Alma Smith Payne
Alma Smith Payne was a notable nutrition writer and educator born in Oakland, California, around 1900. She earned her Bachelor's degree from the University of California in 1922 and later received her Master's degree in 1936. Initially, Payne worked in early childhood education, supervising nursery school programs for the California Department of Education and later for the Berkeley public school system. In the early 1950s, her focus shifted to nutrition, culminating in the publication of her first book, *The Low Sodium Cook Book*, in 1953, co-authored with Dorothy Callahan. Payne went on to write several other books emphasizing healthy cooking and nutrition for both adults and children. Her contributions to promoting heart health earned her multiple awards from the California Heart Association. Alongside her writing, she taught journalism and creative writing at Diablo Valley College and served in leadership roles in various local health and library organizations. Payne's work reflects a commitment to improving public health through education and accessible nutrition resources.
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Alma Smith Payne
Author
- Born: May 13, 1900
- Birthplace: Oakland, California
- Died: November 1, 1979
Biography
Alma Smith Payne, a twentieth century nutrition writer, was born in Oakland, California, around 1900, the daughter of Robert Russell Smith, a businessman, and Neva Palmer Smith. Payne received her B.A. degree from the University of California in 1922, and she later returned to the university and received her M.A. in 1936.
Payne initially worked in the field of early childhood education. In 1936, she was the supervisor of nursery school programs for the California Department of Education. She left this position in 1940 to work for the Berkeley, California, public school system, where she supervised nursery schools, day care centers, and parent education programs. During this time, Payne also was a lecturer at the University of California at Berkeley.
In the early 1950’s, Payne became interested in nutrition and healthy cooking techniques. In 1953, she published her first book about nutrition, The Low Sodium Cook Book, written with Dorothy Callahan. She and Callahan collaborated on two other books: The Great Nutrition Puzzle (1956) and Young America’s Cookbook (1959). Payne also was the sole author of several books aimed at providing a healthy lifestyle for adults and children, including Jinglebells and Pastry Shells (1968), Pressure Cooking (1977), and The Baby Food Book (1977). Her dedication to nutrition and the prevention of heart disease earned Payne the California Heart Association Bronze Medallion in 1960 and silver medallions from the association in both 1964 and 1966.
In addition to writing, Payne was an instructor of journalism and creative writing at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, California. She was a member of the board of directors of the California Heart Association and the Alameda County Heart Association. In 1966, Payne served as the president of the Friends of California Libraries.