Mory's
Encyclopedia
Mory’s, known also as Mory’s Temple Bar, is a private club adjacent to the campus of Yale University
in New Haven
, Connecticut
, United States
, founded in 1849 and housed in a clubhouse that was originally a private home built some time before 1817. The club's membership consists primarily of those who have an affiliation with Yale, and the culture of both institutions is deeply entangled. Originally an exclusive club only open to males affiliated with Yale College, the club gradually expanded membership over the years to the entire Yale community after much public wrangling about the exclusion of certain segments of the population when important meetings were held there over lunch, as was usual, by University decision makers.
After several years of operating losses and the 2008 financial crisis, the club closed indefinitely on December 19, 2008. Although the club had an endowment of $2 million, it was depleted by this poor performance and the market downturn in 2008-2009. After completion of a comprehensive business plan at the end of 2009 and progress on a fundraising effort, Mory's committed to a major renovation and a new business model in 2010. The fundraising effort and construction were completed in 2010 and Mory's reopened on Wednesday, August 25, 2010.
The building is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
in 2005.
Membership in Mory's is now offered to all Yale students, employees and alumni as well as members of the New Haven community with an affiliation to Yale. Yale undergraduates can join with a $15 membership fee that covers all four years at Yale. Alumni living within 30 miles of Mory's pay a $99 annual fee while alumni living over 30 miles away pay a $49 annual fee.
, Bing Crosby
and Elvis Presley
, that the Club became part of the national consciousness in the early part of the twentieth century.
, although a non-alcoholic "Imperial Cup" is available) from large silver trophy cups that look like handled urns and are passed amongst the gathered company. The cups are ordered by color, and some are based on sparkling wines, while others are based on beer. There is an elaborate ritual, including at the completion of a cup a drinking song, associated with the tradition. Cups come in many colors including Red, Gold, Purple, Blue, Green, and Velvet. The color of the potions made it easier to detect any remaining drops. One thing that made it extremely difficult to avoid remaining drops was the nearly invariable presence of a cylinder of ice in the center of the "loving cup". As the last drinker tried to drain the cup, the cylinder would come crashing down on the poor devil's nose. This may have been a perversion associated with the years 1950 to 1980; history is silent on the duration of the offense.
When a member finds himself (or herself, as Mory's has welcomed women into its membership ranks since 1972, three years after Yale College) about to finish a Cup, he or she faces the decades-old challenge of "cleaning the cup"—removing all moisture from the cup by using only his or her mouth and, to finish the job, hair. Friends to the left and right are at the ready with napkins to minimize drippage during this process. While the member is finishing, and to give that member extra time to "clean the cup," his or her friends are wont to chant the Mory's Song (an adaptation, for a diametrically opposite purpose, of the Salvation Army
camp song "Put a nickel on the drum"), with the finishing member's name as the hero of the song:
At the conclusion of the Mory's Song, the member places the trophy cup, upside down, on top of a cloth (or, more challenging, paper) napkin, whereupon three friends place their respective hands atop the base of the cup and tap firmly. The cup is then whisked away, and the napkin is inspected for any signs of moisture. In decades past, if the napkin were wet, then the finishing member would be forced to pay for the cup; if the napkin were dry, the member to the finishing member's right—who himself chose to forego finishing the cup—would have to pay. In more modern times, most toasting parties split the bill evenly amongst members, regardless of who finishes or doesn't finish a cup.
(particularly those on the right) have adjourned to Mory's, "as is traditional." While the parties no longer actually go to Mory's after debates as party debates have gotten longer and Mory's hours shorter over the years, the tradition of saying that a debate caucus adjourns to Mory's remains. The parties of the Union have, over time, picked up the tradition of dining at Mory's, though, particularly for weekly Friday lunches, and most hold toasting sessions there as often as two or three times each semester. Current and past Club members include John Kerry
, Bill Clinton
, George H. W. Bush
, Gerald Ford
, John R. Bolton
, George Pataki
, Joe Lieberman
, the late John Heinz, the late Paul Mellon
, the late William Howard Taft
, and the late William F. Buckley, Jr.
