Violet Mildred Ryley (February 1, 1884 – April 14, 1949) was a Canadian

dietitian A dietitian, medical dietitian, or dietician is an expert in identifying and treating disease-related malnutrition and in conducting medical nutrition therapy, for example designing an enteral tube feeding regimen or mitigating the effects of ...

, considered the "Dean of Canadian Dietitians" for her work during and after

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

Early life and education

Ryley was born in

Bethany, Ontario Bethany is an unincorporated village in the Canadian province of Ontario, within the single-tier municipality of Kawartha Lakes. Bethany is centred on Highway 7A. It is located a few kilometers west of Peterborough, the largest city in the are ...

, the daughter of Thomas G. Ryley and Caroline Lee Ryley. She graduated in 1907 from the Lillian Massey School of Household Science in Toronto, and trained as a dietitian at New York City Hospital.

Career

Ryley was a dietitian at Albany General Hospital for a year, and superintendent of the dining halls at the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...

for nine years. After World War I, she spent four years as general organizer of dietitians for the Military Hospitals Commission. The success of her efforts ensured that dietitians would be appointed to forty military hospital in Canada. "If the public once realized what a terribly monotonous diet, poorly cooked and wretchedly served, is given in many institutions, they would not tolerate conditions for a day, but would demand that conditions be improved," she said in 1921. After her work with the military hospitals, Ryley became dietitian at the Toronto

YWCA The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries. The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swit ...

. She had charge of the kitchen at

Eaton's The T. Eaton Company Limited, later known as Eaton's, was a Canadian department store chain that was once the largest in the country. It was founded in 1869 in Toronto by Timothy Eaton, an immigrant from what is now Northern Ireland. Eaton's g ...

Georgian Room, a Toronto restaurant, when it opened in 1924. She advised the Canadian military again during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. She was honorary president of the Canadian Dietetic Association and the Toronto Dietetic Association.

Publications

* "The Work of the Dietitian in the Canadian Military Hospitals" (1918)

Personal life

Ryley died from a heart attack in April 1949, at the age of 65. The Violet Ryley-Kathleen Jeffs Memorial Award, an annual honor bestowed by the Canadian Dietetic Association until 2023, was established in 1950 and named in her memory, and in the memory of her student and colleague, Kathleen Jeffs.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryley, Violet 1884 births 1949 deaths People from Kawartha Lakes Canadian women in World War I University of Toronto alumni Dietitians