Bureau of Home Economics

[T]he contribution which home economics studies have to make to national economy has not yet been realized. The welfare of any group is based upon a combination of efficient production and wise consumption. There has been a tendency to study and develop the former to the neglect of the latter. The closer the adjustment between production and home demands the greater the economy to all, especially if the home demands are so directed as to promote health, efficiency, and well-being of the individuals.

Through studies now under way in food and nutrition, textiles and clothing, and housing and equipment, guided by the studies in the economics division, it is possible to set up standards to guide the housewife in these demands.

--Louise Stanley (1925). Report of the Chief of The Bureau of Home Economics for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1925, p. 1.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture designed an extensive research program to support the work performed by homemakers in the early 20th century. The Bureau of Home Economics studied the best ways to clean, sew, and purchase food and clothing.

This exhibit will highlight several of the Bureau's most prominent employees and provide a timeline of the Bureau within the content of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.