Early Days of Domestic Science at I. S. C., The

              The Early Days of Domestic Science at I. s. c.
By . Mary B. Welch W
hen a Depart .ent of Do estie Economy was first decided upon
by the Board of Tru.stees, it became necess r· to find n t achcr
to take c nrgo of it. There 1e1"e no schools of the l!ind proposed
anywhe:re, no text-booh.s, no trained teachers. So the Bonrd nus
f irly forcod to b gin tho e~peri~ent Jith such man gcment ns
could be securod at home. so cone St\Seested my no.me and a comnittoe
t'ns sent to offer mo the position. 1th fear nn t1 .. cll".bli:1g I
finally decided to t1-.y, after tollinc the commi tteo frankly 'Cho.t
I r1as v:i thout OY-p rienco 1n that sort of tcn.ching, thnt thoro uero
no established proce onta to guide me nnd no clnnaif ied courses
for mo to ·?ollo-.v.
'I·hen bognn u soarch fo1• or a. !Jchool ·1h re instruction
could 'b hOO.. . l m·n d tl 1,, Juli t Co son ,ho. opened o.
School of Cookery in Uet1 Yo1~k, t.nd thi thor I tool:: rr.y ;ay the ·in­ter
prcviouo to the op ,ming of the course o.t A 100. Tho follo Ting
\tintor vaco.t on found mo t th, outh · cn$in;J~,on f'.chool of Cookery
in London, but :!.n noithor plo.co could b"' coc .r d any nystc .atic,
proc1"ossivo coura of st~u "y or nny breadth of outlook. rnny
amuning incidonts of that London exporlence might be told. 'B_o
only objoot of the ochool thoro as to tr :n coots for cervice.
It lms incomprehcnsibl to th..... . linh min :i thnt a · 10man, apparently
n lady, .hos husb nd vas, as my lett rs of introductio~ roved,
nt tho h~ad of "'n importu::t inctitut n of :i-arning, should be
anxious oi ther to learn or to teach cockil:1g. '.i:ho ~uestion \ms
often aekcd me '.lf'.at fmrily I ·.as enga.gcd to wor}t for •hen I
received r:iy cortificato. B'Lt, after all, what did that :matter?
At tho ond of throe .. oriths' genuine drudgery, a cortif'ico.te was
conferred, ~ihich oucht to havo boc~-.i. ·r: .ned and hun in tho Colloee
ruse •
Th., or: , t t .. o Collce;c bega~ in t o sn:all buse cut rooms
adj oin1nc tho dining room of tl.o old nl in Building. Tho plan 'mo
to make the ·iork · dpractical uo ponnible, which v:.., a fortunate for
tho teach r .ho hid fo p t thco1'ic but t;uch ctunj_ e::·pcrienco
in hous kc""pinr.:.. ne :. 1 ' :i "'"S, th co 1 st a-• , ·;an or­nuad
d to mo· cu1·0 otit n:.nteri".l for a dinner for on table in the
dining room each day, the.. O"act quality, ~nd, es nearly cs ossible
the exact qua.1ti ty used in the College Kitchen, tho class to pre­pare
and serve it under tho instructio ... of tho toacher. It VJas
an mbi tious i: y to b...,gin, but 1 t inte.. sted the clans, gave
them a dof'ini te purpos in thoir 01•1! and 01~0 · ha.1 plo so the
st dents 1ho d_ncd at tho ·i, bl selected. The cooking '•" s oono
on a Charter Oak stov • ~o ens or electric appliances, or aluminum
utensils t7ere then a.v ilable. 'i1hio vo.s the F.,.. ,nlu. an clt:urn course.
road, sul:...as, d ,mlrt, cake, etc., v·ere taur·ht in tho i ore advanced
clo.sses. Orders rm1•c so cur cl from the Faculty fe..rnilios fo:;:o
bread and co.ko, n<l the cluases, on occnsion, pI•opured ref:r-esh-t
ents for spoci.. .... l co.thorincs as thoy 7erc ordered. Thn Collceo
fan:il·•"r \ms much ... i::o.11 r then th' n now, so thoso things woro feasible.
F.veryone wns i n orested i 1 the ncv; oxperi .. ont and willing to help