Records of the Colorado Extension Homemakers Council

Collection

Identifier: AEHC

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Records of the Colorado Extension Homemakers Council consists of documents dated 1932 to 1994, with the bulk falling from 1935 to 1969. This collection is valued for its depiction of Extension's efforts in home management and home economics. Materials include meeting minutes, clippings, handbooks, programs, and photographs relating to annual meetings, club activities, and members' accomplishments.

Dates

Creation: 1932-1989
Creation: Majority of material found within 1935-1969

Creator

Colorado State University. Extension. Homemakers Council (Organization)

Restrictions on Access

There are no access restrictions on this collection. However, it is stored off-site, so advance notice is recommended.

Restrictions on Use

Not all of the material in the collection is in the public domain. Researchers are responsible for addressing copyright issues.

History

The Colorado Home Demonstration Council, currently known as the Colorado Extension Homemakers Council, was established in 1932. The organization has been active in programs to provide education to rural Coloradans about nutrition, home furnishings, clothing, home management, and home budget formation.

The Colorado Home Demonstration Council has its roots in organized club work that began in 1910, when Amy Rausch of the Home Economics Department at Colorado Agricultural College (CAC, now Colorado State University), gave a demonstration lecture at the Tabor House in Leadville, Colorado. In the two decades that followed, Home Extension Agents were appointed to Colorado counties through the Extension Service out of CAC. These agents organized small associations such as sewing and homemaking clubs.

In 1933, these small clubs were formally organized by their members and agents as the Home Demonstration Council, a name which they would retain until 1964, when they were renamed the Homemakers Council. Since then, the council has studied safety, conservation, community and family life, and international relations, and devised education programs to address these concerns.

Extent

3 linear feet (1 record carton, 1 oversize box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Colorado Extension Homemakers Council is active in programs to provide education to rural Coloradans about nutrition, home furnishings, clothing, home management, and home budget formation. It was established in 1932 as the Colorado Home Demonstration Council. The name was changed in 1964 to the Colorado Extension Homemakers Council, in accordance with the name change of the national organization. The collection includes awards, publications, newspaper clippings, photographs, programs, scrapbooks, and artifacts.

Arrangement

The collection has been grouped roughly by material or document type, and the resulting groups made into series.

The collection consists of nine series in one record carton and one oversize box:

Series 1: Awards and proclamations, 1951-1986 and undated

Series 2: Bulletins, undated

Series 3: Handbooks, 1953-1970

Series 4: History book materials, 1932-1983

Series 5: Meeting minutes, 1935-1986

Series 6: Newspaper clippings, 1961-1974 and undated

Series 7: Photographs, 1940-1989 and undated

Series 8: Programs, 1949-1979 and undated

Series 9: Scrapbooks and artifacts, 1932-1985 and undated

Custodial History

The collection resided in the main Extension office for some years after being deposited there by the Homemakers Council.

Acquisition

The Records of the Colorado Extension Homemakers Council was transferred from the main office of the Colorado Extension to the Colorado Agricultural Archive in 2008. These materials were separated from the records of the Extension office in order to maintain provenance of the unique creator.

Related Collections

Related collections include the Records of the Colorado Cooperative Extension and the Records of the Colorado 4-H.

Processing

Processing of the collection was completed in March 2009. The collection arrived with no apparent original order. Materials were removed from existing hanging folders, organized roughly by document type, inserted in acid-free folders, and reboxed. Rubber bands and self-stick notes were removed. Newspaper clippings were inserted between sheets of acid-free paper. Loose photographs were similarly situated between sheets of acid-free paper and then inserted into folders. Published materials not pertaining to the Colorado Extension Homemakers Council or the National Extension Homemakers Council were removed from the collection and deaccessioned to a more applicable collection.