Page 46 - Spelman50thReunionBook

Morgan Hall

by Maurine Akua McDaniel

In 1901, Morgan Hall opened its doors for the first time. This
stately, modern building was designed to house 75 students
and featured a large open dining room which fed students,
faculty and staff. But by the time we entered Spelman,
Morgan Hall had seen better days.

Those who lived in Morgan enjoyed the luxury of simply
walking down stairs to get something to eat while the rest of
us had to trudge across campus and stand in line to receive
our meals. There were no choices; no salad lines,
vegan/vegetarian alternatives, no pasta stations or drink
choices. Whatever the cafeteria ladies cooked, that’s what we
got!

Dining Hall
I remember calling some of our main entrees “wonder meat”—wonder what this is? How about those Sunday bags
provided at lunch for Sunday dinner? They usually contained a dry lunch meat and cheese sandwich with chips and
cookie or fruit. We often used our irons to toast the bread and melt the cheese; anything to make these take-out
meals palatable. Although we complained about our cuisine, we all agreed that our food was better than
Morehouse’s fare. One good meal a year was the International dinner. I can’t remember the official name or
occasion, but the food was delectable

While the food was truly horrible, we engaged our servers who were school mates, fellowshipped with our friends,
and attended special social events like the banquet for those who made honor roll. Laughter, stories, bonding, etc.
took place at mealtime. However, on August 11, 1970 in the early morning hours, Morgan Hall was engulfed by a
four alarm fire. Fortunately, the building was unoccupied except for Dean Schivers, who escaped unharmed. There
were many tears when Morgan Hall burned to the ground but the memories and friendships that were made there
have survived.