Violet Mildred Ryley (February 1, 1884 – April 14, 1949) was a Canadian dietitian, considered the "Dean of Canadian Dietitians" for her work during and after World War I.[1]
Violet Ryley | |
|---|---|
 Violet Ryley, from a 1919 publication | |
| Born | February 1, 1884 Bethany, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | April 14, 1949 (age 65) Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation | Dietitian |
Early life and education edit
Ryley was born in Bethany, Ontario, the daughter of Thomas G. Ryley and Caroline Lee Ryley. She graduated in 1907 from the Lillian Massey School of Household Science in Toronto, and trained as a dietitian at New York City Hospital.[2][3]
Career edit
Ryley was a dietitian at Albany General Hospital for a year, and superintendent of the dining halls at the University of Toronto for nine years.[4] After World War I, she spent four years as general organizer of dietitians for the Military Hospitals Commission.[2] The success of her efforts ensured that dietitians would be appointed to forty military hospital in Canada.[5][6] "If the public once realized what a terribly monotonous diet, poorly cooked and wretchedly served, is given in many institutions, they would not tolerate conditions for a day, but would demand that conditions be improved," she said in 1921.[2]
After her work with the military hospitals, Ryley became dietitian at the Toronto YWCA.[7] She had charge of the kitchen at Eaton's Georgian Room, a Toronto restaurant, when it opened in 1924.[8][9] She advised the Canadian military again during World War II.[1] She was honorary president of the Canadian Dietetic Association and the Toronto Dietetic Association.[10]
Publications edit
- "The Work of the Dietitian in the Canadian Military Hospitals" (1918)[11]
Personal life edit
Ryley died from a heart attack in April 1949, at the age of 65.[1][12] The Violet Ryley-Kathleen Jeffs Memorial Award, an annual honor bestowed by the Canadian Dietetic Association until 2023,[13] was established in 1950 and named in her memory, and in the memory of her student and colleague, Kathleen Jeffs.[6][10]
References edit
- ^ a b c "Dean of Dietitians Miss Ryley Buried". The Toronto Star. 1949-04-16. p. 9. Retrieved 2024-02-29 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Dietitian Saves Soldiers' Lives with Right Food". Calgary Herald. 1921-03-05. p. 12. Retrieved 2024-02-29 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Pringle, Gertrude E. S. (1924-09-06). "Outstanding Canadian Women: Miss Violet M. Ryley, Dietitian". Edmonton Journal. p. 33. Retrieved 2024-02-29 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Hunnisett, Clarice E. (1917-03-17). "Dietitian At University Dining Room Talks of Cooking". Star Weekly. p. 19. Retrieved 2024-02-29 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Canadian Dietitians Meeting in Montreal". The Windsor Star. 1963-05-15. p. 46. Retrieved 2024-02-29 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Dietetic Group to Hold 20th Annual Convention". Calgary Herald. 1956-06-25. p. 6. Retrieved 2024-02-29 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Cafeteria Committee Honors New Dietitian". The Toronto Star. 1921-09-27. p. 12. Retrieved 2024-02-29 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Kopytek, Bruce Allen (2014-10-21). Eaton's: The Trans-Canada Store. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1-62584-695-2.
- ^ "University Women Hear Violet Ryley". The Toronto Star. 1946-11-26. p. 24. Retrieved 2024-02-29 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Foundation Fund to Honor Memory of Violet Ryley". The Witness. 1950-03-22. p. 3. Retrieved 2024-02-29 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Ryley, Violet M. (March 1918). "The Work of the Dietitian in the Canadian Military Hospitals". The Journal of Home Economics. 10 (3): 108–113.
- ^ Clarke, Irene Irwin (1949-08-01). "Violet M. Ryley". Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 25 (8): 692–694. doi:10.1016/S0002-8223(21)29878-7. ISSN 0002-8223. S2CID 244517591.
- ^ "Ryley-Jeffs Memorial Award". Dietitians of Canada.