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April 8, 2008
Ford dining room named for pioneering housing director
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - |
The semiprivate dining room in the loft of Purdue's first standalone dining court is being named for the late Robert Page. As director of men's housing, Page is largely credited for guiding the consolidation of men's and women's housing into a single organization in the 1960s, a period in which the number of residence halls on campus nearly doubled.
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Page started his 29-year Purdue career as assistant manager of Owen Residence Hall, the first of seven "H"-shaped residence halls on campus. Page was quickly promoted to director of men's housing before heading the newly consolidated residence halls in 1969.
John A. Sautter, the current vice president of Housing and Food Services, served under Page for 15 years until Page retired as assistant vice president for Housing and Food Services in 1986. Sautter said Page was instrumental in creating one of the largest on-campus housing programs in the nation, one that now serves nearly 12,000 students.
"Bob Page provided leadership during a period of rapid change and growth," Sautter said. "Throughout his tenure, Bob recruited numerous administrators to Purdue who joined him in ensuring that his vision of a well-run, well-programmed, professional housing operation was a reality then and now."
Page family members will join Sautter at the dedication. Daughter Marilynn McTague said her father, who died in 1989, was dedicated to the welfare of Purdue students.
"Dad worked hard and had a way of inspiring others. He sought ways to help his staff and the students be the best they could be," McTague said. "He had a wry sense of humor but was very serious when he insisted that his staff 'make sense and do what is right.'"
Ford Dining Court opened in August 2004 on a lot on Stadium Avenue adjacent to Owen Hall. The two-story, 808-seat, 63,000-sqaure-foot dining court with glass exterior walls, high ceilings, stylish furniture and lighting, and modern art gained immediate praise for its attention to effective design. The food service that is punctuated by an open-flame pizza oven, daily stir-fry options, and top-quality Black Angus beef has proven popular as well.
Ford Dining Court serves about 6,500 meals per day, the most of any dining facility on campus. By February the court had already served more than 1 million meals this school year.
The 120-seat Page Dining Room is a good location for groups to dine together, particularly during breakfast and lunch. It also is a popular location for closing banquets for many of the summer camps held at Purdue.
Ford Dining Court is the second of four new or majorly renovated food courts to open since 2003. The dining services portion of the University Residences master plan will be completed this summer when a standalone dining court opens immediately south of Wiley Hall. This new dining court builds on Ford's architectural and dining success by offering an even larger selection of made-to-order meals. The court's circle of individualized food service stations will be anchored by an open pit Brazilian barbecue, a cutting-edge international cuisine that has only recently arrived in large Midwest cities such as Chicago and Indianapolis.
Writer: Jim Schenke, (765) 494-6262, jschenke@purdue.edu
Sources: John A. Sautter, (765) 494-1000, jasautter@purdue.edu
Marilynn McTague, (765) 491-2902, Mctague1@yahoo.com
Barbara Frazee, director of University Residences, (765) 494-1000, bjfrazee@purdue.edu
Sarah Johnson, director of dining services, (765) 494-1000, scj@purdue.edu
Barbara Maughmer, Ford Dining Court manager, (765) 496-2054, bkmaughmer@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
PHOTO CAPTION:
The 120-seat Page Dining Room inside of Ford Dining Court has been named in honor of Robert Page, former assistant vice president for housing and food services. Page is credited with leading the combination of men's and women's housing programs into one organization in the 1960s. (Purdue News Service photo/Jim Schenke)
A publication-quality photo is available at https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/+2008/PageDiningRoom.jpg
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