author
Katharine Blunt
1876–1954
A pioneering American chemist and nutrition expert, she helped shape modern home economics while also leading Connecticut College through years of growth and change. Her work linked scientific research, teaching, and women's higher education in a way that still feels strikingly modern.
1 Audiobook
Food Guide for War Service at Home Prepared under the direction of the United States Food Administration in co-operation with the United States Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Education, with a preface by Herbert Hoover
by United States Food Administration, Katharine Blunt, Florence Powdermaker, Frances Lucy Swain
About the author
Born in Philadelphia in 1876, Katharine Blunt studied at Vassar College and later earned advanced degrees in chemistry from the University of Chicago. She built her career in food chemistry, nutrition, and home economics, focusing much of her research on diet, metabolism, and the nutritional needs of women and children.
Blunt taught at the University of Chicago and became widely respected as both a scientist and an educator. She was especially known for bringing careful laboratory thinking to everyday questions about food and health, helping home economics gain recognition as a serious academic field.
She also served as president of Connecticut College, becoming its first woman president and guiding the school through an important period of development. Katharine Blunt died in 1954, remembered for combining scientific rigor with a strong commitment to education and opportunity for women.