Alice G. Schirmer | |
|---|---|
 Schirmer,c. 1897 | |
| Born | Alice Phelps Goodwin (1875-10-20)October 20, 1875 Lexington,Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | May 21, 1935(1935-05-21) (aged 59) Needham, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Hills Cemetery, Boston |
| Education |
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| Occupations |
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| Notable work | One Hundred Meatless Dishes (1914) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | H. B. Goodwin (stepgrandmother) |
Alice Phelps Goodwin Schirmer[1] (bornAlice Phelps Goodwin; October 20, 1875 – May 21, 1935) was an American nurse and cookbook writer. A graduate ofSmith College, she trained at theMassachusetts Homeopathic Hospital and completed postgraduate study at theBoston Floating Hospital. She worked as head nurse at the Medical Mission in Boston (1906–1907) and as superintendent of nurses at the Boston Floating Hospital (1907–1908). Schirmer authored the vegetarian cookbookOne Hundred Meatless Dishes (1914).
Schirmer was born Alice Phelps Goodwin on October 20, 1875, inLexington, Massachusetts, the daughter of Charles Clinton Goodwin (1839–1905) and Alice Dodge Goodwin (née Phelps; 1838–1906). She had an older brother and sister. Her maternal grandfather was sea captain William Dane Phelps and her paternal grandfather's second wife was the novelistH. B. Goodwin.[2]
She graduated fromSmith College in 1897 with aBachelor of Letters.[3] From 1898 to 1899, she studied at theUniversity of Berlin. She graduated from theMassachusetts Homeopathic Hospital Training School for Nurses in 1903 and completed a postgraduate course at theBoston Floating Hospital in the summer of 1904.[1][2]
Schirmer served as head nurse at the Medical Mission in Boston from 1906 to 1907 and as superintendent of nurses at the Boston Floating Hospital from 1907 to 1908.[1]
In 1914, Schirmer published thevegetarian cookbookOne Hundred Meatless Dishes.[4] The preface outlines five classes of foods, each section of recipes is introduced by quotations on vegetarianism, and the book includes sample menus.[5]
The book includes recipes for soups, meat substitutes, vegetable and nut dishes, salads, and desserts.[6] In 1915, a brief notice inThe Boston Globe reported that a meatless dinner party had been held at a Boston hotel, and said that Schirmer'sOne Hundred Meatless Dishes set out the possibilities for such a feast, including recipes and sample menus.[7]
A second edition was published byBeacon Press in 1924.[8] A notice of the new edition inThe Starry Cross described it as an "excellent little vegetarian cook-book".[5] In 1948, it was still being sold by theAmerican Humane Education Society in Boston.[6]
Schirmer lived inNeedham, Massachusetts, from 1908.[9] She married Dr. J. Walter Schirmer ofWest Roxbury on September 24, 1908. They had two children, Louise (b. 1910) and John (b. 1914).[10]
In January 1913,The New York Times reported that she and her husband had outlined a strict daily routine and diet for Louise, then aged two and a half, including a meat-free diet and regular outdoor rest on a veranda during cold weather.[11] In 1922, John died in a car accident at age eight.[12][13]
Schirmer was a member of the Smith College Alumnae Association. She was a charter member of the New Century Club and served as a counsellor on the women's committee of theNorfolk County Agricultural School inWalpole.[9]
Schirmer died on May 21, 1935, at her home in Needham, after an illness lasting 24 hours.[14][15] Her funeral was held on May 24, conducted byClarence Skinner, dean of theCrane School of Theology atTufts University, and she was cremated atForest Hills Cemetery, Boston.[9] In her will, she bequeathedUS$5,000 to Smith College.[16]
Schirmer was included inWoman's Who's Who of America: A Biographical Dictionary of Contemporary Women of the United States and Canada, 1914–1915.[1]
Her cookbookOne Hundred Meatless Dishes has been listed in bibliographies including Lavonne B. Axford'sEnglishLanguage Cookbooks, 1600-1973, Judith C. Dyer'sVegetarianism: An Annotated Bibliography, andHistory of Vegetarianism and Veganism Worldwide (1430 BCE to 1969) byAkiko Aoyagi andWilliam Shurtleff.[4][17][18] A digitized edition is held by theLibrary of Congress.[19]
Media related toAlice G. Schirmer at Wikimedia Commons| International | |
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