Mabel Hyde Kittredge facts for kids
Mabel Hyde Kittredge (born September 19, 1867 – died May 7, 1955) was an important person in the early 1900s. She was a "home economist," which means she taught people how to manage their homes well. She was also a "social worker," helping people in need. Mabel is famous for starting school lunch programs and writing books about how to run a household.
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Mabel's Early Life
Mabel Hyde Kittredge was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on September 19, 1867. Her father, Abbott Eliot Kittredge, was a well-known pastor. Mabel grew up in New York City and lived there for most of her life. As a teenager, she went to Miss Porter's School in Farmington, Connecticut.
Working for Better Homes and Schools
Mabel Kittredge believed that a well-managed home was important for everyone. She saw how many immigrant families lived and wanted to help them. She worked to make sure that families, especially those with less money, had access to good food and useful household items. She also taught them modern ways to manage their homes.
Starting School Lunch Programs
Mabel Kittredge was a strong supporter of school lunches. In 1901, she started the first hot-lunch program in New York City public schools. She worked on this program for nearly 20 years. Finally, in 1920, the city's Board of Education agreed to pay for it. This meant many more students could get healthy meals at school.
Teaching Home Management
In 1902, Mabel started something called the Association of Practical Housekeeping Centers. She set up "model flats" in apartment buildings in New York City. These were like small classrooms where people could learn how to run a home. She believed that managing a home should be seen as an important skill, just like other jobs.
Her book, Housekeeping Notes: How to Furnish and Keep House in a Tenement Flat (1911), shared the lessons taught in these centers. Later, her 1918 book, The Home and Its Management, gave practical tips on saving money when furnishing a home and buying daily needs. She became one of the most famous home economists of her time.
Helping During World War I
Mabel Kittredge also helped during World War I. In 1915, she went to a big meeting called the International Women's Congress for Peace and Freedom. During the war, she worked overseas with Herbert Hoover and the Commission for Relief in Belgium. She was in charge of a program that fed children in France and Belgium. She saw this work as similar to her home management efforts, both helping the country.
