{"id":70490,"date":"2026-04-22T10:00:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T14:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=70490"},"modified":"2026-04-24T11:27:42","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T15:27:42","slug":"hec-centennial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/hec-centennial\/","title":{"rendered":"Hospitality Sweet: Hotel Ezra Cornell Celebrates a Century"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From a servers\u2019 race to invitations sent via pigeon, Nolan School students have showcased their talents to an evolving industry<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Joe Wilensky<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a warm Saturday morning in April, six apron-clad racers line up on Ho Plaza, each holding a tray bearing a single bowl of tomato soup. As the buzzing crowd anticipates the competition\u2019s first heat, Jonathan Rosen \u201929 goes over the rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCarry the tray in the center, underhand, with one hand,\u201d he says. \u201cThe goal is to run as fast but as safely as you can to the big cone and back\u2014without spilling any of your soup. It\u2019s okay if you have a few drops on the tray, but that bowl had better still be full by the time you get back!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Participants
Simon Wheeler<\/figcaption>
This year, HEC’s annual Server Derby …<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Touchdown,
Joe Wilensky \/ Cornell University<\/figcaption>
… included a celebrity contestant: Touchdown!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Rosen is the emcee of this year\u2019s Server Derby, a recently revived tradition at Hotel Ezra Cornell<\/a> (HEC)\u2014the Nolan School\u2019s annual three-day, student-run hospitality conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First held in 1926, HEC allows students to hone their leadership and hospitality skills as they showcase their talents to hundreds of guests, including alumni and other industry leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hotelies run every aspect of the weekend, from planning conference programming to checking in guests, turning down beds, preparing and serving meals, washing dishes, and cleaning up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"the
For the 10th HEC, a gala banquet in the Straight’s Memorial Room.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHEC has touched every Hotel student in a lasting way, and its significance to the Nolan School cannot be overstated,\u201d says Kathryn Poschmann \u201926, who was in charge of documenting the event\u2019s history<\/a> during the 100th event in 2025. \u201cIt continues to be a cornerstone of the Hotelie experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HEC traces its origin to 1925, when then-dean Howard Meek took a group of students downstate to manage NYC\u2019s famed Hotel Astor for a day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

HEC has touched every Hotel student in a lasting way, and its significance to the Nolan School cannot be overstated. It continues to be a cornerstone of the Hotelie experience.<\/p>\nKathryn Poschmann \u201926<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

At the time, Cornell offered the nation\u2019s only degree program in hospitality management\u2014then housed in the Department of Home Economics, itself part of the College of Agriculture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The students\u2019 excitement about the Astor experience, along with a prof\u2019s subsequent idea for them to run a \u201chotel for a day\u201d on the Hill, led to the first HEC in May 1926.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Uniformed<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"a<\/figure>\n
Greeters outside the Straight and a promotional card, both from the mid-1930s.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

That inaugural event welcomed 350 guests\u2014hotel owners and operators from around the region\u2014to Risley for an overnight stay, including an eight-course dinner and a grand ball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Ambassador and the Roosevelt may be all right in their way, but the Ezra Cornell, operating on the first floor of Prudence Risley, was no mean hostelry,\u201d the Alumni News<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRooms decorated with special lighting effects, a fountain in continuous operation, floodlights for the dancers, and batik draperies added to its grandeur. Even if it did business for only two days, it was superb while it lasted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

The Ambassador and the Roosevelt may be all right in their way, but the Ezra Cornell, operating on the first floor of Prudence Risley, was no mean hostelry.<\/p>\n The Alumni News<\/strong><\/em>, 1926<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

HEC\u2019s early years were crucial in giving students the opportunity to showcase their talents and training to the industry professionals who attended\u2014which in turn proved the value of what was then a unique academic program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prominent hotelier E.M. Statler, a guest at one of the first HECs, had initially been skeptical of hospitality education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Hotel
Four-wheeled spirit in 1939, when the event was held in MVR.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But he was won over by the student staff\u2014famously declaring, \u201cI\u2019m converted. Meek can have any damn thing he wants.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He became a major benefactor, and his widow, Alice Statler, continued the family\u2019s largesse after his death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HEC\u2019s early years were crucial in giving students the opportunity to showcase their talents and training to the industry professionals who attended\u2014which in turn proved the value of what was then a unique academic program.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Over the decades, HEC grew to a three-day event\u2014moving to the Straight and then to the Statler Inn when it opened in 1950.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, the event boasts hundreds of guests from around the world for lectures, receptions, networking, professional development, gala dinners, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile the industry constantly evolves, our foundation remains unshakable, and the students are adapting to the times,\u201d says Alex Koch \u201904<\/a>, president of the Cornell Hotel Society, the school\u2019s alumni association.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>
<\/div><\/div>
\n
\"Waiters'
The first-ever Server Derby in 1938 …<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"At
… and a rare female version in 1945.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"beverages
Prepping refreshments at an early HEC.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"In
A wall of menus from alumni establishments in 1951.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"In
In 1957, a globe reveals a flamb\u00e9ed cherry tart.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Three
A 17th-century France theme in 1960.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
HEC boasted a seafaring theme in 1969.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n

