32 Eliot Street was the house of Ellen Swallow Richards. She was the first woman to graduate from MIT and was an amazing chemist. She taught at MIT and pioneered testing for bacteria in water and food sources. This plaque’s characterization of her as founding “home economics” doesn’t really get at all her many contributions. She crusaded for clean air and water along with good nutritious food. Combining all these causes she created the “Rumford Kitchen” exhibit at the Columbian Exposition in 1893. They provided displays of sanitary kitchen conditions, nutritious foods and had pamphlets for visitors to take home. Ellen even coined the word ecology. She was active in public health and environmental causes. She and her husband, fellow MIT Professor Robert Richards lived here. Ellen was often seen gathering water samples to test at Jamaica Pond (which is at the end of the street). The Richards were also active in the Eliot School (a few doors down) piloting programs in home economics and vocational education there that were then adopted by the Boston Public Schools (and school systems across the country).