Culinary History Enthusiasts of Wisconsin (CHEW)

press release: The National School Lunch Program is the longest-running children's health initiative in U.S. history, and it regularly feeds more than $30 million children every day. In this talk, historian Andrew Ruis explores the origins of this remarkable program, including both the aspirations of early advocates and the difficulties posed by political, legal, and logistical obstacles to a publicly funded meal program.

Andrew Ruis is a historian of medicine and a learning scientist at UW-Madison. He is the author of Eating to Learn, Learning to Eat: The Origins of School Lunch in the United States, as well as numerous articles on the history of food, nutrition, and health.