0:00:14.490,0:00:23.980 [Music] 0:00:21.210,0:00:26.860 hi I'm Gary Stewart and welcome to a 0:00:23.980,0:00:28.570 special edition of East Hill moats we've 0:00:26.860,0:00:30.550 touched on a variety of interesting 0:00:28.570,0:00:32.590 topics through this show but there 0:00:30.550,0:00:34.720 hasn't been an individual whose story is 0:00:32.590,0:00:37.510 more compelling than the subject of 0:00:34.720,0:00:39.550 today's program today we take a look at 0:00:37.510,0:00:42.550 one of the great Americans in Akron 0:00:39.550,0:00:44.230 Elian to a person who positively changed 0:00:42.550,0:00:46.290 the lives of thousands of people of 0:00:44.230,0:00:49.149 every age and station 0:00:46.290,0:00:51.670 Martha Van Rensselaer did so through a 0:00:49.149,0:00:53.489 passionate sense of vision justice and 0:00:51.670,0:00:55.750 empowerment for the disenfranchised 0:00:53.489,0:00:58.210 creating a legacy that drew the praise 0:00:55.750,0:01:00.640 of everyone from presidents to farm 0:00:58.210,0:01:02.500 families she has been stereotyped by 0:01:00.640,0:01:04.989 many as a sort of home economics 0:01:02.500,0:01:07.750 superwoman but that was just one slice 0:01:04.989,0:01:10.420 of an extraordinary life joining me 0:01:07.750,0:01:12.190 today is David Danville a class of 2009 0:01:10.420,0:01:12.850 graduate from Cornell's College of human 0:01:12.190,0:01:15.940 ecology 0:01:12.850,0:01:17.860 David's field of study focused on fiber 0:01:15.940,0:01:18.970 science and apparel design with a 0:01:17.860,0:01:21.220 management option 0:01:18.970,0:01:24.729 Ava thanks for being here thanks Gary 0:01:21.220,0:01:27.729 flora Rose martha vans closest associate 0:01:24.729,0:01:29.530 once said of her the zest of living to 0:01:27.729,0:01:31.780 her was in those moments when the 0:01:29.530,0:01:34.780 possibilities of the achievement she had 0:01:31.780,0:01:36.970 envisioned became certainties to others 0:01:34.780,0:01:39.220 she left the fulfillment of her dreams 0:01:36.970,0:01:42.490 while she swept forward toward new goals 0:01:39.220,0:01:44.680 in 1923 Martha Van Rensselaer was 0:01:42.490,0:01:47.259 awarded the order of the crown by King 0:01:44.680,0:01:49.360 Albert of Belgium for organizing food 0:01:47.259,0:01:51.520 relief programs for malnourished Belgian 0:01:49.360,0:01:53.979 children she didn't care about headlines 0:01:51.520,0:01:56.500 she wanted to do what was right for 0:01:53.979,0:01:59.740 those without a voice wherever and 0:01:56.500,0:02:01.900 whenever she could in that same year the 0:01:59.740,0:02:04.210 League of Women Voters recognized her as 0:02:01.900,0:02:06.610 one of the 12 most important women in 0:02:04.210,0:02:08.229 America she thought it was a nice honor 0:02:06.610,0:02:10.929 but there was work to do 0:02:08.229,0:02:13.780 Martha van Rensselaer's grassroots Verve 0:02:10.929,0:02:15.970 and vision are reflected in this 1903 0:02:13.780,0:02:18.880 correspondence from an upstate New York 0:02:15.970,0:02:21.100 farm wife I cannot tell you what it 0:02:18.880,0:02:24.700 means to me to think that somebody cares 0:02:21.100,0:02:28.269 my life is made up of men men men and 0:02:24.700,0:02:29.470 mud mud mud send me the bulletins and 0:02:28.269,0:02:32.170 remember me in your 0:02:29.470,0:02:33.970 prayers there are too many people who 0:02:32.170,0:02:36.010 don't know anything about Martha Vann 0:02:33.970,0:02:38.170 other than a name on a Cornell college 0:02:36.010,0:02:39.880 or an auditorium in the Ithaca woman's 0:02:38.170,0:02:41.950 community building they don't know she 0:02:39.880,0:02:44.500 was an influential public figure of her 0:02:41.950,0:02:47.560 time or an advocate for rural children 0:02:44.500,0:02:50.490 and urban workers hers is a story for 0:02:47.560,0:02:53.200 the ages and an important one to tell 0:02:50.490,0:02:56.980 Martha Van Rensselaer died of cancer in 0:02:53.200,0:02:58.900 1932 at the age of 68 less than two 0:02:56.980,0:03:01.150 weeks later the cornerstone for the 0:02:58.900,0:03:03.520 College of Home Economics was laid on 0:03:01.150,0:03:06.310 the Cornell University campus the 0:03:03.520,0:03:09.090 building was named in her honour at the 0:03:06.310,0:03:11.950 dedication ceremony flora Rose said 