University of Wisconsin School of Human Ecology - History

History

The University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Human Ecology dates to the spring of 1903. With support from women's organizations around the state, the University Board of Regents, and Belle Case La Follette (the governor's wife), the state legislature funded the establishment of the Department of Home Economics. On June 16, 1903, Caroline Hunt became its first professor. Over time, the department expanded to serve the needs of the University and surrounding community. One outreach effort was the creation of the Dorothy Roberts Nursery School in response to a request from area mothers in 1926. The department also added and developed new and more focused majors such as foods and nutrition, textiles, applied bacteriology, related art, and home economics journalism. All of this occurred under the direction of Abby Marlett. After taking over from Abby Marlett in 1939, Frances Zuill worked to further develop the department, so that it became the School of Home Economics within the College of Agriculture. The school continued to grow and became a separate unit, autonomous from the College of Agriculture in 1973. The original Department of Home Economics underwent several name changes over the years, most recently changing from the School of Family Resources and Consumer Economics to its current name, the School of Human Ecology, in 1996.