EXHIBITS

Sixth Annual Report of the Farmers Institute and Housekeepers Conference

(Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives, University Archives, Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, 18.10:47 no. 6).

As the Extension program grew, so did its contributions to the State of Utah and the opportunities it presented to women. In the years following 1905, an increase in the sessions’ popularity and in the enrollment of the schools of Home Economics and Agriculture, demonstrated the public’s demand for more programs.[1] In July of 1911, the sessions were officially established and called the Extension Division of Utah Agricultural College. Seven departments were organized: institutes and schools for farming, public work such as trains, fairs and exhibits, club work for both boys and girls, demonstrations for the farm and for the home, women’s associations, publications, and correspondence studies.[2]

Box Elder News Newspaper 1914-07-23 - Home Economics Assn. Organized

(Utah State University Digital Collections, https://digital.lib.usu.edu/digital/collection/Boxelder/id/39601/rec/3).

The Extension program gave many people the opportunity to teach and lead, but for women especially, it provided unique opportunities and responsibilities. One of these new roles for women was being a home demonstration agent. On July 29, 1913, Amy Lyman became the first agent in Utah.[3] Part of her new role included traveling throughout the state. Her first trip was to Sanpete County. Of that experience she said: 

“Through women's organizations I met and talked to groups. We [discussed] the best way to get at the needs of home makers: in individual homes we discussed all manner of problems—cooking, laundry, canning, cleaning, home nursing, infant care and feed, sewing, rearranging kitchens for greater efficiency and step-saving, interior decoration, house planning—seemingly an endless number of subjects… One outstanding result of these personal visits that proved useful was the conclusion that if each had an open mind she learned from the other.”[4]

In just a little under a year, Amy traveled all over the state, holding nearly 300 meetings and addressing about 6,917 people.[5] In all, it is supposed that she traveled up to 3,920 miles.[6]

In 1912, Gertrude McCheyne was one of the first to become a “specialist in women's work.”[7] Later, in 1913 she was called on to head the different Extension improvement programs.[8] Like Amy Lyman, she also travelled throughout the state organizing Home Economics Associations in 1914. These associations encouraged women to study home economics, as well as, to practice hands-on learning.

Annual Report of Extension Work, Cache County 1918

(Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives, University Extension Service Reports, University Archives, 19.1/1:47 Box 8).

The Extension also provided opportunities for women to research, present at conferences, and publish their findings. The Annual Report of the Farmers Institute and Housekeepers Conference was one way women saw their research in print. One example is Domestic Science Reading for the Home by Dalinda Cotey, published in the report of the sixth annual conference (held in 1902).

As years passed, the Extension program continued its work, especially in training and educating women. However, they struggled to get information and resources to counties which did not have assigned “regular agents.”[9] In 1926, Rena B. Maycock found the solution to this by beginning a school in order to train women during a ten day leadership course.[10]