May Louise Cowles (September 25, 1892 – January 11, 1978) was an American

economist An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this field there are ...

researcher Research is "creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness t ...

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

, and advocate of

Home Economics Home economics, also called domestic science or family and consumer sciences, is a subject concerning human development, personal and family finances, consumer issues, housing and interior design, nutrition and food preparation, as well as texti ...

. She was a member of the faculty at the

University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...

from 1915 to 1958. She had many submissions published in the ''Journal of Home Economics'', the ''Journal of the American Dietetic Association'', and ''Rural Sociology''. She also produced several widely read pamphlets, including ''Meeting Housing Needs of Older People in Rural Areas (1957)'', and spoke at a string of national seminars to encourage the addition of family economics to

home economics Home economics, also called domestic science or family and consumer sciences, is a subject concerning human development, personal and family finances, consumer issues, housing and interior design, nutrition and food preparation, as well as texti ...

instruction across the United States. Cowles "created some of the first family economics courses in the nation" at the collegiate level.

Early life and education

Cowles was born on September 25, 1892, in Sibley, Kansas. She attended

Kansas State Agricultural College Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...

where she earned a B.S. in home economics in 1912 and entered the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1915 to earn her master's degree in home economics.

Rise to prominence

From 1926 to 1929, Cowles studied for her

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

in economics at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...

. Her Ph.D. dissertation investigated the economics of clothing consumption and whether consumer behavior could be classified according to "laws." One of her studies reported that during the time period, husbands spend more on clothing than their wives by 10%—a finding that was met with some ridicule in the press at the time. She also completed significant work in the study of home economics and its impact on rural families in the United States. Kansas State University recognized her contributions to home economics and her participation in the field by awarding her the Distinguished Service Award for "outstanding achievement in home economics" in 1959.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cowles, May Louise 1892 births 1978 deaths 20th-century American economists Home economists Kansas State University alumni Macroeconomists People from Cloud County, Kansas University of Chicago alumni University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty American women economists Economists from Kansas 20th-century American women scientists