Between 1919 and 1969, college home economic programs used orphan babies and practice houses to learn household tasks. In the 50s, there were 40 to 50 colleges and universities throughout the country that used babies lent by orphanages.

Students would rotate through the apartment on a schedule to ensure the babies were cared for and the house is kept up.

At Cornell, all the practice babies had the last name Done on, short for domestic economics. At Illinois State University, they had the last name North or South, depending on the building they were raised in.