Quincy Gathers For 50th Birthday

Quincy House celebrated its half-century history on Saturday night at an anniversary event attended by inter-generational House affiliates whose connections with the House span the past five decades.

Quincy House—commonly referred to as the “People’s House” because of its cutting-edge architecture and spirit of inclusivity—reminisced about its birth during the 1950s with swing dancing and an “old school” sherry hour, according to House Master Deborah J. Gehrke.

Soft Touch, a 17-piece band that includes recently retired Harvard Divinity School Professor and Quincy Senior Common Room affiliate Harvey G. Cox Jr., serenaded guests with jazz and swing tunes.

“The band had some soothing music, and it set the mood well,” said Quincy resident Christopher A. Ballesteros ’12.

Guests’ attire helped recall an earlier era of Quincy’s history. Dressed in a style particular to the 1950s, men in attendance wore jackets, and women were clad in dresses, dancing in the dimly-lit dining hall.

Residents said that the anniversary provided “a rallying point” that has extended beyond the one-time event, bolstering the current House spirit that manifests itself in ways ranging from participation in intramural sports to Stein Club attendance.

“It’s been especially beneficial for the sophomores coming in—essential in cementing House pride,” Quincy House Committee co-Chair Erin C. Yu ’10 said.

House activities have included 50th-anniversary overtones throughout the semester, according to HoCo member Jakub Dolecki ’11. The House’s sweatshirts reference the half-century anniversary, for example, and HoCo members said they were expecting increased sales because of the reference.

The Quincy House Masters had been planning the event since January. But because of increasing budget cuts over the course of last semester, budget considerations impacted the event in a “pretty major way,” Gehrke said, adding that the Masters had to limit the number of alumni invitations to the event due to fiscal constraints.

—Staff writer Bita M. Assad can be reached at bassad@fas.harvard.edu. —Staff writer Ahmed N. Mabruk can be reached at amabruk@fas.harvard.edu.