Koch calls the 2026 event\u2014the 101st HEC, including two held virtually due to COVID\u2014a \u201cmasterclass in execution and care.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each year, HEC has a theme, often invoking travel and adventure. In 1959, it was nautical\u2014with a ballroom decorated with illuminated portholes, underwater flowers, and a moving octopus hung from the ceiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

While the industry constantly evolves, our foundation remains unshakable, and the students are adapting to the times.<\/p>\nAlex Koch \u201904<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In 1985\u2014one of the years when HEC had to find alternate venues during the transition to the modern Statler Hotel\u2014Barton Hall was styled to resemble a Buckingham Palace ballroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(The theme, \u201cDiamond Jubilee,\u201d included a staged jewel heist, with events offering clues to solve the case\u2014and an actual diamond as the grand prize.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"At
At age seven, Thomas Lattin \u201966, MS \u201968\u2014the son of a Hotel professor\u2014carries a dessert to present to Alice Statler at HEC in 1953. Thirteen years later, he’d serve as the event’s managing director.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Particularly in the event\u2019s early decades, organizers came up with creative ways to invite guests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the 10th HEC in 1935, for example, six trained pigeons were released on the Hill, each carrying a personal invite for an NYC hotelier; aided by a tail wind, they arrived ahead of schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the 10th HEC in 1935, six trained pigeons were released on the Hill, each carrying a personal invite for an NYC hotelier; aided by a tail wind, they arrived ahead of schedule.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In 1965, to mark the University\u2019s centennial, elaborate invitations were printed on parchment, styled to evoke the Declaration of Independence. Four years later, invites took the form of labels affixed to miniature bottles of sparkling wine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HEC has also included various kickoff events over the years, including a bike race from Syracuse to Ithaca and a cake-baking contest between Hotelies and Home Economics students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>
<\/div><\/div>
\n
\"A
A 1951 cake-baking contest.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"students
One of numerous nautical-themed HECs, in 1979.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Hotel
Tending bar in 1980.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"A
Serving in 1993.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Giuseppe
Senior lecturer Giuseppe Pezzotti \u201984, MMH \u201996, in 1994.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"a
A 2006 chef offers tableside service.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Student
Tables are ready to go in 2007.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"A
A 2008 server gets some finishing touches.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"students
Handling the bubbly in 2010.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"student
Dinner service in 2011.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"a
Behind the scenes in 2013.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Students
A mocktail pre-event in 2020, when COVID canceled HEC.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n

Distinguished guests, speakers, and honorees have included First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt; hoteliers Conrad Hilton, Howard Johnson, and J. Willard Marriott Jr.; interior designer Dorothy Draper; cookie entrepreneur Wally \u201cFamous\u201d Amos; and even Colonel Harland Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1998\u2014the Hotel School\u2019s 75th anniversary\u2014the New York Times<\/em> covered the weekend in a feature story headlined, \u201cTheir Test: Creme Brulee for 350<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1998\u2014the Hotel School\u2019s 75th anniversary\u2014the New York Times<\/em> covered the weekend in a feature story headlined, \u201cTheir Test: Creme Brulee for 350.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

HEC, the Times<\/em> observed, is \u201crun entirely by students, who park cars, check guests in, and deliver room service. And if the service is a tad rockier than at a top hotel\u2014one guest entered his assigned room to find a very startled occupant already there\u2014it is also quicker and far friendlier, and the apologies more profuse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like the hospitality industry itself, the conference\u2019s scope and content have evolved since its inception. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Gert
High-profile guests have included Eleanor Roosevelt …<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Kentucky
… and KFC founder Colonel Sanders.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the past couple of decades, it has focused more on sustainability, technology, and startups\u2014with an annual business plan competition emerging as a highlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHEC connects generations of Hotelies, who come together as a community each year to achieve the common goal of showcasing the talents of students currently enrolled at the school,\u201d says Andrew Karolyi<\/a>, dean of the SC Johnson College of Business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the past couple of decades, the conference has focused more on sustainability, technology, and startups\u2014with an annual business plan competition emerging as a highlight.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Each year, Karolyi himself takes part in the Server Derby, which he lauds as \u201can incredible tradition\u2014a Cornellian tradition\u2014and it makes you feel really special to be part of the history.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Originally called the Waiters\u2019 Derby (and mainly comprising male students), the race is a takeoff on an iconic Parisian event, La<\/em> Course des Gar\u00e7ons de Caf\u00e9<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Hotel
simon wheeler<\/figcaption>
The many events at HEC 2026\u2014whose theme was “All in the Details”\u2014included a whiskey tasting.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It was a fixture of HEC in its early decades, and has returned in recent years in gender-neutral form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all in the first few steps to figure out the weight of the bowl and how fast you can go from there,\u201d observes 2026 competitor Jason Orenstein \u201927. \u201cThen it\u2019s just about trying to take that turn quickly\u2014and don\u2019t drop the soup.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top: Student chefs at work in 2009. (All images courtesy of Nolan School archives and Rare and Manuscript Collections or by Cornell University photographers, unless otherwise indicated.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Published April 22, 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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