The Ruthven Banquet

The Ruthven Banquet

The banquet honoring President Alexander Ruthven and a decade of progress at the University was a success in all respects. It was particularly noteworthy, however, in regard to the technical arrangements, including everything from the precision of the pageant to the serving of the food. Indeed, the meal, provided under the direction of General Manager Stanley G. Waltz of the Michigan Union, was exceptionally well served.

As far as is known the Ruthven dinner was the largest ever served in Michigan, and it was certainly the largest Ann Arbor has ever seen. It entailed weeks of preparation and days of work, and involved the handling of tons of food for 2,500 persons. Some 250 waiters were called upon to do the actual serving.

It would have been easily possible for the serving to have been a dismal failure, attended by confusion and cold food. But the food, rushed in trucks from the Union to the Fieldhouse, was warm, and it was served rapidly and in an orderly fashion.

This mammoth task was undertaken by Ann Arbor men and concerns, almost without exception. The men who saw their labors produce such a tremendous success have every justification for giving themselves a hearty pat on the back.