0:03:09.090,0:03:14.380 Martha Van Rensselaer conceived of home 0:03:11.950,0:03:16.810 economics education as a means by which 0:03:14.380,0:03:19.090 women's minds could be trained their 0:03:16.810,0:03:21.280 capacities released and their deepest 0:03:19.090,0:03:24.190 desire satisfied through growth and 0:03:21.280,0:03:26.380 understanding this great building will 0:03:24.190,0:03:28.570 be a symbol of new and vital forces 0:03:26.380,0:03:31.540 arising to meet strenuous modern 0:03:28.570,0:03:33.610 problems the value of the material 0:03:31.540,0:03:36.010 benefits which it will bestow upon the 0:03:33.610,0:03:38.320 people who will occupy it fade into 0:03:36.010,0:03:41.860 nothingness beside the importance of the 0:03:38.320,0:03:44.650 obligations it imposes upon them today 0:03:41.860,0:03:46.390 home economics is human ecology in the 0:03:44.650,0:03:47.620 college and its Department have changed 0:03:46.390,0:03:49.930 in ways that are nothing short of 0:03:47.620,0:03:51.910 stunning on this edition of these tale 0:03:49.930,0:03:54.700 notes we'll take a look at that story in 0:03:51.910,0:03:56.530 a new building - but all of its 0:03:54.700,0:03:58.570 underlying with a genius and vision of 0:03:56.530,0:04:00.730 Martha Van Rensselaer who broke new 0:03:58.570,0:04:03.070 ground means historic connections and 0:04:00.730,0:04:05.230 changed higher education in society as a 0:04:03.070,0:04:06.230 whole in a way that has never been 0:04:05.230,0:04:08.290 duplicated 0:04:06.230,0:04:08.290 you 0:04:08.300,0:04:13.529 [Music] 0:04:18.630,0:04:27.910 [Music] 0:04:25.780,0:04:30.880 Martha Van Rensselaer is a very 0:04:27.910,0:04:35.620 interesting person a character really 0:04:30.880,0:04:40.020 born and raised in Randolph New York she 0:04:35.620,0:04:44.950 was a real kind of middle class young 0:04:40.020,0:04:47.290 highest Methodist girl her mother was a 0:04:44.950,0:04:48.610 teacher and they were involved with 0:04:47.290,0:04:50.700 something called the Chamberlain 0:04:48.610,0:04:53.650 Institute which was a co-educational 0:04:50.700,0:04:58.030 school I think she got a lot of her 0:04:53.650,0:05:01.380 ideas from her mother who was an avid 0:04:58.030,0:05:06.150 reader a schoolteacher in town a 0:05:01.380,0:05:09.430 suffragist and also member of the 0:05:06.150,0:05:13.590 women's Christian Temperance Union which 0:05:09.430,0:05:17.440 is the single largest organization of 0:05:13.590,0:05:20.710 American women at that time so the thing 0:05:17.440,0:05:25.870 about Martha van she sounds to me to 0:05:20.710,0:05:28.600 have been spunky organized comfortable 0:05:25.870,0:05:30.810 with people and a networker from the 0:05:28.600,0:05:30.810 get-go 0:05:33.210,0:05:44.400 [Music] 0:05:41.190,0:05:47.200 Martha van in a way she's discovered 0:05:44.400,0:05:50.370 after her own career of school teaching 0:05:47.200,0:05:54.250 and she becomes a school commissioner 0:05:50.370,0:05:56.680 unusual for a woman in that time but 0:05:54.250,0:05:59.980 she's popular with the farmers and the 0:05:56.680,0:06:03.370 rural towns folk and liberty Hyde Bailey 0:05:59.980,0:06:07.600 and Anna Botsford Comstock two important 0:06:03.370,0:06:13.560 cornelian invite her here to participate 0:06:07.600,0:06:17.380 in helping them publicize and get 0:06:13.560,0:06:23.260 scientific information out to the 0:06:17.380,0:06:26.110 farmers of New York State the thing 0:06:23.260,0:06:29.800 about Martha van is that she takes up 0:06:26.110,0:06:35.050 this idea of the betterment of the home 0:06:29.800,0:06:38.710 and women's role in it but she applies 0:06:35.050,0:06:41.770 science and says look science can 0:06:38.710,0:06:44.590 improve and better the human condition 0:06:41.770,0:06:46.870 from within the home which was very much 0:06:44.590,0:06:49.000 the center of her concern because she 0:06:46.870,0:06:51.490 was working by this time for the College 0:06:49.000,0:06:55.600 of Agriculture at Cornell 0:06:51.490,0:06:58.090 so she was concerned about farm wise but 0:06:55.600,0:07:01.030 she's saying something else she's really 0:06:58.090,0:07:04.720 saying that the moral authority and 0:07:01.030,0:07:06.640 intellectual power of women can extend 0:07:04.720,0:07:11.860 beyond the home so it's a new