Physical Representation
by Zoe Malavenda When walking into Matthews, Meredith, and Shreve Halls, how often do we acknowledge the work these women did for the university? It is important to ask the question of why such research on Mary Matthews, Virginia Meredith, and Eleanor Shreve is necessary. I entered these buildings as a student would if they were simply going to their dorm or class and evaluated the physical depictions of the… Read More
Mary Matthews
by Zoe Malavenda Being raised by a strong woman like Virginia Meredith, Mary Matthews learned firsthand how to break barriers and create opportunities for women. After her mother died when she was a toddler, Virginia adopted Mary and her brother. Mary would go everywhere with Virginia including her speeches at universities and agriculture conventions [1]. Mary graduated from the University of Minnesota with a home economics degree, a program that… Read More
Betty Nelson: Leaving a Legacy
by Anna Szolwinski Betty Nelson knows how to go out in style. In 1995, Betty retired from Purdue with a celebration titled “Betty’s Blast-Off, Celebrating Dean Nelson’s Past, Present, and Future.” (1) Guests were invited to the social with invitations depicting ice cream cones and the words “Here’s the Scoop!” Betty’s “fan club members,” of which there were many, lined up to give their best wishes for the retiring… Read More
Home Economics and the Practice House
by Anna Brown “If you are a young woman and want to get married, a college or university campus is the best possible hunting preserve. Such a campus is well stocked with young bachelors who are already on their way up because they have taken the pains at least to begin a college education.” (1) This quote, printed in the Purdue Exponent in 1963, depicts the assumptions and beliefs of… Read More
Meredith Hall
by Zoe Malavenda While walking around campus, students pass building after building, each one named after a different person. Do they ever stop to think, who are these people and why is this building named after them? Each one of these namesakes has a story, one that is not often known or recognized by the students that inhabit these buildings each day. Meredith Hall Built in 1952, Meredith… Read More
Betty Nelson: Sleuthing in Bluefield
by Anna Szolwinski Dean Betty Nelson has come to be one of the most highly respected figures in Purdue history. Known for being an “iron fist in a velvet glove,” Betty pioneered the fight for the disabled and contributed to the revolution for women’s rights during her time at Purdue. Female students such as Teresa Roche and Jane Hamblin revere Betty for her commitment to furthering the status of women… Read More
Training for Domesticity
by Grant Barnett “The most important industry in America is the management of American homes.” – President Calvin Coolidge What is a practice house and what where they used for? Did Purdue have any and what were they like? A practice house was a facet of many major university home economics programs, starting in Illinois in 1909. Practice houses were a place for young women, often aspiring homemakers, to put… Read More