Heart of our home

Celebrating decades of meals, memories, and meaningful moments in Kellogg Hall

In every home, the kitchen is more than a place to eat. The kitchen is where stories are told, friendships are made, and memories linger long after the meal is done. For generations of students at Walla Walla University, Kellogg Hall has been just that: the heart of campus life, where the meals nourished more than just the body.

1960s: A warm welcome

When Dick Dower arrived as a freshman in 1960, Kellogg Hall was “all glass and bright and shiny,” the newest addition to the university. Opened in 1958 to replace the overcrowded dining hall in Conard Hall’s basement, Kellogg quickly became a favorite gathering place, where meals were as much about community as cuisine. “Sabbath lunch was the best meal of the week,” he recalls. “Baked potatoes, (vegetarian) Steaks Deluxe, broccoli, and an apple dessert.” That meal became so iconic, it stayed on the menu in Dower’s own kitchen for 60 years. Even with the allure of the exclusive Alaska Room for upperclassmen, Dower found himself drawn to the lively energy of the larger dining hall. “It was more fun to be with all the other students,” he says, a sentiment that would only grow in the decades ahead.

1970s: Cooking up connection

Its shine may have faded, but the energy inside Kellogg Hall only grew. By the 1970s, Kellogg had become a bustling social space.

David Jewkes recalls standing in line for up to 20 minutes—not as a nuisance but as an opportunity.

“You’d get to mingle with people you’d never see in class,” he says.

Friends saved spots in line while students played “Hang ‘em” on the long tables, a game about sliding salt shakers right to the edge of the table, and servers dished out comfort food (and the occasional egg croquette).

1980s-1990s: The buzz below the stove

That sense of connection spread downstairs in the Student Association Center (SAC), where students played Rook and pool, swapped stories over fries, and sometimes lingered until movie time at Columbia Auditorium. Even the most spirited student traditions, like OPS adventures and banquet nights, revolved around Kellogg Hall—and that spirit of connection was starting to extend far beyond the cafeteria itself.

Whether upstairs or down, Kellogg continued to pulse at the center of campus life. In the SAC, TV nights drew standing-room-only crowds to watch The Cosby Show, and dorm students swapped meal credits with strategic savvy. “You either spent your extra credits feeding your friends,” said Stephanie (Browning) Gallian, “or hoped they’d feed you.” The SAC’s cheesy breadsticks and mini pizzas kept students fueled. Of course, not every moment made the front page. Gallian recalls fainting during her first Red Cross blood donation and later spotting her best friend holding hands under the table with the boy she liked. “Turns out when you eat with just your outside hand, you can’t hide where your other hand is.”

2000s–2010s: Late nights and leftovers

Into the 21st century, Kellogg still held its place as a creative and communal home for students of every kind. Upstairs, warm meals brought students together. Downstairs, The Collegian team pulled even warmer all-nighters. “We would stay up past midnight editing and eating Del Taco burritos,” says Rachel (Blake) Riffel. “Some of my fondest memories are from those nights, working together to bring the campus stories.”

Meanwhile, ASWWU planned dodgeball tournaments, game nights, and massive fundraising drives from its offices in Kellogg. The SAC stayed busy with pizza parties, smoothies, and spontaneous foosball matches. Through it all, Kellogg remained a constant—familiar, welcoming, and woven into the everyday life of campus.

More than just a building

Through every decade, Kellogg evolved but never disappeared from the center of campus life. Like any home, it wasn’t the countertops or seating that made it special—it was the people, the stories, and the shared moments that gave the space its soul. From flowers blooming by the door in spring to waffles on Wednesday mornings, Kellogg Hall has long been the heart of Walla Walla University’s home: a place where students came not just to eat, but to live, grow, and remember.

Still, even the most cherished spaces can be outgrown. As student life expanded, so did the need for places that foster deeper connection, purpose, and belonging. The building’s history deserves to be honored—and its future, reimagined.