Submitted by:
Janet (Dawe) Shaffer

I remember as a young girl hearing my mother tell what a wonderful experience it was to work as a waitress in the Italian Gardens. She was so shy she would go directly to the cook to relay her orders instead of calling them out like the other girls. She was teased for this but still loved working there. Her name was Lillian Freeman Dawe. Years later I went with a date and had dinner there and was shocked when we got back to the campus and he handed me a linen napkin as a souvenier.

    Through the years I played the piano at many receptions, teas and in recitals and always felt special playing in the beautiful surroundings of the various rooms. I also attended dances and proms in high school but the first time I saw one of the guest rooms was when I was the editor of the North Central News and got to interview a famous musician, Rudolf Serkin. I was so awed by him and the surroundiings I forgot most of my questions but he was very gracious.

    My husband and I spent our wedding night there on June 10,1950 and I have the bill for the room in our scrapbook. It was for $7.00. We hope to stay there again this summer.