I thought this week’s Rose Cafe event was very enlightening and inspiring. The guest speaker was Ms. Eileen Keating, who is the University Records Manager and the archivist for the College of Human Ecology. She gave a talk about the history of the college, as well as the close ties between Martha Van Rensselaer, Flora Rose, and Eleanor Roosevelt. It was so fascinating to hear the actual letters exchanged by the three of them as they discussed the home economics movement and their passion for politics and social reform for women.

I do have to admit, when I first learned that the College of Human Ecology was originally a women’s college for home economics, I did a bit of inward eye-rolling and thought to myself of course women were expected to be involved only in domestic affairs and Cornell University only perpetuated this belief. However, I soon realized that this was not the case at all; in fact it was the very opposite. The three women believed the term “home” referred not only to the physical house of a family, but also to the community, the nation, and the world. The home economics program provided an access for rural farmers’ wives and daughters to pursue higher education with no cost of tuition. Home economics was an interdisciplinary subject with a focus on science and applied sciences in the topics of child rearing, food nutrition, textiles, and management of family and communities affairs. For example, one project was the testing of toasters and this is actually a project in consumer research. In reality, this program was incredibly progressive at a time when many colleges would not even admit female students.

Another point that Eleanor Roosevelt, Flora Rose, and Martha Van Rensselaer really emphasized was the importance of women to be politically informed. For example, they were actively engaged in the suffrage movement. In terms of current events, it’s incredible to see women today being politically active and organizing protests like the Women’s March, which will surely be remembered as a historic event. Women like Eleanor Roosevelt, Flora Rose, and Martha Van Rensselaer are great inspirations for a whole generation of women’s rights activists.