Thayer Hall
GASTRONOMIC HUB of Hanover these days is Thayer Hall, where the College is successfully meeting the problem of providing good, reasonably priced meals for upperclassmen. Pleasant surroundings have played a major part in the attraction of the new upperclass dining center, and in the photographs on the opposite page and above something of the atmosphere of Thayer Hall is pictured along with the activities there.
According to 1937-38 figures compiled by Mrs. Elizabeth W. Hayward, manager of the Dartmouth Dining Association, an average of 800 meals a day were served in Thayer Hall during the first year of operation. This average has been considerably lowered by the inclusion of week-ends, when patronage is sometimes half that of mid-week.
Thayer Hall employs 65 students, using them as waiters in the Colonial Dining Room, as bus boys in the larger Cafeteria, and as helpers in the kitchen and service rooms. Master of the kitchen is Philippe Toulon, Martinique chef whom Mrs. Hayward brought to Hanover when she was placed in charge of Thayer Hall. Toulon, under whom the students and full-time employees delight to work, has an unusual background for a chef, having graduated from McGill University and studied at Oxford, where he was a brilliant student. French ancestry gives him a natural genius where food is concerned.
Thayer Hall will not be completely in operation until the Richard Hovey Grill opens just before Carnival time. By that time Walter B. Humphrey '14 hopes to have completed on the Grill walls the colorful and jocund murals illustrating Hovey's "Eleazar Wheelock." With a huge fireplace at one end, sturdy tables and chairs, and a distinctly masculine atmosphere, the Hovey Grill will specialize in steaks, chops, oysters, and special dishes cooked to order.
To the furnishings of the lounge adjoining the Colonial Dining Room there has recently been added a large, genuine Indo-Ispahan rug which is a gift to the College by John H. Shuttleworth '35 of Clinton, Mass. Eighteen by twenty-seven feet in size, this highly valuable floor covering harmonizes well with other furnishings and adds a luxurious touch to the lounge.
The smaller dining rooms on the top floor of Thayer Hall have proved popular for the special dinners and banquets of clubs, classes, and campus groups. Parties numbering from 8 to 130 can be accommodated in these private rooms. On the occasion of large and special banquets, such as that which celebrated Phi Beta Kappa's anniversary last year, the Colonial Dining Room provides an ideal setting. The Cafeteria can easily be turned into a ballroom and has been the Scene of several large College dances.
MRS. ELIZABETH W. HAYWARD (LEFT), MANAGER OF THE DARTMOUTH DINING ASSOCIATION, SHOWN AT HER DESK IN THAYER HALL. HER JOB OF DIRECTING THE UPPERCLASS AND FRESHMAN DINING HALLS MAKES HER RESPONSIBLE FOR FEEDING NEARLY HALF THE STUDENT BODY. AT THE RIGHT IS SHOWN A GROUP AT THE PLAYERS' TABLE IN THE COLONIAL ROOM OF THAYER HALL. LEFT TO RIGHT ARE HENRY WILLIAMS, TECHNICAL DIRECTOR; PAUL ALLEN '26 (WITH BACK TO CAMERA), REFERENCE LIBRARIAN; THEODORE PACKARD, DIRECTOR OF THE EXPERIMENTAL THEATRE WORK; MARTIN HOWELL '39, PUBLICITY MANAGER FOR THE PLAYERS; MRS. RUTH CLARK, AND HER HUSBAND ALEXANDER CLARK '40, SON OF JOHN A. CLARK 'OB AND BROTHER OF JOHN M. CLARK '32.
