Ellen Swallow Richards (1842-1911), the founder of the home economics movement, lived here with her husband, Robert Richards. At M.I.T., she was a chemist, the first woman graduate, and the first professor of sanitary engineering in the country. She set up the Woman’s Laboratory at M.I.T. so that other women could have access to a scientific education.
She did pioneering work in the testing of water and food, revolutionizing the work of the housewife with new ideas about sanitation, cleaning, and cooking. She founded and led the American Home Economics Society.
“Ellen Swallow Richards: The First Oekologist” – from the JP Historical Society
