Floyd M. McDowell Commons

Graceland University, Lamoni, Decatur County, Iowa
Graceland's food service began in 1906 when her “hotel facilities” opened in the Administration Building basement, under the supervision of Charles B. Woodstock. The kitchen was located in a portion of the southwest room; meals were served to approximately 40 students in the northeast room. Dishes were washed and dried on a long table in the hall between the kitchen and dining room. Because there was no running hot water or sinks, most of the hot water was hauled in from the college farm.

After Marietta Hall was completed in 1907, the food service was moved there, then later to the first-floor commissary located in the original Patroness Hall, opening on February 18, 1909. Students were assigned to tables for a two-week period; hosts and hostesses carried in the food stylized in a family-style dining system. When the Patroness commissary opened, 76 people were served meals.

Patroness was destroyed by fire on January 2, 1927. Consequently meal service was moved to the basement of Zimmerman Hall. Upon the completion of Walker Hall in 1929, food service was relocated to the basement of that building. This dining room had a 184 seating capacity and continued to employ students as waiters and waitresses. Walker's commissary later adopted a cafeteria system.

Walker commissary was eventually replaced by the Floyd M. McDowell Commons.

Floyd M. McDowell Commons, a.k.a. “The Commons”, is Graceland's two-level kitchen and dining facility. The Commons was named in honor of Floyd M. McDowell who was a faculty member and deal from 1911 to 1925. Mr. McDowell pioneered Graceland's junior college movement and later served 16 years with the RLDS First Presidency.

“The Commons” replaced the previous dining facility located in the basement of Walker Hall.

Dane D. Morgan, who also designed the Platz-Mortimor Science Hall and later developed the Memorial Student Center addition, was the architect; the Morgan-Gelatt firm from Burlington, Iowa developed the building's plans during 1953-54; and, the Board of Trustees received the conceptual drawings on May 7, 1955. Originally, the plans called for a food service facility to be the first phase of a two-unit structure. When college enrollment reached 700, the second phase would commence, which would have included a new student union with the Memorial Student Center being converted into a library. On January 7, 1956, The Board of Trustees approved preliminary drawings for a combined food service and student union building. Estimated construction costs were $70,000, however the two-phase plan which included a new student union was dropped.
 The Commons was built at a cost of $462,154. Graceland's $233,000 endowment funds were exhausted but $150,000 came from debenture bonds. On November 8, 1959, the Campus Planning Committee suggested that the building be named the Floyd M. McDowell Commons. Construction began during the latter part of April, 1960.

Graceland's food service director, Lillian Flanders, turned the first shovel of dirt at the April 20, 1960 groundbreaking ceremony. The ceremony, originally scheduled for Easter Sunday, had been postponed due to a sudden snow flurry. President Harvey Grice opened the ceremony with a short speech. He was followed by Professor William Gould who read an original poem authored by Cleo Hanthorne Moon entitled “They Who Build on Graceland's Hill.” Lamoni RLDS Stake Bishop Leslie Kohlman offered the invocation and dedication prayer. Others who joined Lillian Flanders with shovels were: Eric Leighton, representative of Graceland's student government; William Gould; dean Harold Condit, representative of all the students; Verne Deskin, Board of Trustees; and Jim White, representing the Physical Plant.

The Commons measures 133 ½' x 117'. On the main floor are the kitchen which is considerably larger than the previous one at Walker Hall, the main dining room and service lines on the west and east sides. The lower floor contains a small dining lounge, restrooms and storage areas.

The main dining room has a seating capacity of 474 as compared to the 184 capacity at Walker Hall. The design included piped-in music and folding walls along the west wall which creates private dining areas.

All of the equipment was new with the exception of two ovens and a few other relatively new items used at Walker Hall. The ovens were moved to The Commons on Monday, April 24, 1961. The Commons served its first meals on Wednesday, April 26th.

When The Commons opened, there were walnut tables and metallic framed chairs with beige plastic seats and backs. The south end was dominated with colored glass; smoked glass was in place along the west and east sides of the dining room to reduce glare from the sun. Private dining areas were originally furnished with white-topped tables and metal chairs with white seats and backs.

The Commons was dedicated at a ceremony beginning at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 14, 1961, held in the Memorial Student Center. Graceland Alumni Association's Independence [Missouri] chapter presented a large portrait of Floyd McDowell which had been created by Paul Craig. This portrait hangs in The Commons. 88 images showing Mr. McDowell's career were presented in a slide show. College president Harvey Grice offered a speech and the college Chapel Choir performed. Among the attendees was Floyd M. McDowell and his family.

Banners were hung from the ceiling of The Commons during the 1990 Christmas break to absorb sound. Around this time, the colored glass on the south side of the building was replaced with clear glass. A rotating rack system was installed in January of 1977, replacing the 1961 modern conveyor belt that carried dirty dishes and trays to the washroom.

The Graceland College Food Service began publishing a bi-monthly newsletter entitled Food For Thought in March of 1993.

Floyd Marion McDowell (March 26, 1889 – October 27, 1964) was an American leader in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. McDowell was a member of the church's First Presidency from 1922 to 1938.

McDowell was born in Excelsior, Wisconsin. He attended Graceland College from 1907 to 1909, and he later received degrees from Iowa State University (BA, 1911), Clark University (MA, 1914), and University of Iowa (Ph.D., 1918). He lived most of his life in Lamoni, Iowa, where the RLDS Church headquarters were located.

On October 2, 1922, McDowell was selected as a counselor to RLDS Church president Frederick M. Smith in the church's First Presidency. In April 1938, McDowell's fellow counselor Elbert A. Smith was released; later that year, McDowell resigned as a member of the First Presidency. Frederick Smith selected Israel A. Smith and Lemuel F. P. Curry to succeed Elbert Smith and McDowell.

After his resignation, McDowell became the RLDS Church's Director of Priesthood Education, a position he held until 1954, when he became a patriarch in the church. From 1922 to 1952, McDowell was also a member of the Board of Trustees of Graceland College.
 
SOURCES: Goehner, David. “The Graceland College Book of Knowledge: From A To Z.” Pp. 100-03. Herald House. Independence MO. 1997. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floyd_M._McDowell. Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, November 2015.
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