Reader Responses to The Ratty at 75

I loved Brown. I worked odd jobs on and off campus all four years to pay for stuff. The pay was best as a janitor, but the Ratty job was special. My meteoric Ratty career was tray steamer loader, tray steamer receiver, clean utensil cart delivery and restocker (my first client contact job above ground) and the ultimate glamor job, card reader at the entrance, from which I could meet/greet and mix it up with everyone coming in while gatekeeping. Closest I will ever get to power politics. I went on to 30 years at McKinsey, followed by nine years as CEO of a public company. I probably learned as much about business and people in the Ratty as I did in business school. Plus I got paid and ate well. All useful and memorable. Thanks for a great article.

I worked in the Ratty from Spring ’75 to Spring ’78. In the beginning, I worked Sunday dinners and spent the majority of my time slicing meat for the athletes who usually sat on the left side. I remember the dietician reprimanding me for giving them hefty portions, but when she wasn’t looking, I’d slice more when they asked. I even wrote an essay for a class about how polite those big guys were. I was always a breakfast person, so I worked the breakfast shift twice a week and brunch on Sundays (even when incredibly hungover). When I was working there, the manager didn’t usually like girls working the elevator, but I did. And, being a runner and having to beg the chefs for more food? It was the best. Work breakfast? Get warm chocolate donuts! Does anyone have the recipe for that delicious cranberry coffee cake? Still looking for it.