Woman of the Century/Emma P. Ewing

EWING, Mrs. Emma P., apostle of good cooking, born on a farm in Broome county, N. Y. in July, 1838. Since her marriage she has lived in Washington. D. C, New York City, Chicago, Ill., and other cities. In 1866 she became impressed with the belief that good food is an important factor in the development of the individual, morally, mentally and physically, and since then the leading aim of her life has been to improve the character of the every-day diet of the people by the introduction of EMMA P. EWING. better and more economical methods of cooking. Most of her culinary studies and experiments have been in that direction. In 1880 Mrs. Ewing organized a school of cookery in Chicago and conducted it in a highly satisfactory manner for three years, when she was appointed professor of domestic economy in the Iowa Agricultural College. That position she held until 1887, and then resigned to accept a similar one, at a largely-increased salary, in Purdue University, Indiana. In the fall of 1889 she resigned her professorship in Purdue University and went to Kansas City, Mo., to organize and take charge of a school of household science; but before she had been there a year the calls upon her from all sections of the country for lectures and lessons upon culinary topics became so incessant and urgent that she resolved to leave the school. Placing it in other hands, she devoted her entire time and energies to itinerary work, preaching the gospel of good cookery to larger and more appreciative audiences than she could possibly reach in schools and colleges. Some idea of the amount of missionary work that is being done by her may be gathered from the fact that during 1891 she gave nearly two-hundred-fifty lectures and lessons on the preparation of food. For several summers Mrs. Ewing has been in charge of the School of Cookery at the Chautauqua Assembly, and every season she delivers a series of lectures there on household topics. Her popularity as a lecturer and teacher is such that her services are in constant demand, many of her engagements being made a year in advance. On all subjects pertaining to household science Mrs. Ewing is a leading authority. In addition to her other labors Mrs. Ewing has written two books, "Cooking and Castle Building " (1880) and "Cookery Manuals" (18861, and is now devoting her leisure time to the preparation of a text-book on cookery for schools and homes, to be entitled "The A B C of Cookery." Her home is in Rochester, N.Y.