Hi, I’m Jake Thompson and I have been working as a student assistant in the Scholarly Publishing Services unit since earlier this summer. My work mostly consists of uploading historic or back issues of student publications into the Iowa State University Digital Repository. Currently, we are working in collaboration with Special Collections to upload some of the earlier volumes of the historic student publication, The Iowa Homemaker. Once completed, The Iowa Homemaker will be accessible to anyone around the world on the Digital Repository’s website.
The Iowa Homemaker was founded by the Home Economics Club in 1921. It was the first magazine on Iowa State campus written by women for women. The Iowa Homemaker covers a wide range of issues from “Canning Early Fruits and Vegetables” to “Can a Homemaker be a Citizen?” It contains the excited energy of women trying to find their place in early twentieth century Iowa, and it offers a unique perspective on the history of Iowa State. Familiar names like Beyer, Buchanan, and Cessna author article after article. In 1926 the publication celebrated the grand opening of Mackay Hall, the new home of the College of Home Economics. In 1943, nationwide tension is captured in the magazine’s numerous calls to aid in the war effort. While this was a publication for homemakers in name, over time it began outgrowing that title and instead reflected women’s increasing interests outside of the home.
Ethyl Cessna Morgan was one of many women authors who wrote for the Iowa Homemaker magazine. One of her articles was about modernization of marriage. Ethyl taught at the Department of Economics. Among her achievements was being elected the President of the Ames League of Women Voters.
Library and Archives Preservation 