Mem Hall in '93 "Luxurious"

A student of the history of dining halls at the University will find a wealth of material in the clippings, old bills of fare, and bills preserved in Widener Library. For example: in 1874 a regulation provided that there should be "Three courses, served at suitable intervals, and the joints of meat should not be carved at the table. In 1893 the Boston Sunday Herald made a feature story of Memorial Hall, describing its luxuries, its architectural glories, and its negro waiters, "not quite the worst to be found," and very much addicted to a game played with little ivory cubes. There are also copies of the platforms of various candidates for the Dining Hall Association (until 1910 Memorial Hall was managed by the students).

In 1895 the following Christmas menu was served. History records no ensuing fatalities:

Blue Points on the half shell, bisque of oyster crab, consomme a la Russe, bouchees of terrapin Maryland style, celery, olives, chutney, and boiled pompano, maitre d'hotel.

Potatoes Anglaise cucumber, filet Chateaubriand with truffles, mashed potatoes, spinach with poached egg, escalope of sweetbreads Bordelaise, fresh peas, and to wash it down, frozen claret punch.

This was just to get the gastric juices tuned up to digest roast turkey with cranberry sauce, baked sweet potatoes, cauliflower, boiled quail on toast with cress, and lettuce.

English plum pudding with hard or brandy sauce was next provided, and after it followed maraschino jelly, charlotte russe, French kisses, assorted cake, macaroons, Neapolitan ice cream, fruits, assorted nuts, raisins. Roquefort and Neufchatel cheese, and finally coffee.