From 91 to the world
I remember my grandmother Margaret as a sophisticated woman with expressive dark eyes. She seemed to be fond of me, the quietest member of the family, bringing me books and special gifts and gently tucking my hair behind my ears as she talked to me.
I was her namesake and I admired her, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I discovered that she was a respected academic and teacher who promoted home economics education programs across the globe.
My research began one day when, as I was rifling through old family files, I discovered that my grandmother, Margaret Hockin Harrington, had attended 91, graduating in 1932 with a BSc in home economics and a major in nutrition.
As an Ontario-born East Coast migrant, I was astonished to discover that I had been living near my grandmother’s alma mater for the last twenty-five years. My mother had never mentioned that her stepmother attended 91, even though I found clippings and photos commemorating the day Margaret received an honorary LLD from the University in 1954.
I was intrigued. If I didn’t know this about my grandmother, what else was I missing? I made my way to 91’s R.P. Bell Library where the archivist uncovered not just yearbook photos, but a few fat files of correspondence: translucent personal letters on airmail blue writing paper, yellowed clippings, and shiny pages of old newsletters from the past.
As I read through the file Margaret’s life began to unfurl before me. My grandmother was a respected teacher and diplomat, initiating home economic programs across the globe. Moreover, she had continued her academic career in between impressive postings, achieving her PhD from Cornell University in 1949.
Reading through my grandmother’s correspondence I was moved by the numerous letters between Margaret and her mentor, Doris Runciman, the head of the home economics department (1937-1965) and 91’s first full-time female professor. It was clear that Margaret’s career was directly affected by this influential woman.
Among Margaret’s files were a selection of reference letters that Professor Runciman had written supporting Margaret’s ambitions in her education and career. Runciman must have written many such letters, encouraging her students to become doctors, scientists, dieticians, and teachers.
Margaret showed her gratitude by keeping in touch with her mentor throughout her life and in one letter, sent in 1964 from Lahore, Pakistan, she wrote to thank Professor Runciman for helping “…to build a little confidence and a deep belief in the importance of our profession.”
When my grandmother chose to study home economics she joined the vanguard of educational developments. The image we have today of home economics is based on the mandatory cooking and sewing classes that once existed in our public school system, but when home economics was developing as a subject of study it was considered revolutionary.
It was a bold idea to highlight a domestic subject, normally relegated to the ‘woman’s sphere’ (such as cooking and cleaning), and give it a sanctioned space among the more traditional subjects of the universities. However, home economics studies emphasized scientific advancements in nutrition, sanitation, and food preservation, so that lent an air of respectability.
After graduating, Margaret worked as a dietician at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal and then for Loblaws in Toronto before she was invited to work as the first Home Economics Secretary for the YWCA in Japan. Margaret lived in Tokyo from 1935 to 1940, an interesting time to immerse yourself in a new language and culture. During this period Margaret traveled extensively throughout Asia, bringing her knowledge of nutrition, household science, and women’s education to communities across the region.
After a return to Canada to obtain her master’s and PhD and work as a teacher, Margaret’s international career continued. In 1949 she was invited to serve as Chief of the Home Economics Branch for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. It was at the headquarters in Rome where she met my widowed grandfather, James B. Harrington, an agricultural scientist.
Learning about my grandmother’s career has drawn me into reading about the history of home economics and this has led me back to my undergraduate major, women’s studies. Through the lens of this research, I have developed a theory that three waves of feminism can be seen manifested in the lives of my grandmother, my mother, and me.
Margaret’s work in home economics aligned with an early and important wave of feminism when activism emphasized education and increasing women’s power and responsibilities in the public sphere, outside of the home. My mother, in contrast, embodied the ideals of second-wave feminism; a Betty Friedan feminist, she focused on personal freedom and emancipating herself from the ‘problem that has no name’. I belong to the third wave of feminism, the one that critiqued the blind spots of our predominantly white foremothers and worked towards a more inclusive, intersectional approach.
My mother, a lively and unconventional woman, was not close with her diplomatic and staid stepmother, so unfortunately, I lost an opportunity for a supportive mentor when I was a young feminist student. But I knew I was loved and I still have the books about Japan that Margaret gave me. We wrote each other letters, too, and in the last one that I received, in my late twenties, she encouraged me to keep going with my education.
Discovering my grandmother’s fascinating career and educational achievements has reignited my own love for research and study. Her story has drawn me back to the library stacks where I feel her presence at my side.
Margaret’s distinguished career surely made her mentor and teacher Doris Runciman proud. Driven by faith, zeal and a deep belief in the positive effects of a home economics education, Margaret spent her career encouraging women to take on challenges and be an active citizen.
And she is still having an effect. The archival treasures that revealed her life to me have ignited a flame. I will begin graduate school in the spring.