Josephine Thorndike Berry (February 25, 1871 – July 21, 1945) was an American educator and

home economist Home economics, also called domestic science or family and consumer sciences (often shortened to FCS or FACS), is a subject concerning human development, personal and family finances, consumer issues, housing and interior design, nutrition and f ...

. She held several roles as an educator including that of

Superintendent of schools In the American education system, a superintendent or superintendent of schools is an administrator or manager in charge of a number of public schools or a school district, a local government body overseeing public schools. All school principal ...

Waterville, Kansas Waterville is a city in Marshall County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 658. History Waterville was founded in 1868 by the railroad company. It was named after Waterville, Maine, the hometown of ...

and Professor of Domestic Science, Northern Illinois State Normal School (now

Northern Illinois University Northern Illinois University (NIU) is a public research university in DeKalb, Illinois, United States. It was founded as "Northern Illinois State Normal School" in 1895 by Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld, initially to provide the state with c ...

) at

DeKalb, Illinois DeKalb ( ) is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,290 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city is named after decorated Franconian-French war hero Johann de Kalb, who died during the Ameri ...

. She was the head of the Department of Home Economics at Northern Illinois State Normal School, at the State College of Washington, and at the University of Minnesota.

Early life and education

Berry was born in

on February 25, 1871, the daughter of Edward A. and Flora A. (Lewis) Berry. She was educated at the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. Two branch campuses are in the Kansas City metropolitan area on the Kansas side: the university's medical school and hospital ...

, A.B.;

Teachers College, Columbia University Teachers College, Columbia University (TC) is the graduate school of education affiliated with Columbia University, a private research university in New York City. Founded in 1887, Teachers College has been a part of Columbia University since ...

, B.S. 1904, A.M. 1910;

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

, 1909–10; research fellow, Teachers College, Columbia University, 1909–10 (member,

Pi Beta Phi Pi Beta Phi (), often known simply as Pi Phi, is an international Fraternities and sororities in North America, women's fraternity founded at Monmouth College, in Monmouth, Illinois on April 28, 1867, as I. C. Sorosis, the first national secret c ...

Career

Berry was the

, Waterville, Kansas, 1900–02. She was the assistant in the Department of Household Administration,

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

. Berry served as head of the Department of Home Economics, Northern Illinois State Normal School; head of the Department of Home Economics, State College of Washington (now

Washington State University Washington State University (WSU, or colloquially Wazzu) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Pullman, Washington, United States. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest Land-grant uni ...

); and head, Home Economics Department,

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

, 1913–18. She was the assistant director for home economics, Federal Board for Vocational Education, 1917–18. Berry established Thorndike Hall in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

after noticing a lack of appropriate housing for working women in that city. She favored woman suffrage, and was progressive in politics. Berry was a member of the

American Home Economics Association American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) is an American professional association that networks professionals in the area of family and consumer science. It was founded in 1908 as the American Home Economics Association by Ellen ...

, American Chemical Society Association of Collegiate Alumnae, National Society for Vocational Education,

American Academy of Political and Social Science The American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS) was founded in 1889 to promote progress in the social sciences. Sparked by Professor Edmund J. James and drawing from members of the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania, Swarthmor ...

Association of Collegiate Alumnae The American Association of University Women (AAUW), officially founded in 1881, is a non-profit organization that advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. The organization has a nationwide network of 170,00 ...

, and the

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is a United States–based international nonprofit with the stated mission of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsib ...

Death

Josephine Thorndike Berry died at St. Mary's Hospital, in Kansas City, Missouri, July 21, 1945.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berry, Josephine Thorndike 1871 births 1945 deaths People from Marshall County, Kansas Educators from Kansas Home economists University of Kansas alumni Teachers College, Columbia University alumni Yale University alumni Pi Beta Phi School superintendents in Kansas Northern Illinois University faculty University of Chicago faculty Washington State University faculty University of Minnesota faculty