Nutrition and Food Management Department Records, 1930-2002

In the early 1920s, the home economics curriculum shifted and courses favored the integration of other scientific fields into the study of the home.  During this time, the value of research in furnishing practical knowledge was emphasized, which prompted the establishment of the Foods and Nutrition Department in 1923.  Jessamine Chapman Williams was a Professor and first  Department Head.

In the first decade as a department, additional funding from the United States government (The Purnell Act of 1925 and Bankhead-Jones Act of 1935) provided money to expand research faculty, which led to expanded studies in nutrition and hiring additional staff members.

By the 1960s, the curriculum shifted from preparing students for a successful home life to preparing for a professional career.  A new Core Curriculum was adopted for all students in home economics with areas of concentration suggested to direct students in their professional interests.

With changes in the structure of the College of Home Economics, programs changed names and colleges as well.  In 2002, the College of Home Economics and Education merged with the College of Health and Human Performance forming the College of Health and Human Sciences.

The Department of Nutrition is now a part of the College of Health.