The Washington times., 1914-08-31
Home Making Exact Science
AS Viewed By These Women
Problems of Shelter, Food,
Clothing, and Management
Studied by Association
Founded Here.

Most thinking folk HOW regdl
7ousekeeping and home making
science, not as a chance accom-
.rllshment to be partly dbSOrbe
rom parent and picked up, b
" bit, as time goes on.
One of the principal coHtIbl
1ors to the spread of this idea ma
1een the American Home Eco
7omic Association. This OrgdHi-d
ton, formed in Washington, has
fLourishing branch in this city.
All problems of shelter, food
clothing, management, and SANTA
ton come Withn IFS scope. MOI
does it neglect consideration to'
-1e house beautiful, though it be-
liepes the home useful is a prob
lcm for first consideration.
ByJ.R. HILDEBRAND.
To place home making in the cate
gor,. Of an exact science. is the aim
OF the American Home Economics
Association. AS defined by its con-
sricution. its purpose is the i'm
u-olement of living conditions in
rhe home, the institutional house
mold. and the community" To men,
horship are admitted all who are
actively interested in home prob
ems"
To those who look forward to the
tne when housekeeping and its
tared problems shall be inculcated
ol expert training, instead of being
handed down from mother to daugh-
ter. the membership list of the asso-
alton should be encouraging. While
$ entire numerical strength is only
about 100, this number includes
nany scientists of national note, and
especially many men and women
vho already have made valuable
contributions to domestic welfare.
Washington was the birthplace Of
the national association, and there is
a iourishing local body in this city.
The association was the outgrowth
Of the annual Lake Placid confel-
ences on home economics, begun in
1885. At those conferences a wide
range of topics relating to problems
-
institutional management and sani-
tation we're discussed. For ten years
the conferences were rallying
point for teachers and students in
What was then almost 4 new sci
ence. though it concerned the Oldest
and most primitive human organiza-
ton
Then, from December 81 to Jan
larry >. 1S0s-09. those who had been
interested in the conference gathered
in Was hington. Here. at the Nc
hinley Manual Training School. the
American Home Economies Associa-
ton was formed. and by February
its members numbered $50.
Pioneers In Home Science
Some OF the names in that roll long
viii be remembered as pioneers in
the science of home MANAGEMENT.
here were Ellen H. Richards, sani-
'srv chemist and expert in water
analysis. and one of the first educa-
tors TO urge the introduction of do
nestle science in the public schools;
Emily Huntington. originator of the
Nltchen garden method of teaching
housekeeping to little children: Ma
ma Parloa, one of the most widely
known of the early teachers of
cooking, and Maria Daniel, a pioneer
n the effort to put on a scientific
basis the task of feeding large num-
oers OF persons in institutions.
Home making, in the estimation of
members OF the association. is
science which should be studied
thoroughly. II one would be success
II in working out its varied and in
ti"ate problems. These problems
H"ludc marketing, cooking. menu
making. management. household
bookkeeping. and many Of the topics.
such as food value and sanitation.
Vh!ch arc closed books TO the old
school housekeeper whose knowledge
came through the uncertain hand
down route from generation to gem
Grafton.
By study, by individual experi-
nlent, oy publication Of results, and
by the compilation Of a journal the
association hoped to accomplish its
purpose OF stimulating a wider in
terest in its propaganda. and add
materially to the limited expert and
exact literature upon the subject
OF home making
Journal Is Authoritative.
Nov. as II nears the completion Of
its sixth year. the association re-
CARDS its Journal Of Home EConom-
les. periodical corresponding 10
nat OF the chemical Society and
other scientific bodies. as one Of its
most valuable accomplishments. In
rhls volume have been published pa
Pers containing the results Of vide
research and experiment. II has
contained compendium OF progress
every" here along the lines OF the as
s"0latlon's work. And it has pun
Ishef regularly a department for
the practical housekeeper. in which
the advice MAJ not be as startling
or as interesting as that of the Sun
DAY paper sections. but which is
accurate and authoritative
The president Of the association
Is Martha Van Rensselaer,. OF Cor
ncll University. one of the best
known American authorities in THE