Hospitality and Service Management

SHSM History More Than 110 Years Preparing Students for Service
Captain Henry Lomb 1828 - 1908	1892 The Rochester Athenaeum, the predecessor to RIT, establishes the Cooking School as a result of interest by president and industry leader Captain Henry Lomb.

	This building on South Washington Street in downtown Rochester housed the original Cooking School “practice house.”

	Students gain dining room experience at the “practice house.”

	1893 The Department of Domestic Science and Art is established one year after the Cooking School is opened.

	1897 Normal courses for teachers, directors and superintendents begin. Students receive this diploma.

	1901 The programs move to the new Eastman Building located at the corner of South Plymouth Avenue and Broadway Street in downtown Rochester.

	A cooking lab in the Eastman Building.
	1906 The Luncheon Management – Large Quantity Cookery program begins.

	1910 The program for teachers is extended from two years to three years.

	1913 The first graduating class in Household Arts and Science.

	1920 New York State requires teachers of homemaking to complete a four-year program. Mechanics Institute, the updated name of RIT’s predecessor, and the University of Rochester cooperate to meet this requirement. Students receive a diploma from Mechanics Institute and a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics from the University of Rochester.

	1924 Students plan, prepare and serve luncheons, dinners and buffets for the Mechanics Institute board of directors, faculty, student groups and city organizations.

	1928 Cooperative education is introduced, allowing students to gain hands-on experience in their field of study.

	1931 The Food Administration Cooperative program graduates its first class.

	1939 Carl Stegner becomes the first male student admitted to the program.

	1942 May Benedict retires and George Hoke takes over as head of the Department of Food Administration, now an independent department.

	1944 The names “The Rochester Athenaeum” and “Mechanics Institute” are replaced by “Rochester Institute of Technology.”

	1946 The first veterans of World War II enroll in the Food Administration and Dietetic program.

	1955 The first Bachelor of Science degree is offered by the Department of Food Administration.

	1968 RIT moves from its downtown campus to a new 1,300 acre campus in the suburb of Henrietta and is restructured into seven colleges: Business, Applied Science [home to the hospitality and service programs], Fine and Applied Arts, Graphic Arts and Photography, General Studies, Science, and Evening College.

	1969 Sarah Margaret Gillam Award is created. Harris H. Rusitzky is the first recipient.

	1970 Hospitality and Service Management moves to the fourth floor of the George Eastman Memorial Building on the Henrietta campus. The Eastman Building was designed by the architects Anderson, Beckwith and Hiable.

	1974 Hotel and Tourism courses are added to the department curriculum.

	1975 An undergraduate program in Dietetics is introduced.

	1981 The Travel Management program is added to the department.

	1984 The RIT Hospitality Alumni Society is founded.

	1986 The National Advisory Board is established. RIT receives Middle States Accreditation. The first annual “Puttin’ on the RITz” Dinner is held to benefit the Hospitality Education Fund. The “Jewel Box Cake” is created for the occasion.

	1987 The first graduate program is offered with options in Food/Restaurant, Hotel/Resort, and Travel/Tourism Management. The Victorian Chocolate Barbarian is created for the 1987 “Puttin’ on the RITz” Dinner.

	1989 The graduate option in Meeting/Convention Management is added. The undergraduate curriculum undergoes major revisions. Core knowledge of hospitality industries and leadership skills are emphasized.

	1990 The Nutrition option and Executive Leader program are added at the graduate level.

	1991 The school’s name is changed to School of Food, Hotel and Travel Management.

	1996 Graduate degrees in Human Resource Development and Instructional Technologies are added.
	1999 The school’s name is changed to the School of Hospitality and Service Management. Graduate degree in Health Systems Administration is added.

RIT School of Hospitality and Service Management - 2008 Updated