and a large household. perhaps the hard work and isolation of her youth inspired adelaide to take up the cause of domestic reform years later. adelaide hunter hoodless national historic site, st. george, ontario|100px|thumb|left after her years in a one-room schoolhouse, she stayed with her sister lizzie while attending 'ladies college'. while there, she met john hoodless. he was the only surviving son of a successful hamilton furniture manufacturer. she married john hoodless and moved to hamilton, ontario. when they married, she exchanged the name âaddieâ for âadelaideâ. she also exchanged her life as a hard-working girl in a full and busy rural farmhouse for the life of a victorian lady. supported by servants in the upkeep of a fine home, adelaide and john had four children. then personal tragedy struck: in 1889, her infant son john harold ('jack') died at age 14 months â from what was called âsummer complaintâ. he probably drank contaminated milk. adelaide was devastated. it was after john haroldâs death that adelaideâs public life began. she wanted to ensure that women had the knowledge to prevent deaths like those of her beloved 'jack', and she devoted herself to the betterment of education for new mothers. she became the second president of the hamilton branch of the young women's christian association (ywca), a role she used to work towards the establishment of domestic science education, and taught classes in domestic science (home economics). in january 1897, the minister of education asked adelaide to write a textbook for domestic science courses. in 1898 she published a book public school domestic science. this became known as the âlittle red bookâ. it stressed the importance of hygiene, cleanliness and frugality. in addition to these projects, adelaide was travelling all over the province, speaking on the subject of domestic science. she was a lively and engaging speaker: âis it of greater importance that a farmer should know more about the scientific care of his sheep and cattle, than a farmerâs wife should know how to care for her family?â mr. erland lee, of stoney creek, heard adelaide speak, and her message resonated with him. 
1858_births 1910_deaths Canadian_activists People_from_Hamilton,_Ontario Persons_of_National_Historic_Significance_(Canada)