San José State University Home Economics Dept.

Organizational History

In 1857 the San Francisco Board of Education established Minns' Evening Normal School for current and prospective teachers in the city. Named after its principal, George W. Minns, the institution was formally established as the first California State Normal School by the State Legislature in 1862. A decade later, the Legislature voted to move the Normal School to San José, and the school relocated to its new home on Washington Square prior to the fall term of 1872. After a fire destroyed the Normal School building in 1880, the Legislature authorized $200,000 to construct a new building on the same site. Completed in 1881, the building was commonly referred to as the Second State Normal School. After several names and curriculum changes, Minns' Normal School is now San José State University, offering more than 134 bachelor's and master's degrees with 110 concentrations, and is recognized as one of the top public universities granting such degrees in the West.

The San José State University Home Economics Department began in 1911 under the supervision of instructor Maude Murchie and President Morris Elmer Dailey as a specialization for students pursuing training programs beyond their teaching degree. The department began as the Household Arts Department, but in 1919 was renamed the Home Economics Department. The decision was made in 1979 to terminate the Home Economics program due to lack of accreditation and funding, and the department officially closed in June 1982. The Home Economics textiles specialization was discontinued at that time. The remaining Home Economics faculty members and curricula, including nutrition and child development courses, were absorbed into other SJSU departments such as Nutrition, Food Science & Packaging and the Psychology Department.