The collection is open for research.
The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.
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Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Virginia Home Economics Association: Committee for the Standardization of Consumer Goods Records, Ms1963-001, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
This collection was donated to Special Collections in 1963.
The processing, arrangement, and description of the Virginia Home Economics Association: Committee for the Standardization of Consumer Goods Records commenced in September 2006 and was completed in 2006.
The discipline of home economics was first conceptualized in the 1890s by Ellen Swallow Richard, who subsequently founded the American Home Economics Association (AHEA) in January 1909. Seven women, including Mary Ledger Moffett, Mary E. Dillard, and Frances Sale began organizing the Virginia Home Economics Association (VHEA) later that year, with Mary E. Dillard becoming the first president in 1910.
The VHEA functioned as an affiliate of the national branch in its mission, promoting individual, family and community well-being in Virginia. This organization's Committee for the Standardization of Consumer Goods, chaired during the 1930s by Ilena M. Bailey, focused on the creation of quality standards for products such as blankets, sheets, pillowcases, stockings, canned food, and refrigerators.
The AHEA changed its name to the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) in 1994 in order to more accurately define the scope of the profession in general. The VHEA followed suit, becoming the Virginia Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (VAFCS).
With its predecessor, the VAFCS has served Virginia as a source of practical knowledge about human growth and development, personal behavior, housing and environment, food and nutrition, apparel and textiles, and resource management. It has also influenced Virginia legislation pertaining to the family unit by disseminating information and lobbying. The VAFCS is currently (2008) headquartered in Amelia, Virginia.
This collection consists of correspondence and reports from 1930 to 1936 of Ilena M. Bailey, home economics researcher at Virginia Tech and chairperson of the Virginia Home Economics Association: Committee for the Standardization of Consumer Goods Records. Materials include correspondence with department store managers, government agencies and women's organizations.
See the Virginia Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Records, Ms2008-032, also at Virginia Tech Special Collections and University Archives.
The guide to the Virginia Home Economics Association: Committee for the Standardization of Consumer Goods Records by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).