paradigm 0:07:06.640,0:07:16.060 and she says look this is a viable form 0:07:11.860,0:07:17.920 of collegiate study this is not 0:07:16.060,0:07:21.190 something that you just pick up from 0:07:17.920,0:07:23.650 reading even the pamphlets that she was 0:07:21.190,0:07:28.090 writing the first one is called saving 0:07:23.650,0:07:29.830 steps and it tells the farm wife you 0:07:28.090,0:07:33.010 know how to cut down on the amount of 0:07:29.830,0:07:35.440 labor involved in her daily life so that 0:07:33.010,0:07:38.650 she has time for other things to do I 0:07:35.440,0:07:39.990 grieve for pleasure or spend more time 0:07:38.650,0:07:44.060 with her children in a more 0:07:39.990,0:07:49.700 knowledgeable way and 0:07:44.060,0:07:53.090 that's phenomenal nineteen three in the 0:07:49.700,0:07:57.320 College of Agriculture she gives you 0:07:53.090,0:08:01.550 know the first home economic course she 0:07:57.320,0:08:06.520 doesn't have a college degree nineteen 0:08:01.550,0:08:10.610 seven flora Rose comes to join her for 0:08:06.520,0:08:13.580 Rose is another gutsy early twentieth 0:08:10.610,0:08:17.440 century woman and by nineteen seven 0:08:13.580,0:08:28.160 they're running a home economics program 0:08:17.440,0:08:32.570 within the College of Agriculture it was 0:08:28.160,0:08:35.810 not well received at Cornell at first 0:08:32.570,0:08:39.770 among some of the faculty that they 0:08:35.810,0:08:42.620 should be professors the story is that 0:08:39.770,0:08:44.779 they were warned well maybe they would 0:08:42.620,0:08:46.730 not go to faculty meetings for a while 0:08:44.779,0:08:50.360 you know this wasn't didn't go over all 0:08:46.730,0:08:54.160 that well but they stuck with it and I 0:08:50.360,0:08:58.580 think that their role as early early 0:08:54.160,0:08:59.420 women professors is a really great 0:08:58.580,0:09:03.280 legacy 0:08:59.420,0:09:07.100 [Music] 0:09:03.280,0:09:09.830 they eventually get to be a school but 0:09:07.100,0:09:14.180 within the College of Agriculture and 0:09:09.830,0:09:18.310 it's not until 1925 that Cornell becomes 0:09:14.180,0:09:21.260 the first state-supported collegiate 0:09:18.310,0:09:23.300 institution the first College of Home 0:09:21.260,0:09:25.730 Economics in the nation and that's 0:09:23.300,0:09:29.330 because of Martha Van Rensselaer and 0:09:25.730,0:09:32.030 flora Rhodes and they set the pace they 0:09:29.330,0:09:35.270 called the cadence for what was going on 0:09:32.030,0:09:37.880 in most of the land-grant universities 0:09:35.270,0:09:39.470 around the country who were also engaged 0:09:37.880,0:09:42.500 in home economics 0:09:39.470,0:09:46.190 for some of the very same reasons but 0:09:42.500,0:09:49.130 you know in early as 1923 she's voted 0:09:46.190,0:09:52.460 one of the twelve most important women 0:09:49.130,0:09:56.510 in the United States and it's all tied 0:09:52.460,0:09:59.720 up with how she made home economics into 0:09:56.510,0:10:03.500 a viable profession something that women 0:09:59.720,0:10:07.340 could identify with in the home where 0:10:03.500,0:10:12.520 they may have been simply mothers and 0:10:07.340,0:10:12.520 wives but also in the workplace 0:10:20.020,0:10:25.740 [Music] 0:10:27.300,0:10:32.770 flora Rose wrote in her book called a 0:10:29.860,0:10:35.770 page of modern education her description 0:10:32.770,0:10:37.240 of Martha Van Rensselaer's work and I 0:10:35.770,0:10:40.450 think you also get a sense of the value 0:10:37.240,0:10:42.340 of her work from this her understanding 0:10:40.450,0:10:44.770 of their problems made women willing to 0:10:42.340,0:10:46.930 share with her their homely tasks of 0:10:44.770,0:10:49.750 clearing the kitchen washing the dishes 0:10:46.930,0:10:52.420 setting the table cooking the meal and 0:10:49.750,0:10:54.760 tending the baby in this way she both 0:10:52.420,0:10:57.490 learned and taught many a useful lesson 0:10:54.760,0:10:59.860 a way that has never been surpassed in a 0:10:57.490,0:11:02.620 more highly organized sophisticated home 0:10:59.860,0:11:04.770 economics for it reached both student 0:11:02.620,0:11:07.750 and teacher in terms of daily living 0:11:04.770,0:11:09.550 there's something in that quote that is 0:11:07.750,0:11:10.990 really important for us