Training in home economics not only prepared women for motherhood
and homemaking but also for a broad spectrum of careers in public
and private education, business, social service, dietetics, journalism,
and institutional management. As various professional fields legitimized
their specific knowledge and talents, home economists carved a place
for themselves outside the domestic sphere. They found employment
in such notable national institutions as Macy's, Campbell's Soup
Company, and the Girl Scouts of America. Home economists also worked
at radio stations, hosting shows such as "Listen to Nutrition,"
which disseminated scientific information to the American public.
Aware of the realities facing women who needed to earn a living,
Cornell's College of Home Economics sought to educate students about
career options after graduation. A counseling center prepared students
with useful information as well as access to an alumnae network
that helped them secure employment. This counseling office also
served to match graduates with the job requests that poured in from
companies and institutions eager to hire women with home economics
training. From 1955 to 1956 for example, the placement office received
over 1,700 phone calls requesting home economics graduates. By this
time home economists had distinguished much of their work from household
tasks and were now recognized and sought after for their expertise
in a variety of fields.
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