Marjorie Child Husted

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Marjorie Child Husted (born April 2, 1892 as Marjorie Child , † December 23, 1986 ) was an American manager and radio presenter. In her work as head of the housekeeping department of General Mills , she had a major impact on the advertising figure Betty Crocker from 1927 to 1947 . The advertising figure became so well known under Husted's influence that Fortune magazine voted Betty Crocker the most popular woman after Eleanor Roosevelt in 1945 . Husted has received several awards for her achievements.

Life

Husted, a University of Minnesota graduate , had worked for Washburn Crosby for four years when she was promoted to head of the Home Service Department in 1927 . By this time Betty Crocker was already a well-known figure through radio broadcasts: Washburn Crosby Company, the forerunner of Generals Mills, had already decided in the fall of 1924 to set up a radio cooking show with Betty Crocker, and acquired a radio station for it could be received in a region from California via Illinois to Tennessee. On October 2, 1924, the first radio cookery program was broadcast under the title Good Food . Almost a year later, on September 21, cooking programs began to be broadcast throughout the United States. Susan Marks regards this step as brave: the number of radio owners had increased from 5000 in 1920 to 2.5 million in 1924, but the radio was not yet part of the standard equipment of a household, the benefits of radio advertising had not yet been proven and Betty Crocker had not yet established himself as an advertising medium for the company's flour. However, it quickly became apparent that far more potential customers could be reached via radio broadcasts than via even the best-selling newspapers.

In 1925, two radio programs with distinctly different content emerged: The Betty Crocker Service Program and, on Fridays, The Betty Crocker Cooking School of the Air , which was occasionally called the Gold Medal Flour Radio Cooking School . Many listeners actively participated in this cooking show, the beginning of which attracted attention across the United States. In the first year no fewer than 47,000 listeners registered as students of this cooking show, in 1933 there were already 250,000. Those who signed up received a questionnaire about the recipes, which was sent back to the Washburn Crosby Company along with the retailer's signature confirming that the student chef was buying Gold Medal flour. In this way, the cookery students earned their diploma at the graduation ceremony broadcast once a year.

It was one of Husted's duties to write these radio programs. She also played Betty Crocker personally in these programs. On October 5th, 1927, in one of the first broadcasts for which she was responsible, she addressed her audience with the following words:

“I like to introduce myself when I speak here. I can see the seasoned housewife peeling potatoes or doing other work as she listens for some little advice that breaks the monotony of the old routine. I see deeply involved mothers of young children, grandmothers, brides and young housewives and those who can no longer get out, who are bedridden or need help and who keep telling me how much they are waiting for our show ... is it's not wonderful that no matter where you are, we can meet to discuss things that interest us all. A radio does not tolerate time or distance restrictions. It wasn't that many years ago that we had to meet neighbors, perhaps while chatting over the fence, or where we had to wait for a club meeting or a sewing circle to exchange recipes. But today, even though I'm miles away, I can talk to them and radio listeners in Massachusetts can exchange ideas with radio listeners in California. "

In her story of the advertising character Betty Crocker, however, Susan Mark expressly points out that the personality of Husted was anything but corresponded to that of the advertising character. Husted was assertive, confidently speaking what she thought, and had a clear idea of ​​how to sell Betty Crocker to the American people. Under her influence, Betty Crocker's cooking programs became part of the National Broadcasting Company . Initially only lasting 20 minutes, they were extended to an hour and broadcast three times a week. The cooking shows weren't one of the first of their kind and grew to be the one with the highest audience.

Combat Household Food Waste - World War II US Department poster

Among other things, Husted had experience from working for a support organization of the Red Cross and was therefore also familiar with the situation of families with low incomes. Husted is also responsible for Betty Crocker asking her audience for suggestions as to which topics should be covered in the programs. The success of the radio show led to other companies also starting to broadcast radio programs that were primarily aimed at women or advertised products for everyday use. It is also due to Husted's influence that during the Great Depression of the 1930s the program increasingly focused on recipes and menu suggestions for financially vulnerable families. The brochure Meal Planning on minimum and low cost budget (dt. Meals at minimum and low income ) was given away for free. Historian James Gray, who published a history of General Mills in 1954, pointed out that during those years marketing the company's products was almost secondary. How helpful the recipes and suggestions were for families who were particularly hard hit by the Great Depression is also demonstrated by the numerous letters that General Mills received and that prompted Susan Marks to describe the 1930s as the most altruistic years in the history of this advertising figure named as an example of a personality who embodies corporate citizenship .