to pay attention 0:11:09.550,0:11:12.160 to to understand someone like Martha 0:11:10.990,0:11:14.740 veterans look she didn't have an 0:11:12.160,0:11:17.620 advanced degree she was not a scientist 0:11:14.740,0:11:19.360 what was she she was an educator she was 0:11:17.620,0:11:21.490 an educator that cared deeply about 0:11:19.360,0:11:24.220 women she cared deeply about rural 0:11:21.490,0:11:26.500 communities about farming that's not 0:11:24.220,0:11:28.210 just a business but a way of life she 0:11:26.500,0:11:31.210 was somebody who was deeply interested 0:11:28.210,0:11:35.650 in helping people to become the phrase 0:11:31.210,0:11:37.930 we use now as lifelong learners when we 0:11:35.650,0:11:39.850 look back at these early decades from 0:11:37.930,0:11:41.740 the men and women like Mike Bailey and 0:11:39.850,0:11:44.530 Martha valence there will discover a 0:11:41.740,0:11:46.270 spirit of engagement a commitment to 0:11:44.530,0:11:48.490 engagement a commitment to the growth 0:11:46.270,0:11:51.640 and development of ordinary people and a 0:11:48.490,0:11:53.740 commitment to keep land-grant colleges 0:11:51.640,0:11:55.120 and universities close to the ground 0:11:53.740,0:11:57.790 that was a phrase that Liberty High 0:11:55.120,0:11:59.620 bailey once said keep the college close 0:11:57.790,0:12:01.210 to the ground how do you keep a college 0:11:59.620,0:12:02.650 close to the ground you got to have 0:12:01.210,0:12:05.710 people like Martha valence really 0:12:02.650,0:12:07.990 we was staying overnight in farmers 0:12:05.710,0:12:09.640 houses as she was going with a horse and 0:12:07.990,0:12:12.130 buggy throughout the rural communities 0:12:09.640,0:12:13.780 of New York State now that was in the 0:12:12.130,0:12:16.330 waste of time that was a way to build 0:12:13.780,0:12:18.070 public trust and relationships that was 0:12:16.330,0:12:20.230 a way to learn as you heard in that 0:12:18.070,0:12:21.970 quote that I read it was as much about 0:12:20.230,0:12:24.430 her learning as it was about her 0:12:21.970,0:12:27.250 teaching and that was also important 0:12:24.430,0:12:29.170 because that enabled ordinary women and 0:12:27.250,0:12:31.270 men to believe they knew something they 0:12:29.170,0:12:34.210 weren't just empty vessels they actually 0:12:31.270,0:12:36.520 could contribute to the process of 0:12:34.210,0:12:41.200 growth and development and education in 0:12:36.520,0:12:43.360 their own communities what happened 0:12:41.200,0:12:46.290 during the 1890s with Bailey as director 0:12:43.360,0:12:49.330 was not a vision of extension work as 0:12:46.290,0:12:50.800 simply fixing technical problems and 0:12:49.330,0:12:53.320 handing out scientific information 0:12:50.800,0:12:55.000 Bailey was adamant in his writing that 0:12:53.320,0:12:56.770 that was not the central purpose of 0:12:55.000,0:12:58.660 extension work that actually the central 0:12:56.770,0:13:00.760 purpose of extension work was helping 0:12:58.660,0:13:04.030 ordinary folks to get a whole new 0:13:00.760,0:13:06.550 perspective on life a new vision of life 0:13:04.030,0:13:10.660 a new outlook on life and that outlook 0:13:06.550,0:13:14.290 was to be framed both by the scientific 0:13:10.660,0:13:16.390 spirit a spirit of investigation of 0:13:14.290,0:13:19.180 discovery of learning firsthand he 0:13:16.390,0:13:21.310 wanted ordinary farmers and people to be 0:13:19.180,0:13:24.790 scientists on their farms and in their 0:13:21.310,0:13:26.880 communities so for Bailey the phrase he 0:13:24.790,0:13:29.370 used was every farmer should be awakened 0:13:26.880,0:13:32.110 so what you have here is a vision of 0:13:29.370,0:13:34.750 Bailey and Martha Van Rensselaer and 0:13:32.110,0:13:37.780 others at Cornell being about the work 0:13:34.750,0:13:40.150 of awakening people to a new perspective 0:13:37.780,0:13:43.300 on life to a new possibility of 0:13:40.150,0:13:46.590 themselves as learners themselves as 0:13:43.300,0:13:49.110 experimenters themselves as citizens 0:13:46.590,0:13:52.270 there's a huge difference between 0:13:49.110,0:13:54.930 extending disseminating diffusing the 0:13:52.270,0:13:57.460 results of scientific research and 0:13:54.930,0:14:00.490 extending or disseminating or diffusing 0:13:57.460,0:14:02.260 