A first took place at Clarks Summit-Abington Junior-Senior High School on October 3, 1950. It was the first day the school offered a hot lunch to the students.
The day before, Oct. 2, the hot lunch program was also started at the Grove Street School in Clarks Summit. The students were served noodle soup, sandwiches, vegetables, cookies and milk. The cost for lunch was 20 cents. Adjusting for inflation that lunch today would be $2.11.
Students of Grove Street School in Clarks Summit enjoying their first hot lunch on Oct. 2, 1950. The children dined on noodle soup, sandwiches, vegetables, cookies and milk. This was the first year that the school offered a hot lunch to the students. TIMES-TRIBUNE ARCHIVES
The jr-sr high school cafeteria and kitchen was installed over the summer at a cost of $4,500. The cafeteria had 33 tables for the students to seat and enjoy lunch with friends. The kitchen was equipped with a four-deck bake oven, 40-cubic feet stainless steel refrigerator, electric potato peeler, large electric mixer, automatic dishwasher, steam table, scullery sink, porcelain sink and 34 dozen sets of dishes and silverware.
Students of Clarks Summit Abington Junior-Senior High School head through the lunch line for the first time on Oct. 3, 1950. Serving the students from left were – Mae Dietrich. Anna Kern, Helena Rusinko, Mildred Cooper and Helen Cramer, hot lunch supervisor. Arthur Minnier, supervising principal, standing the doorway, handles the student traffic. TIMES-TRIBUNE ARCHIVES
The hot lunch program at Clarks Summit’s Division Street Grade School was started in 1949 by the school’s Parent-Teacher Association.
Brian Fulton has been the librarian at The Times-Tribune for the past 15 years. On his blog, Historically Hip, he writes about the great concerts, plays/musicals and celebrity happenings that have taken place throughout NEPA. He is also the co-host of the local history podcast, Historically Hip. He competed and was crowned grand champion on an episode of NPR quiz show “Ask Me Another.” Contact: bfulton@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9140; or @TTPagesPast
