Bullitt Criticizes Proposal For Standard House Menus

The proposal that all Houses be served single menus came under strong criticism last night from John M. Bullitt '43, Master of Quincy House. Speaking primarily as an alumnus of Dunster and a "deeply devoted" member of the Adams staff, Bullitt said that in both Houses, which have independent kitchens, the high quality of the food plays "a very important part."

In his present position at Adams, Bullitt finds that "the intellectual excitement of the dining hall arises from the fact that meals tend to be very good." Students are thus likely to spend more time at meals than in the other Houses, he continued.

When Quincy House, with its independent kitchen, is opened next Fall, Bullitt expressed the hope that menu planning does not "become part of the same bureaucratic pattern." Such a move would result in a "leveling downward toward general mediocrity" in the quality of House food, he added.

If, however, three separate kitchens are maintained, the Central Kitchen staff will probably respond favorably to the pressure of competition by raising its standards, he said.

Independent Kitchens Permit Initiative

Independent kitchens, remaining within stated budgets, allow the initiative of the individual managers to effect improvements in the menus, he added. He also emphasized the "importance of maintaining distinctions between House dining halls on the basis of the intelligence, creativity, and initiative of the men who run them."

Bullitt highly praised Robert Martin, manager of the Adams dining hall, saying that the excellent quality of the meals "has been largely due to his initiative. Martin has done a splendid job," he concluded.