Kathleen McHugh discusses her unconventional experience at Oregon State University and how it shaped her path studying home economics
Kathleen McHugh
By Selene Lawrence, CLA Student Writer - November 6, 2024
Kathleen McHugh, M.A. ‘22, has always had a thirst for knowledge. Interested in math and science since childhood, McHugh attended Syracuse University for her undergraduate studies. She initially planned on majoring in aerospace engineering, but soon switched to a triple major in physics, political science, and history. While seeking an intersection between her fields of study, McHugh found herself taking a history of science class during her junior year at Syracuse. That was when everything clicked into place for her. “I realized this is what I’m supposed to do,” she said.
While deciding on a master’s program, McHugh knew that a history of science-focused program, and not simply a history or liberal studies program, would benefit her most. “I really wanted a curriculum that was going to emphasize understanding the complexities of science,” said McHugh, “Oregon State was a great fit. It’s a very science-based program with great professors and staff who all want to help you succeed.”
In the fall of 2020, she joined the History & Philosophy of Science graduate program at the College of Liberal Arts. However, McHugh soon had to overcome unexpected challenges in her studies due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The pandemic was a huge challenge because I could only access Oregon State University and Benton County’s archives,” McHugh explained. “It was a struggle, but I think it helped me think about how to ask research questions and plan my course of research within the realm of what is physically possible. It really helped me develop as a historian.”
Because of McHugh’s background in physics, she initially set out to research women in the field in United States history. “I was interested in political thought and how we see physics principles in our laws governing women,” she recalled. Because of the archival limitations in her research, McHugh’s advisor Professor Marisa Chappell suggested she look into the history of home economics.
“I was intrigued right from the start,” McHugh said, “I saw that there was this field that was helping women pursue science because it was disguised as domestic education. These women worked so hard to promote and have a place in science. For their legacy to be that it was just this dumb class that confined women to the kitchen… I really wanted to work to rectify that.”
McHugh’s thesis focused on Ava Milam Clark, who served as Oregon State’s Dean of Home Economics for over three decades after first coming to the school as a teacher in 1911. “She was a fascinating figure,” McHugh remarked. Under Ava Milam Clark’s leadership, Oregon State’s home economics program grew into the third-largest in the United States. Clark has also been credited with developing and introducing home economics curriculums to several other countries including China, Syria, and Iraq.
McHugh’s research shed light on what the home economics program at OSU was like in the early 20th century. “It was a very acceptable field for a woman to pursue,” she said. “It was seen as a very scientific field that was dedicated to improving the home and society through science. This was an opportunity for women to study science at a time when there weren’t any other opportunities in higher education for that, and really gave women career opportunities in education, childcare, and nutrition rather than just teaching them how to cook and sew. It was so much more than just a field of study.”
Now, McHugh is pursuing her Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill where she continues to focus on home economics. Her dissertation will focus on the interaction between home economists and the women's liberation movement in the second half of the twentieth century.
“When I looked into it, I learned that home economists thought that they were feminists. In their minds, they were helping women study science and promoting women’s careers in science and business-related fields. They advocated for causes typically associated with second-wave feminism: childcare, welfare rights, and greater opportunities for working women. They very much saw themselves as feminists whereas feminists saw them as the enemy. A lot of feminists thought, and included in their literature, that home economics was just a class or a conspiracy to keep women in the kitchen.”
McHugh plans to use oral histories with home economists active during the second half of the twentieth century in her research. She recalled previous discussions with home economists during her time at Oregon State to be one of the most rewarding parts of her work. “Having those home economists, especially those who may have had others degrade their careers, see that their lives and careers are really important to understanding how women have progressed in scientific fields has been the best part of my research.”