Fannie Merritt Farmer
Personal Information
Born: 1857
Died: 1915
Country of Birth: USA
Nationality: USA
Ethnicity: White
Education
Boston Cooking School 1889
" “knowledge of the principles of diet [as an] essential part of one’s education. Mankind will eat to live, will be able to do better mental and physical work, and disease will be less frequent.” (britannica.com); "With the progress of knowledge the needs of the human body have not been forgotten. During the last decade much time has been given by scientists to the study of foods and their dietetic value, and it is a subject which rightfully should demand much consideration from all." (thoughtco.com); "I certainly feel that the time is not far distant when a knowledge of the principles of diet will be an essential part of one's education. Then mankind will eat to live, be able to do better mental and physical work, and disease will be less frequent." (thoughtco.com); "Progress in civilization has been accompanied by progress in cookery." (thoughtco.com); "Men and women are certainly but children of an older growth, which fact is especially emphasized during times of sickness and suffering."(d.lib.msu.edu); "
— Fannie Merritt Farmer
Professional Life
Field of Study: Food Sciences
Institution/Corporation: Brown, Little & Co
Degrees & Memberships: None found
Awards & Achievements
Awards: None found
Achievements: Published "The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book" in 1896 & was a follow-up to an earlier version called Mrs. Lincoln's Boston Cook Book, published by Mary J. Lincoln in 1884; the book under Farmer's direction eventually contained 1,850 recipes; book included essays on housekeeping, cleaning, canning and drying fruits and vegetables, and nutritional information with the use of standard measurements rather than vague terms like "pinch" & "dash;" 1902 created Miss Farmer's School of cookery; with sister, Cora Farmer Perkins, wrote a regular column for the Womens' Home Companion from 1905-1915; published "Food & Cooking for the Sick & Convalescent" in 1904 & considered it her most important work
Her publisher (Little, Brown & Co) didn't expect her cookbook to do well & only issued 3,000 copies printed at Farmer's expense
the cookbook was referred to as "The Fannie Farmer Cookbook" and it is still available in print over 100 years later
the cookbook provided scientific explanations of the chemical processes that occur in food during cooking, and helped to standardize the system of measurements used in cooking in the USA
suffered a paralytic stroke at age 16 while in high school & couldn't walk for a few years
began cooking & serving her food at her mother's boarding house
when she regained the use of her legs (with a pronounced limp she had for the remainder of her life) she worked as a domestic for the Shaw family & Mrs. shaw & her parents encouraged her to go to cooking school
enrolled at the Boston cooking School started by Mrs. Lincoln at age 30 & remained at the school after graduating as the assistant directed & was promoted to principal in 1891
lectured on convalescent diet & nutrition to doctors & nurses at harvard Medical School
used a wheelchair for the last 7 years of her life after another stroke left her legs completely paralyzed
gave her last lecture 10 days before she died after another stroke
wrote 11 books with recipes, diet & nutrition information
the cooking school she opened in 1902 closed in 1944
was one time known as "the mother of level measurements"
her family licensed the use of her name as long as they agreed to spell her 1st name "Fanny" to a Chicago candy company & they sold chocolates & other confections under the name "Fanny Farmer"