Faculty to Eat at Quincy During Club Renovation

Harvard faculty will be eating at Quincy House this summer, but chances are venerable vegetables will not be on the menu.

While the 58-year-old Faculty Club is closed this summer for renovations, professors and other Harvard officials looking for the club's traditional cuisine will have to trek to the student dining hall.

The renovations, which are scheduled to begin the day after commencement and end on October 1, are necessary because the club's electrical and plumbing systems are "in advanced stages of decay," wrote Robert Shenton, secretary to the governing boards and president of the Faculty Club Managing Board, in a letter to officers and faculty.

Minor changes will also be made to improve comfort and appearance, such as the addition of new carpets, wall coverings and room-by-room temperature control, the letter said.

The club, which has not had a major renovation since it was built in 1931, currently serves as a meeting and eating place for faculty members and provides overnight accommodations for guests and rooms for special functions. The temporary facilities in Quincy will only provide dining services.

Quincy House does not need additional facilities or personnel to accomodate the faculty or to prepare the club's menu, said Frank J. Weissbecker, director of the Harvard Dining Services. "Quincy has a nice kitchen," Weissbecker said. "We are used to catering for special occasions, and we still have the faculty club support personnel."

Use of the dinning hall from June 26 to August 25 will not conflict with student meals because Quincy is not used during the summer session, Weissbecker said. During smaller renovations a few years ago, Adams House was used in similar arrangements, he said.

The renovation has been planned for two years but the Harvard Corporation only granted permission for the project this fall, according to a University release.