Margaret Ritchie School of Family and Consumer Sciences Celebrates 120th Anniversary
September 08, 2022
MOSCOW, Idaho — University of Idaho’s Margaret Ritchie School of Family and Consumer Sciences will host a series of educational and community events Sept. 16-17 in recognition of its 120th anniversary.
Registration is due online by Sept. 14. Activities include a symposium featuring family and consumer sciences experts, a keynote address, a celebration dinner and a pregame tailgate and open house to round out the weekend.
“We are quintessentially a multidisciplinary field of study, encompassing everything from nutrition to clothing to personal and family finance to human development and early childhood education. We are a beautiful blend of basic life skills and highly employable disciplines,” said Shelley McGuire, the school’s director. “The Margaret Ritchie School of Family and Consumer Sciences is 120 years old and stronger than ever.”
The Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Symposium is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 16 at the Niccolls Building and will feature faculty and experts’ talks on hot topics in the field. A complimentary lunch will be served.
Linda Kirk Fox will serve as the Margaret Ritchie Distinguished Speaker, delivering a speech on the symposium’s theme “Celebrating the Science of Living Well.” Kirk Fox started her career as an FCS educator for UI Extension in 1981 and became the school’s director until 2001. She later served as dean of the College of Human Ecology at the University of Georgia, retiring in 2021. The Margaret Ritchie Distinguished Speaker series is an annual event returning after being on hold due to COVID-19. Kirk Fox’s speech will begin 5 p.m. Sept. 16 at the Bruce M. Pitman Center Borah Theater.
A Celebrating FCS Dinner is 7 p.m. Sept. 16 at the Pitman Center Vandal Ballroom. A social hour starts 6 p.m.
Beginning at 10 a.m. Sept. 17, the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) will host a tailgate party at the Niccolls Building featuring complimentary food and music by The Chelseas before the noon Vandal football game against Drake University. Tailgate guests will be invited to an open house inside Hays Hall and the Niccolls Building.
Other symposium speakers include Jan Fleener Scholl, Kirstin Jensen, Shelly Johnson and Sonya Meyer.
The school was founded in 1902 as the Department of Domestic Science, before being named the Department of Home Economics. Its name was changed in 1993 to honor Margaret Ritchie, who headed the Department of Home Economics from 1938-1959. The school was incorporated into CALS in 1982.
“We’re always trying to make sure we’re honoring that long history we have, while keeping us up to date with what’s going on with humans, families and children for over a century,” said Sara Matthews, a senior instructor of early childhood development and education and chair of the anniversary celebration’s planning committee.
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Media Contact
John O’Connell
Assistant Director of Communications, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
208-530-5959
joconnell@uidaho.edu
Shelley McGuire
Director Margaret Ritchie School of Family and Consumer Sciences
208-885-6546
smcguire@uidaho.edu
Sara Matthews
Senior Instructor of Early Childhood Development and Education; Chair of the Planning Committee for the 120th Anniversary Celebration
208-292-24533
smatthews@uidaho.edu
About the University of Idaho
The University of Idaho, home of the Vandals, is Idaho’s land-grant, national research university. From its residential campus in Moscow, U of I serves the state of Idaho through educational centers in Boise, Coeur d’Alene and Idaho Falls, nine research and Extension centers, plus Extension offices in 42 counties. Home to more than 12,000 students statewide, U of I is a leader in student-centered learning and excels at interdisciplinary research, service to businesses and communities, and in advancing diversity, citizenship and global outreach. U of I competes in the Big Sky and Western Athletic conferences. Learn more at uidaho.edu.