the scientific spirit the massive 0:14:00.490,0:14:04.570 difference between those two things why 0:14:02.260,0:14:06.760 is that because the project wasn't to 0:14:04.570,0:14:09.460 create a dependency between people and 0:14:06.760,0:14:10.670 agricultural colleges the project was to 0:14:09.460,0:14:12.350 awaken people 0:14:10.670,0:14:15.040 to become learners to become 0:14:12.350,0:14:17.540 experimenters to become civic minded and 0:14:15.040,0:14:20.240 engaged citizens in their communities to 0:14:17.540,0:14:23.750 the best of their potential that was the 0:14:20.240,0:14:26.710 project and it's because men and women 0:14:23.750,0:14:28.760 then just as today are not simply 0:14:26.710,0:14:31.040 concerned with their bank accounts 0:14:28.760,0:14:32.840 they're not simply concerned with with 0:14:31.040,0:14:34.670 those solving technical problems they 0:14:32.840,0:14:36.920 care about their kids they care about 0:14:34.670,0:14:38.540 their communities they care about a lot 0:14:36.920,0:14:40.460 of things that have to do with quality 0:14:38.540,0:14:42.410 of life people like Martha Van 0:14:40.460,0:14:44.630 Rensselaer were really the ones that 0:14:42.410,0:14:47.060 were exemplifying the the beautiful 0:14:44.630,0:14:49.490 rhetoric that daily was was laying out 0:14:47.060,0:14:52.550 in his writings they probably were more 0:14:49.490,0:14:55.130 on the front lines of actually doing 0:14:52.550,0:14:58.760 this kind of awakening process in a 0:14:55.130,0:15:00.560 respectful kind of democratic way with 0:14:58.760,0:15:03.490 ordinary people and they were getting 0:15:00.560,0:15:03.490 tremendous response 0:15:09.720,0:15:13.919 [Music] 0:15:14.230,0:15:21.620 Martha van has pushed along with many 0:15:18.440,0:15:23.150 other women to make home economics into 0:15:21.620,0:15:25.820 a if you will 0:15:23.150,0:15:28.580 feminized service profession like 0:15:25.820,0:15:31.490 teaching like nursing like librarianship 0:15:28.580,0:15:34.220 like Social Work also new at the time 0:15:31.490,0:15:37.910 Martha is very very active in all of 0:15:34.220,0:15:39.860 that and she's president of the American 0:15:37.910,0:15:44.930 Home Economics Association for a brief 0:15:39.860,0:15:49.250 time but as her role as a spokesperson 0:15:44.930,0:15:51.770 for home economics grows so does her 0:15:49.250,0:15:53.960 professional friendship not only with 0:15:51.770,0:15:58.190 Laura Rose who becomes her life partner 0:15:53.960,0:16:01.700 and co-director of our College of Home 0:15:58.190,0:16:05.350 Economics the two of them become close 0:16:01.700,0:16:09.200 personal friends of Eleanor Roosevelt 0:16:05.350,0:16:09.980 Eleanor Roosevelt made many trips to 0:16:09.200,0:16:12.880 Ithaca 0:16:09.980,0:16:15.470 and whenever she came she stayed with 0:16:12.880,0:16:18.530 Martha Van Rensselaer and flora Rose 0:16:15.470,0:16:23.270 I've heard stories from some of the 0:16:18.530,0:16:26.750 older alums and faculty of three of them 0:16:23.270,0:16:29.750 tooling around and some kind of hoop in 0:16:26.750,0:16:33.770 and around Ithaca but the point is that 0:16:29.750,0:16:37.010 they had access to Eleanor Roosevelt who 0:16:33.770,0:16:41.090 would come here on a yearly basis for 0:16:37.010,0:16:44.600 farm homeless and it brought thousands 0:16:41.090,0:16:49.790 of people to Ithaca to hear her went as 0:16:44.600,0:16:52.790 she was the governor's wife and as the 0:16:49.790,0:16:57.220 years went on mrs. Roosevelt was a 0:16:52.790,0:17:02.120 regular speaker at farm in-home week and 0:16:57.220,0:17:05.990 sort of interesting that as I met early 0:17:02.120,0:17:08.870 on with graduates from that era when the 0:17:05.990,0:17:11.990 clearest memories was meeting mrs. 0:17:08.870,0:17:15.010 Roosevelt and walking with her hearing 0:17:11.990,0:17:19.580 her speak and it was extraordinarily 0:17:15.010,0:17:22.160 meaningful for the students and I liked 0:17:19.580,0:17:24.020 it especially not just that she was 0:17:22.160,0:17:27.560 friends with Miss Manners here in this 0:17:24.020,0:17:30.860 rose but that students women students 0:17:27.560,0:17:36.260 saw such a strong woman to come and 0:17:30.860,0:17:40.580 speak at farm in home week miss Van 0:17:36.260,0:17:44.030 Rensselaer