.
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in New Haven
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, founded in 1849 and housed in a clubhouse that was originally a private home built some time before 1817. The club's membership consists primarily of those who have an affiliation with Yale, and the culture of both institutions is deeply entangled. Originally an exclusive club only open to males affiliated with Yale College, the club gradually expanded membership over the years to the entire Yale community after much public wrangling about the exclusion of certain segments of the population when important meetings were held there over lunch, as was usual, by University decision makers.
After several years of operating losses and the 2008 financial crisis, the club closed indefinitely on December 19, 2008. Although the club had an endowment of $2 million, it was depleted by this poor performance and the market downturn in 2008-2009. After completion of a comprehensive business plan at the end of 2009 and progress on a fundraising effort, Mory's committed to a major renovation and a new business model in 2010. The fundraising effort and construction were completed in 2010 and Mory's reopened on Wednesday, August 25, 2010.
The building is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2005.
Membership in Mory's is now offered to all Yale students, employees and alumni as well as members of the New Haven community with an affiliation to Yale. Yale undergraduates can join with a $15 membership fee that covers all four years at Yale. Alumni living within 30 miles of Mory's pay a $99 annual fee while alumni living over 30 miles away pay a $49 annual fee.
Traditions
Several important traditions are maintained at Mory's that have deep resonance with certain Yale alumni and students.The Whiffenpoofs
The Whiffenpoofs, the a cappella group made up of Yale seniors who are recruited from other Yale undergraduate singing groups, sings weekly most Monday evenings in the dining areas of the club. They often perform the famous "Whiffenpoof Song" which mentions Mory's as the "place where Louis dwells." It was through this song, which was sung and recorded by the likes of Rudy ValleeRudy Vallée
Rudy Vallée was an American singer, actor, bandleader, and entertainer.-Early life:Born Hubert Prior Vallée in Island Pond, Vermont, the son of Charles Alphonse and Catherine Lynch Vallée...
, Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
and Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, that the Club became part of the national consciousness in the early part of the twentieth century.
Cups
One of these is the ritualistic consumption of a "Cup," in which a party of members gather to share libations of assorted colors and ingredients (usually containing alcoholEthanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
, although a non-alcoholic "Imperial Cup" is available) from large silver trophy cups that look like handled urns and are passed amongst the gathered company. The cups are ordered by color, and some are based on sparkling wines, while others are based on beer. There is an elaborate ritual, including at the completion of a cup a drinking song, associated with the tradition. Cups come in many colors including Red, Gold, Purple, Blue, Green, and Velvet. The color of the potions made it easier to detect any remaining drops. One thing that made it extremely difficult to avoid remaining drops was the nearly invariable presence of a cylinder of ice in the center of the "loving cup". As the last drinker tried to drain the cup, the cylinder would come crashing down on the poor devil's nose. This may have been a perversion associated with the years 1950 to 1980; history is silent on the duration of the offense.
When a member finds himself (or herself, as Mory's has welcomed women into its membership ranks since 1972, three years after Yale College) about to finish a Cup, he or she faces the decades-old challenge of "cleaning the cup"—removing all moisture from the cup by using only his or her mouth and, to finish the job, hair. Friends to the left and right are at the ready with napkins to minimize drippage during this process. While the member is finishing, and to give that member extra time to "clean the cup," his or her friends are wont to chant the Mory's Song (an adaptation, for a diametrically opposite purpose, of the Salvation Army
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
camp song "Put a nickel on the drum"), with the finishing member's name as the hero of the song:
It's [Name],
It's [Name],
It's [Name] that makes the world go 'round,
It's [Na-ame], It's [Na-me],
It's [Name] that makes the world go 'round,
It's [Na-ame], It's [Na-me],
It's [Name] that makes the world go 'round,
It's [Name] that makes the world go 'ro-ou-ound,
Sing Hallelujah! Sing Hallelujah!
Put a nickel on the drum,
Save another drunken bum
Sing Hallelujah! Sing Hallelujah!
Put a nickel on the drum and you'll be saved.
