• Home
  • Search
  • Browse Collections
  • My Account
  • About
  • DC Network Digital Commons Network™
Skip to main content
BC Digital Commons Bridgewater College
  • Home
  • About
  • Guidelines
  • My Account

Home > Special Collections > College Archives > College Photos > Group and Events Photos > Family and Consumer Sciences

Family and Consumer Sciences

Home Economics/ Family and Consumer Sciences

Bridgewater College first offered Home Economics courses during the 1920-1921 semester. Early classes focused on food sciences and textiles. Courses on home management, childcare, home nursing, and nutrition were added in the 1930s.

Bridgewater College was approved by the Virginia State Board of Education to train teachers of Home Economics in May 1948 through a Bachelor of Science degree. A Bachelor of Arts degree was also offered in Home Economics.

Home Economics moved rather often during the early and mid-20th century. Classes were first held in the White House. After about a year, they moved to the basement of Founder’s Hall (now Flory Hall-East). In September of 1929 they moved to the basement of Rebecca Hall. Home management work later moved to the apartment in Cole Hall, George B. Flory House, and then the Charles W. Roller House.

Moomaw Hall, the current base of Family and Consumer Sciences at Bridgewater College opened in 1969 and was dedicated in 1970. Moomaw Hall is connected with Rebecca Hall at the east side and a renovation allowed some use of facilities in Rebecca Hall for Home Economics. Moomaw Hall was built with food preparation laboratories, a sewing laboratory, teaching classrooms, home management apartments, childcare and child development facilities, a dining room, and living rooms. At its opening, Moomaw Hall also boasted of its new electronic oven and air conditioning.

The first Home Economics instructor was Mary McKee Seebert. She was succeeded by A. Lucille Gnagly and a number of other professors. Notable professor S. Ruth Howe headed the department from 1945 to 1970. Jean Perry, Mary L. Rushton, and Janet W. Stevens were later professors of Home Economics at Bridgewater College. They trained students for a number of careers and often participated in practice home management, internships, field trips, interterms, and independent studies.

This gallery is a representation of Home Economics work as chronicled in the photograph archives at Bridgewater College. The archives also preserve Family and Consumer Sciences Department Records that chronicle the earlier days of the department in manuscripts, slides, and photographs. A collection of scrapbooks from the Home Economics club Mu Epsilon Mu are also held by the archives.

Provisions of Use: Personal and non-profit use only. No cropping or altering of images in any way. Credit each image's source as "The Robert R. Newlen '75 and John C. Bradford Special Collections/Bridgewater College Digital Commons". Consider including a hyperlink to the image hosted on the Bridgewater College Digital Commons.

Printing is not supported at the primary Gallery Thumbnail page. Please first navigate to a specific Image before printing.

Follow

Switch View to List View Slideshow
 
  • Bridgewater College, A clown interacting with pre-schoolers, undated by Bridgewater College

    Bridgewater College, A clown interacting with pre-schoolers, undated

  • Bridgewater College, A sewing class in the clothing laboratory of Rebecca Hall, probably early 1950s by Bridgewater College

    Bridgewater College, A sewing class in the clothing laboratory of Rebecca Hall, probably early 1950s

  • Bridgewater College, A student holding a star-shaped dessert in front of a recipe for a gelatin mold, undated by Bridgewater College

    Bridgewater College, A student holding a star-shaped dessert in front of a recipe for a gelatin mold, undated

  • Bridgewater College, A student presenting on nutrition, undated by Bridgewater College

    Bridgewater College, A student presenting on nutrition, undated

  • Bridgewater College, A student stirring a dish, undated by Bridgewater College

    Bridgewater College, A student stirring a dish, undated

  • Bridgewater College, Barb Schelble, Ann Gilmore and Martha Carper discussing ad layouts at Leggett in Harrisonburg, undated by Bridgewater College

    Bridgewater College, Barb Schelble, Ann Gilmore and Martha Carper discussing ad layouts at Leggett in Harrisonburg, undated

  • Bridgewater College, Home Economics professors Janet Stevens, Mary Rushton and Jean Perry, undated by Bridgewater College

    Bridgewater College, Home Economics professors Janet Stevens, Mary Rushton and Jean Perry, undated

  • Bridgewater College, Old photograph of students in the food sciences lab, undated by Bridgewater College

    Bridgewater College, Old photograph of students in the food sciences lab, undated

  • Bridgewater College, Photograph of a fashion show, undated by Bridgewater College

    Bridgewater College, Photograph of a fashion show, undated

  • Bridgewater College, Students baking, probably early 1950s by Bridgewater College

    Bridgewater College, Students baking, probably early 1950s

  • Bridgewater College, Three students and a professor in the Foods Lab, late 1950s by Bridgewater College

    Bridgewater College, Three students and a professor in the Foods Lab, late 1950s

  • Bridgewater College, Three women in one of the Home Management Apartments, undated by Bridgewater College

    Bridgewater College, Three women in one of the Home Management Apartments, undated

 
  • 1
  • 2
 
 

Browse

  • Collections
  • Disciplines
  • Authors

Search

Advanced Search

  • Notify me via email or RSS

Author Corner

  • Author FAQ

Links

  • John Kenny Forrer Learning Commons
  • Contact Us

Gallery Locations

  • View gallery on map
  • View gallery in Google Earth
 
Elsevier - Digital Commons

Home | About | Guidelines | My Account | Accessibility Statement

Privacy Copyright