This post originated in a recent exchange on Facebook. Certain Northampton School for Girls alumnae were reminiscing about favorite ‘Hamp meals — perhaps with an emphasis on ‘Hamp desserts. Happily, some of these delights were collected in Anna’s Cookbook, compiled by Ruth Jeffers Wellington ’41 in 1967 to honor cook Anna Kowalski on the occasion of her retirement, after 40 years managing Northampton School’s kitchen.
Anna’s assistant, Ceil Desmarais, succeeded her, so the transition was seamless. And Ceil made the not-entirely-seamless pilgrimage to Easthampton when ‘Hamp and Williston joined forces in 1971.
A personal note. I was a Williston Academy student with the unique privilege — and privilege it was — of having a parent on the Northampton School for Girls faculty. Among the perks of being a faculty brat was the ability to show up at the Montgomery House dining room and get fed. Now I’m not going to insult anyone’s intelligence by suggesting that having lunch with Mom was a major incentive in bicycling six miles after Saturday class. There were other attractions. Only one of them was the food.