The entry of the United States into World War II meant rising food prices as well as rationing foods such as coffee, butter, sugar, and meat. Various departments of General Mills worked hard to make Betty Crocker an indispensable figure in the general war effort. Numerous recipes published with Betty Crocker's signature gave tips on how to save sugar. In a no longer imaginable confusion of public and commercial interests which used Office of War Information , the figure Betty Crocker in 1945 as a daily host to the radio program Our Nation's Rations (dt. The rations of our nation ), among others, for the purchase of war bonds and to spread blood donations and food handling recommendations. The various actresses who played Betty Crocker interviewed soldiers, officials and nutrition experts and informed the audience about issues ranging from the worldwide food situation to sending Christmas parcels abroad.

Marjorie Husted left General Mills in 1947. She worked as a consultant to the US Department of Agriculture in 1948 .

In an interview in 1978, when the social role of women had changed fundamentally compared to the late 1940s and ideology-driven programs such as those by Husted were out of fashion for more than two decades, Husted stated:

“I find it interesting to look back and realize how concerned I was about the well-being and self-esteem of women who were housewives. These women needed an advocate. There were millions of them staying home, looking after the kids, cooking and cleaning, all on a tiny budget - all in all a depressing affair. They needed someone to remind them that they had value. "

Awards

literature

  • Susan Marks: Finding Betty Crocker: The Secret Life of America's First Lady of Food. University of Minnesota Press, 2007. ISBN 978-0-8166-5018-7 .

Single receipts

  1. ^ Marjorie Husted . In: Social Security Death Index . New England Historic Genealogical Society. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
  2. ^ Susan Marks: Finding Betty Crocker , p. 116.
  3. ↑ a b Susan Marks: Finding Betty Crocker , p. 41.
  4. ^ Susan Marks: Finding Betty Crocker , p. 34.
  5. ^ Susan Marks: Finding Betty Crocker , p. 29.
  6. ↑ Susan Marks: Finding Betty Crocker , pp. 37 and 51.
  7. ^ Susan Marks: Finding Betty Crocker , p. 35.
  8. ↑ Susan Marks: Finding Betty Crocker , p. 41. The original quote is: I like to picture you as I talk. I can see experienced housekeepers peeling potatoes, or doing some other " sitting down " job while they listen for the little hints which help relieve the monotony of the old routine. I see busy mothers of small children, grandmothers, brides and young housekeepers, and the shut-ins, who are bed-fast or helpless, who tell me they never fail to watch for these hours. ... Isn't it wonderful that no matter where you are we can meet this way to discuss the things we are all interested in? The radio admits no barrier of time or distance. Not so many years ago we had to go out visiting with near neighbors, perhaps gossiping over the back fence, or we waited for a club meeting or sewing circle to exchange recipes. But now, though I am miles away, I can talk to you, and radio friends in Massachusetts can exchange ideas whit those in California.
  9. ^ Susan Marks: Finding Betty Crocker , p. 42.
  10. ↑ a b Susan Marks: Finding Betty Crocker , p. 50.
  11. ↑ Susan Marks quotes extensively from letters to the editor who repeatedly emphasize the helpfulness of Betty Crocker's advice on how to feed a family on a limited income. P. 51 to p. 57. The note on Good Corporate Citizenship is on p. 125.
  12. ^ Susan Marks: Finding Betty Crocker , p. 107.
  13. ↑ Susan Marks: Finding Betty Crocker , p. 126. The original quote is: It is very interesting to me to look back now and realize how concerned I was about the welfare of women as homemakers and their feelings of self-respect. Women needed a champion. Here were millions of them staying at home alone, doing a job with children, cooking, cleaning on minimal budgets - the whole depressing mess of it. They needed someone to remind them they had value.
  14. ^ Susan Marks: Finding Betty Crocker , p. 124.
personal data
SURNAME Husted, Marjorie Child
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Child, Marjorie (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American manager and radio presenter
DATE OF BIRTH April 2, 1892
DATE OF DEATH December 23, 1986