National Extension Homemakers Council. Voices of American Homemakers Oral History project, 1977-1985

In 1982, a federal grant funded a three-year oral history project, conducted by the National Extension Homemakers Council. Interviews of homemakers in thirty-six states, taken in small towns and rural areas were recorded and transcribed and then used to produce, "Voices of American Homemakers", edited by Eleanor Arnold. The project combined an extensive volunteer effort directed by professional standards for oral history practice. The interviews were conducted in thirty-six states for the Council’s 50th anniversary. Under the terms of the grant, one complete set of project tapes and associated materials were to be presented to one repository in each state at no cost to the institution. Interviewees discuss homemaking, child rearing, and family management in the small towns or rural areas where they live. In 1985 a book was written based on material gathered from the project.

The National Extension Homemakers Council was a national nonprofit educational organization made up of 30,000 organized groups (or clubs) in forty-four states and two territories, with a membership of approximately 500,000. It was one of the largest women's organizations in the country with a predominantly rural and small-town membership. The Council’s beginnings date back to 1914, when the Smith-Lever Act provided for mutual cooperation between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the land-grant colleges to conduct partial demonstrations in home economics. The purpose was to bring the resources of the colleges to the people. Because of the overwhelming response to these demonstrations, people eventually came together to form clubs. In June of 1936, the clubs came together to form a national organization called the National Home Demonstration Council. In 1963, the name was changed to The National Extension Homemakers Council.