Bernice Redington papers , 1930s-1950s

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Redington, Bernice, 1891-1966; Penny, Prudence
Title
Bernice Redington papers
Dates
1930s-1950s (inclusive)
Quantity
3.5 linear feet, (7 containers)  :  7 manuscript boxes
Collection Number
Ax 092
Summary
Bernice Redington (1891-1966) was a journalist and home economist. The collection contains correspondence, writings, cookbooks, printed matter regarding home economics, a scrapbook and subject files, 1930s-1950s.
Repository
University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
UO Libraries--SCUA
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene OR
97403-1299
Telephone: 5413463068
spcarref@uoregon.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time.

Additional Reference Guides

See the Current Collection Guide for detailed description and requesting options.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for production of this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

Historical NoteReturn to Top

Bernice Redington (1891-1966) was a journalist and home economist.

"Bernice Redington began working for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (P-I) in 1923, while attending the University of Washington part-time. She had worked for a time as a dietitian for the Washington State School for the Blind in Vancouver, Washington and at Seattle advertising agencies before joining the staff of the P-I. She published a weekly food page and a daily column under her own byline for about two years, but her role began to expand during the time of Royal Brougham's editorship of the newspaper (1925-1928). By the early 1930s, Bernice had added the moniker "Prudence Penny" to her column, sometimes in tandem with her own name, sometimes on its own. Prudence Penny was a pseudonym shared by numerous home economics columnists at various Hearst publications."

"As Bernice Redington recounts her own experience ...she had grown dissatisfied with working conditions at the P-I by the end of 1935, not having much of a say as the more experienced women on her staff were suddenly being replaced by lower-paid, less experienced ones. Perhaps sensing the writing on the wall, she decided to quit her P-I job to focus on finally completing her degree and quit abruptly in early 1936. Although she professed not to be much of a union sympathizer ("because my father was a small-town newspaper publisher and didn't allow you to even mention the word unions"), she did testify before the National Labor Federation and supplied the "Molly Mixer" food columns for the Guild Daily newspaper (put out by the Guild during the strike)."

"After receiving her degree, Bernice found employment for part of the year with the Ball Brothers (glass fruit jar) company and the rest of the time as a social worker in Kitsap County. She eventually left for Hawaii, where she returned to journalism, working for several publications, including the Honolulu Star Bulletin (1946-1948) and also completing an (unpublished) novel. She returned to Washington State in 1948 and became the head of the test kitchen for the Fisher Flouring Mills, also appearing on radio broadcasts for Fisher. She settled in Normandy Park, where she continued to do freelance writing and also was involved in community affairs until her death."

[Source: Unknown author. "Live dangerously and follow your convictions: Seattle's First Prudence Penny." PNW Blog. The Pacific Northwest Collection of the Special Collections Division, University of Washington Libraries. February 13, 2013.]

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection contains correspondence, writings, cookbooks, printed matter regarding home economics, a scrapbook, and subject files, 1930s-1950s.

The collection is organized generally by subject file name and subjects run the gamut of home economics issues including food preparation, freezing, kitchen rules, careers in home economics and recipes. Files include printed matter, notes and other writings, and tearsheets.

There is also a personal scrapbook containing photographs and articles.

The collection also contains numerous cookbooks from the 1930s-1950s.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Cooking, American--History--20th century
  • Home economics--United States--History--20th century
  • Home economists--Washington (State)
  • Journalists--Washington (State)
  • Women journalists--Washington (State)

Personal Names

  • Penny, Prudence
  • Redington, Bernice, 1891-1966
  • Redington, Bernice, 1891-1966

Form or Genre Terms

  • Cookbooks
  • Correspondence
  • Photographs
  • Printed ephemera
  • Recipes
  • Scrapbooks