Adele Charlson Recipe Collection MSS-2019-01-08
Fiona DuBrock
SJSU Special Collections & Archives
01/30/20
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
San José State University
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0028
special.collections@sjsu.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
SJSU Special Collections & Archives
Title: Adele Charlson Recipe Collection
creator:
Charlson, Adele
Identifier/Call Number: MSS-2019-01-08
Physical Description:
3 boxes
(3.42 linear feet)
Date (inclusive): circa 1920-1985
Abstract: The bulk of this collection consists of recipes written and collected by Adele Charlson during her career as a home economics
teacher in San José. It also contains curriculum materials and information on Charlson's family history.
Content Description
This collection contains recipes written and collected by Adele Charlson. A large portion of the recipes are loose-leaf recipes
used in her home economics classes during the 1940s. The collection also contains two large scrapbooks. The first scrapbook
consists of recipes written by Mrs. Charlson. The second scrapbook is comprised of recipes and articles she collected from
magazines. The collection also contains a published account of Mrs. Charlson's family history as well as a few curriculum
and administrative materials from the Campbell Union High School Disrict home economics program.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in three series: Series I. Biographical and Educational Materials, Series II. Loose-Leaf Recipes,
and Series III. Recipe Scrapbooks.
Biographical / Historical
Adele Charlson was born Harriette Adele Stucky on Christmas Eve, 1905, in Winnemucca, Nevada, to Harriette (née Powers, 1866-1935)
and Jacob Stucky (1861-1902). Her family moved to Sparks, Nevada, in 1909 for her father's job with the Southern Pacific Company.
Charlson left Sparks to attend San José State Teacher's College, graduating in 1927. During her time at San José State she
was active in Delta Pi, a campus club for students in the Homemaking Department, serving as its president in Spring 1926.
Adele married Rolland W. "Rolly" Charlson (1903-1951), an electrician, on September 1, 1928. They had two boys, Robert J.
(b. 1936), an atmospheric scientist and professor at the University of Washington, and William S. (1938-2020), a park ranger
and superintendent for the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department.
Charlson began her career in 1930, teaching home economics in the San José Department of Adult Education. She later transitioned
to the Campbell Union High School District, and from 1959 until her retirement in 1972 she headed the district's home economics
program. She was also a member of the Omega Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, a professional organization for women in education.
Charlson authored two cookbooks, including the title
My Young Cooks, published in 1977. When Charlson was nearing retirement, she became the guardian of two girls, Lisa and Trudy Harrington,
whose parents had died in a car accident. She subsequently raised them on her own. Charlson was known for her belief in education,
her love of cooking, and her generosity. She died in San José in 1999 at the age of 93.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright has not been assigned to San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives. All requests for permission
to publish or quote from materials must be submitted in writing to the Director of Special Collections & Archives. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections & Archives as the owner of the physical items and is not intended
to include or imply permission of the copyright holder. Copyright restrictions also apply to digital reproductions of the
original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Preferred Citation
Adele Charlson Recipe Collection, MSS-2019-01-08, San José State University Library, Special Collections & Archives.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Fiona DuBrock, January 2020.
Related Materials
San José State University Home Economics Department Records, MSS-2009-02-02, San José State University Library, Special Collections
& Archives.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
San José State Teachers College -- History
Home economics -- Study and teaching -- California
Home economics teachers
Recipes
Senigaglia, Katie
Series I. Biographical and Educational Materials
1971-1985
Arrangement
Series I is arranged chronologically.
Scope and Contents
This series contains materials from Adele Charlson's time as supervisor of the home economics program for Campbell Union High
School District. The binder includes home economics curriculum philosophy and course guidelines, as well as lists of homemaking
teachers in the district and resource materials. Also in this series is a history of the Stucky family, researched by Stucky
sisters Adele Charlson and Ruth Owen, written by Ruth Owen, and published by the Humboldt Historian.
Box 1, Folder 1
Campbell Union High School District Materials (1 of 2)
1971-1972
Box 1, Folder 2
Campbell Union High School District Materials (2 of 2)
1971-1972
Box 1, Folder 3
"An Adventurous Family" Booklet
1985
Series II. Loose-Leaf Recipes
1940s
Arrangement
Series II is arranged alphabetically by recipe type.
Scope and Contents
This series contains loose-leaf recipes Adele Charlson used in her home economics classes during the 1940s.
Box 1, Folder 9
Dressings and Sauces
1940s
Box 1, Folder 12
Meatless Main Dishes
1940s
Box 1, Folder 13
Pancakes and Waffles
1940s
Series III. Recipe Scrapbooks
circa 1920-1960
Arrangement
This series is arranged alphabetically by scrapbook type.
Scope and Contents
This series consists of two large scrapbooks. The first scrapbook, which is extremely fragile, contains recipes written or
adapted by Adele Charlson. The second scrapbook contains articles Charlson collected from magazines and covers a range of
topics from hosting to food history, as well as recipes. These articles were likely published between the 1920s and 1950s
and include authors such as Helen Treyz Smith, Lily Haxworth Wallace, Mary Grace Ramey, and Alice Bradley.
Box 2
Adele Charlson Recipes
undated
Box 3
Magazine Recipes and Articles
circa 1920-1960