was quite a force and I think 0:17:40.580,0:17:47.090 it's exciting that women students and 0:17:44.030,0:17:51.490 those farmers wives came to farming home 0:17:47.090,0:17:57.170 we were also exposed to her as a very 0:17:51.490,0:17:59.120 strong woman who was not afraid to speak 0:17:57.170,0:18:03.139 out and to 0:17:59.120,0:18:07.279 seek support for them the department in 0:18:03.139,0:18:33.549 the school that was I think a positive 0:18:07.279,0:18:39.129 aspect of this finger three and then in 0:18:33.549,0:18:40.879 1932 when the building is finally opened 0:18:39.129,0:18:43.690 unfortunately 0:18:40.879,0:18:48.030 Martha Van Rensselaer has passed away 0:18:43.690,0:18:49.420 but the building is named for her 0:18:48.030,0:18:55.120 [Music] 0:18:49.420,0:18:56.780 the Roosevelts do not attend her funeral 0:18:55.120,0:19:01.810 service here 0:18:56.780,0:19:04.760 but the Hoover's send flowers which 0:19:01.810,0:19:09.040 decorate Martha Van Rensselaer's coffin 0:19:04.760,0:19:14.330 and this is from the message sent to 0:19:09.040,0:19:18.290 flora Rose from Herbert Hoover and his 0:19:14.330,0:19:19.880 wife Lou Henry Hoover we are shocked to 0:19:18.290,0:19:22.250 learn of the sudden death of Miss Van 0:19:19.880,0:19:25.610 Rensselaer her passing will bring a 0:19:22.250,0:19:28.040 sense of personal loss to thousands from 0:19:25.610,0:19:30.410 whom her quiet devotion to every cause 0:19:28.040,0:19:32.600 looking to the well-being of children 0:19:30.410,0:19:35.330 and to the enrichment of the life of 0:19:32.600,0:19:38.630 women has evoke their warm affection in 0:19:35.330,0:19:40.970 their deep respect with unerring insight 0:19:38.630,0:19:42.650 Martha Van Rensselaer recognized that 0:19:40.970,0:19:43.970 human betterment centered in the home 0:19:42.650,0:19:47.270 she therefore 0:19:43.970,0:19:49.160 champions home and then he goes on him 0:19:47.270,0:19:51.920 he mentions us from a basement room in 0:19:49.160,0:19:54.500 Morrill Hall with an equipment of its 0:19:51.920,0:19:57.410 chair or two and a small kitchen table 0:19:54.500,0:20:00.650 she saw her cause grow to the magnitude 0:19:57.410,0:20:03.320 of its present importance her helping 0:20:00.650,0:20:05.720 hand stretch to countless women on the 0:20:03.320,0:20:09.080 farms to the homes of this state and 0:20:05.720,0:20:11.570 nation and beyond the graces messages 0:20:09.080,0:20:13.580 from the White House and from all points 0:20:11.570,0:20:16.430 of the country the high honors she 0:20:13.580,0:20:20.360 received at home and abroad show that 0:20:16.430,0:20:24.670 the world was not blind to her supremacy 0:20:20.360,0:20:24.670 in the field which she championed 0:20:25.659,0:20:34.159 I'm continually amazed at how the voices 0:20:30.080,0:20:36.080 from the 21st century echo the words of 0:20:34.159,0:20:37.399 women like Martha Van Rensselaer and men 0:20:36.080,0:20:39.919 like Liberty High Bailey 0:20:37.399,0:20:42.710 there are echoes of those women and men 0:20:39.919,0:20:45.889 in the women and men of the 21st century 0:20:42.710,0:20:46.759 the same spirit the same articulation of 0:20:45.889,0:20:49.549 what this is about 0:20:46.759,0:21:02.749 what it's for what it means I find the 0:20:49.549,0:21:04.460 same thing it's really remarkable if you 0:21:02.749,0:21:06.559 think about most universities most 0:21:04.460,0:21:09.830 universities are organized by discipline 0:21:06.559,0:21:11.299 so you'll have economists working in an 0:21:09.830,0:21:13.039 Economics Department you'll have 0:21:11.299,0:21:14.929 biologists working in a biology 0:21:13.039,0:21:17.299 department chemists working in a 0:21:14.929,0:21:20.179 chemistry department the logic of that 0:21:17.299,0:21:22.279 must be that innovation in educational 0:21:20.179,0:21:25.220 research is best done by people trained 0:21:22.279,0:21:30.350 similarly working together and building 0:21:25.220,0:21:32.299 collaborations that way flora rose and 0:21:30.350,0:21:36.679 Martha Van Rensselaer had a very 0:21:32.299,0:21:38.389 different view they believed in bringing 0:21:36.679,0:21:41.179 people from different disciplines 0:21:38.389,0:21:43.519 together around themes believing that 0:21:41.179,0:21:46.519 that's the way to get innovation