A photograph the inside of the kitchen of the Springfield College Cheney dining hall, c. 1974. The photograph depicts two chefs preparing food in the kitchen, surrounded by various machines and a large mixing bowl with food in it. Cheney Hall opened on April 1, 1968, replacing the existing cafeteria, Woods Hall, and increasing the serving capacity from 300 to 800 per sitting. The new facility was dedicated on June 15, 1968 to Ralph L. Cheney, class of 1901, and R. William Cheney, class of 1933, a father and son who were very influential at Springfield College. The 26,500 sq. ft. facility has a semi-circular wall curving outward at the front, which adds 45’ of depth to the building. Originally the building included a covered portico following this curve, which provided shade and shelter to students; however, in 2005 the portico was enclosed for extra seating. In addition, there are two separate and smaller dining areas, which can seat up to 110 extra people. Today, these rooms are called Cheney rooms A & B and are used by faculty and staff to hold special functions. In an attempt to keep up with other colleges, Springfield College and Aramark, the school’s food service company, made renovations to the dining hall in 2004. These changes included a more expansive seating area with two different levels of seating and various stations with different types of food. The renovations also allowed students to pay for a meal upon entry and eat as little, or as much, as desired.
Text and images are owned, held, or licensed by Springfield College and are available for personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that ownership is properly cited. A credit line is required and should read: Courtesy of Springfield College, Archives and Special Collections. Any commercial use without written permission from Springfield College is strictly prohibited. Other individuals or entities other than, and in addition to, Springfield College may also own copyrights and other propriety rights. The publishing, exhibiting, or broadcasting party assumes all responsibility for clearing reproduction rights and for any infringement of United States copyright law.
Contact host institution for more information.
