Vassar College

 

​​While at Vassar, Ellen’s respect for food only increased. At this prestigious, all-female college, she was introduced to the field of chemistry and its potential for practical and beneficial applications to the world’s current social issues. As a result, she began conducting chemical analyses on materials she encountered everyday, such as food from Vassar’s menus. In addition to her fieldwork, her science classes and laboratory work led her to reach the conclusion that in addition to being a natural remedy for illness, nutrient dense food was an essential source of fuel for the body. When Ellen graduated from Vassar in 1870, she was eager to find a job in the field of chemistry and continue exploring the potential for the application of scientific principles to the world’s problems (14, 20).

The Minnie Cumnock Blodgett Hall of Euthenics, Established in 1929 at Vassar College, from http://admin.collegepublisher.com/preview/mobile/2.1575/2.1578/1.2668148 

John and Minnie Blodgett, residents of Grand Rapids, Michigan, donated $550,000.00 to Vassar College so that the school could erected a building to house the newly created department of Euthenics. Shortly after Minnie's death in 1931, the Euthenics department dissolved and the building was converted into a residents hall.