From Congress to the Cafeteria: An Examination of the Discourse on School Lunch in the 1940s and 1950s

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 2:30 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Learning in the Lunch Line: Student Voice, Career Development, and Institutional Change (Table 9)

Abstract

The 1940s and 1950s were pivotal decades for the National School Lunch Act (NSLA). While scholars examined the NSLA holistically with a primary focus on fulfilling the primary objective of feeding children, politicians emphasized the economic benefits the NSLA could bring to the country’s farmers and seemed singularly focused on expanding its purchasing power. By examining both Congressional Daily Digests from 1946 to 1954, and a number of theses and dissertations produced by school lunch staff seeking advanced degrees, this article analyzes the priorities of these two influential groups. Ultimately, this analysis suggests one explanation for the NSLA’s implementation being largely expansion focused is due to the gender dynamics of these two groups of advocates.

Author

• Michael Coleman, Virginia Tech