in 0:21:43.519,0:21:49.159 education and research and so every one 0:21:46.519,0:21:50.749 of our units is multidisciplinary every 0:21:49.159,0:21:52.789 one of our units brings people from 0:21:50.749,0:21:58.639 different disciplines together around 0:21:52.789,0:22:00.830 common themes our five units are human 0:21:58.639,0:22:03.320 development policy analysis and 0:22:00.830,0:22:05.690 management design and environmental 0:22:03.320,0:22:08.970 analysis fiber science and apparel 0:22:05.690,0:22:11.790 design and nutritional sciences 0:22:08.970,0:22:14.760 so the way I think about it is how 0:22:11.790,0:22:16.650 humans interact with their environments 0:22:14.760,0:22:18.930 and how the built environment there's 0:22:16.650,0:22:21.870 room that were in the clothes that we 0:22:18.930,0:22:23.870 wear the social environments were in the 0:22:21.870,0:22:25.590 economic environments were in 0:22:23.870,0:22:28.610 psychological environments that we're 0:22:25.590,0:22:31.430 all impact our well-being 0:22:28.610,0:22:34.380 Martha van saw the value of 0:22:31.430,0:22:36.690 multidisciplinary approach to learning 0:22:34.380,0:22:39.660 when I asked students to think about 0:22:36.690,0:22:42.090 that they see the difference of being 0:22:39.660,0:22:44.090 educated in this environment versus an 0:22:42.090,0:22:46.980 environment that's structured by 0:22:44.090,0:22:49.830 disciplines much like many universities 0:22:46.980,0:22:52.590 are and that's their distinct advantage 0:22:49.830,0:22:54.630 and that's how they can summarize this 0:22:52.590,0:22:56.700 college experience around the themes 0:22:54.630,0:22:59.460 that they focused on that they have a 0:22:56.700,0:23:02.850 broad problem-solving approach that's 0:22:59.460,0:23:04.320 practical that's oriented towards the 0:23:02.850,0:23:06.440 content and the themes that they're 0:23:04.320,0:23:09.980 interested in and if you think about any 0:23:06.440,0:23:15.270 occupation anywhere you go it's all 0:23:09.980,0:23:17.610 teamwork and problem-solving I found 0:23:15.270,0:23:19.560 that all of the majors within the 0:23:17.610,0:23:22.410 College of human ecology put the human 0:23:19.560,0:23:24.590 feel behind it for instance in my 0:23:22.410,0:23:27.660 classes we weren't just learning about 0:23:24.590,0:23:28.890 textiles and fashion from a textbook you 0:23:27.660,0:23:31.500 know we would take trips to New York 0:23:28.890,0:23:33.360 City and see how what we're learning is 0:23:31.500,0:23:35.430 applied to in the real world and 0:23:33.360,0:23:38.400 everything that we've learned you can 0:23:35.430,0:23:42.170 apply the real-life what I've gained 0:23:38.400,0:23:44.790 from my experience definitely a lot of 0:23:42.170,0:23:46.740 connections with people not only in the 0:23:44.790,0:23:48.810 industry but then also a lot of my peers 0:23:46.740,0:23:51.930 are doing phenomenal things and 0:23:48.810,0:23:53.430 different fields of study and it's just 0:23:51.930,0:23:58.470 a great connection we really are a 0:23:53.430,0:24:00.660 family if you have friends who are human 0:23:58.470,0:24:02.130 biology helps and Society majors and 0:24:00.660,0:24:06.150 they've done a lot of work and research 0:24:02.130,0:24:08.790 and the know different medical labs also 0:24:06.150,0:24:10.740 for Human Development majors they work 0:24:08.790,0:24:13.170 closely with babies and childhood 0:24:10.740,0:24:15.240 developments and some of my friends who 0:24:13.170,0:24:17.300 are in design and environmental analysis 0:24:15.240,0:24:19.530 a lot of their projects involves 0:24:17.300,0:24:20.440 creating facilities working with 0:24:19.530,0:24:23.230 different 0:24:20.440,0:24:26.230 all organizations or different groups of 0:24:23.230,0:24:28.200 people to really create you know 0:24:26.230,0:24:30.970 something that the people would meet on 0:24:28.200,0:24:32.620 another example students helped design 0:24:30.970,0:24:34.630 the new student lounge which i think is 0:24:32.620,0:24:37.840 phenomenal like what else do you have an 0:24:34.630,0:24:39.580 opportunity to really apply what you're 0:24:37.840,0:24:41.020 learning to the real world you know 0:24:39.580,0:24:42.970 there's a student lounge and the 0:24:41.020,0:24:53.260 students names