I was h-a-p-p-y to be f-r-double-e
f-r-double-e to be s-a-v-e-d
s-a-v-e-d from the bonds of s-i-n
Glory glory Hallelujah hip hooray amen.
Sing Hallelujah! Sing Hallelujah!
Put a nickel on the drum,
Save another drunken bum
Sing Hallelujah! Sing Hallelujah!
Put a nickel on the drum and you'll be saved.
I was lying in the gutter,
I was covered up in beer,
Pretzels in my moustache,
I thought the end was near,
Then along came [Name]!
And saved me from my curse,
Glory glory Hallelujah sing another verse!
Sing Hallelujah! Sing Hallelujah!
Put a nickel on the drum,
Save another drunken bum
Sing Hallelujah! Sing Hallelujah!
Put a nickel on the drum and you'll be sa-aa-aved.
At the conclusion of the Mory's Song, the member places the trophy cup, upside down, on top of a cloth (or, more challenging, paper) napkin, whereupon three friends place their respective hands atop the base of the cup and tap firmly. The cup is then whisked away, and the napkin is inspected for any signs of moisture. In decades past, if the napkin were wet, then the finishing member would be forced to pay for the cup; if the napkin were dry, the member to the finishing member's right—who himself chose to forego finishing the cup—would have to pay. In more modern times, most toasting parties split the bill evenly amongst members, regardless of who finishes or doesn't finish a cup.
Table Carving
Another tradition was the encouraged practice of carving the tops of the dining tables at which one sat. The carving might be simply initials or names, and in the case of the Whiff's table, a rampant Pendragon.Yale Political Union
Since the early-to-middle 20th century, some of the parties of the Yale Political UnionYale Political Union
The Yale Political Union , a debate society now the largest student organization at Yale University, was founded in 1934 by Professor Alfred Whitney Griswold , to enliven the university's political culture of the time. It was modelled on the Cambridge Union Society and Oxford Union...
(particularly those on the right) have adjourned to Mory's, "as is traditional." While the parties no longer actually go to Mory's after debates as party debates have gotten longer and Mory's hours shorter over the years, the tradition of saying that a debate caucus adjourns to Mory's remains. The parties of the Union have, over time, picked up the tradition of dining at Mory's, though, particularly for weekly Friday lunches, and most hold toasting sessions there as often as two or three times each semester. Current and past Club members include John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
, Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
, Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
, John R. Bolton
John R. Bolton
John Robert Bolton is an American lawyer and diplomat who has served in several Republican presidential administrations. He served as the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations from August 2005 until December 2006 on a recess appointment...
, George Pataki
George Pataki
George Elmer Pataki is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995 until December 31, 2006.- Early life :...
, Joe Lieberman
Joe Lieberman
Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,...
, the late John Heinz, the late Paul Mellon
Paul Mellon
Paul Mellon KBE was an American philanthropist, thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder. He is one of only five people ever designated an "Exemplar of Racing" by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame...
, the late William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
, and the late William F. Buckley, Jr.
William F. Buckley, Jr.
William Frank Buckley, Jr. was an American conservative author and commentator. He founded the political magazine National Review in 1955, hosted 1,429 episodes of the television show Firing Line from 1966 until 1999, and was a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist. His writing was noted for...
.
Special Menu Items
Denizens of Mory's had (perhaps still do have) at least two special menu items that brought them back to the carved wooden tables and the walls covered with trophies of the past. The most notable is Cream of Baker Soup, a potage heavy on tomato, curry, and cream and topped with croutons. Its supposed change by the kitchen was the reason for several members abandoning what came to be a curious restaurant. The other item is known as "The Rabbit", a version of Welsh Rarebit (or Rabbit).Additional sources
- Norris G. Osborn, The Moriartys of Yale, New Haven, Yale, 1912.
- George D. Vaill, Mory’s: A Brief History, New Haven, 1977.
External links
- Official Mory's Website (new)
- Mark Alden Branch, " A Very Special Saloon", Yale Alumni Magazine, April 1999
- "Mory's is no more" article from New York Times, July 8, 1912, detailing the closing of the original "old Temple bar"