food science alumni:
Keeping the egacy Alive courtesy of the pratt archives
by elizabeth randolph
Food safety and dietetics students at work in Pratt’s study kitchens and laboratories in the 1940s
When the Department of Domestic Science was established in 1887—Pratt’s inaugural year—it was indicative of founder Charles Pratt’s mission to provide an education that would allow men and women to earn their living by using “applied knowledge and the skillful use of their hands” in various industries. At the end of the 19th century “domestic science” was considered the purview of women. The aim of the department, according to the 1888-1889 Pratt Institute Bulletin, was “to afford women a thorough training in those branches of science and art which pertain to good house-keeping and home-making … and to give such instruction in sanitary laws and the laws of hygiene as shall tend to secure comfortable and healthy homes at the least expense, and also a careful regard for bodily health.” To that end, the program offered a variety of practical day and evening classes in cookery, sewing, millinery, art embroidery, and dressmaking. The program went beyond the scope of homemakers, however, to encompass women (and eventually men) who intended to pursue professions in food service and the domestic arts. Practice was an essential part of the learning experience for those specializing in what was then called “cookery.” By the 1911-1912 academic year, the school was requiring one week of work in the department’s
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practice house, where students took turns serving as host, cook, kitchen maid, and waitstaff. Students also practiced by working in the Pratt cafeteria and in outside institutions such as hotels and orphanages. From its auspicious beginnings to the moment that the program faded from the curriculum, the Food Science coursework remained rigorous—students were required to take courses on such intellectually challenging topics as biochemistry, physiology, microbiology, and food technology. Many graduates credit this wide-reaching, challenging curriculum with making them the flexible, well-rounded individuals they are today.
The Food Science coursework required a grounding in the sciences. Pratt’s Food Science and Management program ended in 1987, 100 years after its inception, but its legacy still lives on. It is reflected in the success of graduates who have passed through the department during its last 45 years. They continue to carry on the lessons learned through their work in health and safety, nutrition, food science technology, food education, and the culinary arts.