are dedicated on the 0:24:42.970,0:24:55.630 plaque from a programmatic point of view 0:24:53.260,0:24:57.430 the new building will be a phenomenal 0:24:55.630,0:25:00.310 showcase for our fiber science and 0:24:57.430,0:25:02.320 apparel design program the department of 0:25:00.310,0:25:05.230 fiber science and apparel design has 0:25:02.320,0:25:08.620 become a true highlight of the college 0:25:05.230,0:25:12.250 so on the fiber science side we have 0:25:08.620,0:25:13.780 faculty working on incredibly valuable 0:25:12.250,0:25:14.710 research in the area of biomedical 0:25:13.780,0:25:17.110 engineering 0:25:14.710,0:25:19.420 so you think of fibers don't think of 0:25:17.110,0:25:22.740 fibers and clothes anymore only think 0:25:19.420,0:25:25.630 about fibers that people are using in 0:25:22.740,0:25:27.580 medical research think about tissue 0:25:25.630,0:25:29.980 engineering we have a tissue engineering 0:25:27.580,0:25:32.650 program joint with the engineering 0:25:29.980,0:25:34.900 college joint with Weill Medical College 0:25:32.650,0:25:38.020 and some of the things that this program 0:25:34.900,0:25:40.840 is doing is developing artificial skin 0:25:38.020,0:25:44.260 that grows rapidly much more rapidly 0:25:40.840,0:25:46.600 than natural skin for wound repair we 0:25:44.260,0:25:49.810 have faculty working on fibers that can 0:25:46.600,0:25:52.390 be used to make bio engineered arteries 0:25:49.810,0:25:53.950 so for bypass surgery Ted instead of 0:25:52.390,0:25:56.850 doing surgery on the leg and taking 0:25:53.950,0:25:59.740 artery of the leg and off-the-shelf bio 0:25:56.850,0:26:02.410 engineered fiber product that can go 0:25:59.740,0:26:04.750 right into the body resists infection or 0:26:02.410,0:26:06.760 scarring those types of things so that 0:26:04.750,0:26:08.980 department is just taking off and 0:26:06.760,0:26:11.350 they're going to be housed in that new 0:26:08.980,0:26:13.600 building and with all the technology all 0:26:11.350,0:26:16.510 the new labs that they need to be 0:26:13.600,0:26:19.690 successful on the apparel design side 0:26:16.510,0:26:21.760 this is one of the most fun and 0:26:19.690,0:26:24.580 innovative areas in the college as well 0:26:21.760,0:26:26.440 what's really interesting is that the 0:26:24.580,0:26:29.290 design students are now working with our 0:26:26.440,0:26:30.850 fiber scientists in making smart 0:26:29.290,0:26:33.100 clothing and so what is the smart 0:26:30.850,0:26:33.680 clothing now think about fibers and 0:26:33.100,0:26:35.809 clothes 0:26:33.680,0:26:40.160 and think about using nano technology 0:26:35.809,0:26:42.260 and engineering clothes that can have in 0:26:40.160,0:26:44.600 the fibers products that screen 0:26:42.260,0:26:47.780 pollutants that promote health through 0:26:44.600,0:26:49.660 resisting allergens all these types of 0:26:47.780,0:26:52.730 ways you can embed in your clothing 0:26:49.660,0:26:55.400 properties that help you perform both 0:26:52.730,0:26:59.090 from a physical perspective and from the 0:26:55.400,0:27:00.800 health perspective so in some sense one 0:26:59.090,0:27:03.380 can think about that building as a 0:27:00.800,0:27:06.830 science and design building bringing 0:27:03.380,0:27:09.700 together our design interest and our 0:27:06.830,0:27:09.700 science interest 0:27:13.720,0:27:22.249 to this day our freshman class is 0:27:17.869,0:27:25.999 usually 70% women we hope and we expect 0:27:22.249,0:27:29.210 that we are leading the way in future 0:27:25.999,0:27:33.619 women playing prominent roles in science 0:27:29.210,0:27:36.169 so we truly believe that we are going to 0:27:33.619,0:27:39.529 be the providers of the top women in the 0:27:36.169,0:27:42.619 fields of medicine in human development 0:27:39.529,0:27:44.929 in fiber science and material science 0:27:42.619,0:27:47.869 and so what I think our College does and 0:27:44.929,0:27:50.599 what Martha ran started really feeds 0:27:47.869,0:27:53.090 into why I'm so proud of what this 0:27:50.599,0:27:55.570 college does and how well it trained 0:27:53.090,0:28:03.280 students for their futures 0:27:55.570,0:28:05.340 [Music] 0:28:03.280,0:28:05.340 you 0:28:07.220,0:28:34.340 [Music] 0:28:32.280,0:28:34.340 you 0:28:35.590,0:28:38.990 [Music]