Elizabethtown College Director of Prestigious Scholarships and Public Heritage Studies Jean-Paul Benowitz recently published a historical biography, “Sarah Tyson Rorer, The Pure Food Movement & Mount Gretna’s Rorer Hall of Cookery,” exploring the life and largely forgotten legacy of the first American dietitian, Sarah “Sallie” Tyson Heston Rorer (1849-1937).
Benowitz holding copy of “Sarah Tyson Rorer, The Pure Food Movement & Mount Gretna’s Rorer Hall of Cookery.”
Based in Lebanon County, Rorer pioneered American dietary studies through her work as founder of the Philadelphia Cooking School and the Chautauqua School of Domestic Science at Mount Gretna. Recognized by the American Dietetic Association as the first American dietitian, Rorer was a leading culinary and civic leader in the Progressive Era of the early 20th century and was instrumental in instituting home economics curriculum in schools nationwide.
“What struck me most in researching this biography was how thoroughly Rorer’s contributions had been overlooked by historians,” Benowitz said. “She was advising United States Presidents, institutionalizing home economics education nationwide, and championing food reform at a time when few women held any public platform at all. Scholars of American dietary history, women’s studies, and Progressive Era reform owe her a much closer look.”
As a champion of the pure food movement, Rorer was influential as an advisor to Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Her work, which laid the foundation for today’s organic, farm-to-table food movement, continues to inform contemporary conversations about health, sustainability, and the American diet.
The book is a collaborative publication between the Mount Gretna Historical Society and the Lebanon County Historical Society and aims to amplify Rorer’s legacy as one of the area’s most influential local figures. All proceeds benefit both historical societies and help preserve local history for generations to come.
The writing process presented an exciting opportunity for Benowitz, who serves as the Director of Elizabethtown College’s Public Heritage Studies Program, to contextualize and examine an often-overlooked piece of local history.
The Public Heritage Studies minor offers students meaningful, hands-on learning opportunities, with a focus on preparation for graduate study or a career in the field of public heritage. Complementary to a variety of majors at Etown, the Public Heritage Studies minor provides students with practical field and research experience, equipping them with the skills necessary to excel in historical preservation and cultural heritage studies.
Benowitz has dedicated his academic and professional career to researching and preserving local and regional history, authoring numerous books on 20th-century American politics and the Civil Rights Movement. His work provides the foundation for his Honors courses at Etown, where he serves as an academic advisor.
