On June 14, 1911, the Board of Trustees of Ohio University passed a resolution that added a Domestic Science Department to the existing departments of the State Normal College. Under the principalship of Anna Shurtz and Edna Crump, the Domestic Science Department was launched in the fall of 1911 in a remodeled house on College Street. The first home-economics courses were offered in 1912, and soon the growth of the program necessitated moving it into larger quarters. In June 1913, the department moved to the second floor of the Old Central Building.
Growth in numbers of students continued under the leadership of Elizabeth Bohn, who was newly appointed principal, and Helen Hoad, who was the assistant principal. It was necessary to search for still larger quarters. At the May 7, 1913, meeting of the Board of Trustees, a new building to house domestic Science and Agriculture was proposed. In 1915, a new Agriculture and Household Arts building was constructed on University Terrace. This structure was renamed Tupper Hall in 1966, and it remained the home of the School until 2002, when the School moved to Grover Center.
In 1918, Edna Endley was appointed principal with the task of changing the departmental program from a two- or three-year diploma course to a four-year, degree-granting curriculum. The first bachelor of science degrees in home economics were granted in June 1921 to Helen Bernice Dorn, Genevieve Lillian Matton and Uarda Faine. Louise Eckels, Velma Phillips and Grace Steininger served as department heads after Endley.
The single major offered in 1919 was teaching. The departmental course offerings had been expanded to meet the needs of this vocation. Service courses in foods and clothing were offered to non-majors. In 1949, a core curriculum was adopted under the leadership of Dr. Vivian Roberts, who was director of the School of Home Economics from 1943 until 1966. Dr. Beulah Sellers served as director from 1966 until 1978. During her tenure the school received accreditation from the American Home Economics Association (AHEA).
The Child Care and Training program was first introduced in 1925. In 1930, the program was changed to Child Development with Nursery School. The Nursery School was located in the Jennings Home Management House, which was part of the new Home Management program. In 1937, child development was offered as a major. At one time there were two home-management houses, with the second house being the Brown Home Management House. The Child Development program was moved to Putnam Hall and was relocated to The Ridges in 2002.
The former School of Home Economics had several administrative homes. The first department was organized as a part of the state Normal College in June of 1911 by Trustee action. When the University was reorganized under President Herman G. James in 1936, the School of Home Economics was made a part of the College of Applied Science. In 1962, the college name was changed to Engineering and Technology. In 1964, the School of Home Economics was administered through the College of Education. In 1979, the School became part of the newly created College of Health and Human Services.
In 1993, the name of the School was changed from Home Economics to Human and Consumer Sciences. The School now offers 11 professional areas of specialization, open to both men and women, leading to a bachelor of science in human and consumer science. Graduate study in four areas leads to a master of science.
Over the years, course offerings have changed to meet individual and societal needs. At the inception of the department, the fourteen courses were designed to meet the needs of a population whose roots were largely rural. The courses were planned to serve the homemaking needs for the diploma graduate or prepare teachers for teaching domestic science in public schools.