Home Economics Research Center Records, 1942-1979

The records of the Home Economics Research Center are arranged in four series. The first series, Office Files, 1944-1979, is arranged in a single alphabetical subject sequence. Original file headings have been retained when present. The files contain memoranda, correspondence, and minutes of committees in the College of Agriculture and in the College of Home Economics. The second series, Professional Organizations, 1954-1975, deals with three organization in which Margaret McGregor Hard was an active member. Hard served as head of the Research Center from the early 1950's. This material especially stresses the Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy, where Hard held several important positions. Arranged alphabetically, first by committee and then by subcommittee, the series contains correspondence, reports and minutes. The third series is Research Files, 1942-1968. The first subseries is Projects and is arranged by project number. Early projects were numbered by Home Economics staff. Project numbers beginning at #616 use a numbering system developed for all Agricultural Research Centers. When the project number or title changed during a project, the most recent one is used. Official project titles are used for all the projects except Project #1583 whose title was not available. The amount and type of material for each project varies greatly, but most contain yearly progress or final reports prepared for the head of the Research Centers. Other common types of material are correspondence, statistical analysis and manuscripts. The fourth series, Esselbaugh Files, 1943-1957, consists of Dr. Nettie Esselbaugh's personal files. The first subseries, Administrative Files, is arranged alphabetically and generally relates to her participation in committees on both a national and local level. It contains correspondence, minutes, inventories, reports, and lecture notes. Research Methods, the second subseries, contains instructions for specific research techniques. Some appear to be for classroom instruction.