In 1987, the building that served as dining commons for the NMVTI campus was in need of replacement.  The old, mostly wooden building that housed the kitchen, dining commons, and library had served the campus for over a decade, and even longer under the old air base.  The campus was in serious need of a replacement, and an effort was made to secure funding.  In November, 1978, Maine voters approved a $2.1 million self-liquidating bond issue to fund the construction of an apartment complex including a dining commons.  The self-liquidating bond simply meant that each student at all of the Maine VTI’s, not just NMVTI, would pay a small bond fee.  These fees would later be used to pay off the bond debt.

The new dining commons was designed by Wright-Pierce Architects-Engineers of Bangor, Maine, to include a large kitchen, a dining hall, and a function room to be used by both on-campus and off-campus groups.  The general contractor for the project was A. E. Flewelling & Sons, Inc. of Crouseville, Maine.  Construction was completed on August 4, 1980; however, problems with the kitchen ventilation system plagued workers for several months.  It was later determined that faulty installation by a subcontractor was to blame, and the error was corrected.

On January 3, 1981, an open house was held for the apartment complex and dining commons.  Speaking at the event were Director Richard Knight and Representative Carl Smith, who with Representative Harry Rideout had co-sponsored the bill to authorize the bond issue that funded the addition to the campus.

Students residing in the new apartments were to be given the option of purchasing a meal plan from the dining commons, or cooking their own food in their apartments, which were each equipped with a full kitchen.  It was a new approach to student dining that offered more freedom to students.

A new chef was hired in October, 1983, and with him came some changes to the kitchen.  A salad bar was added at that time with ingredients that changed weekly and 100% homemade dressings.  The new chef also added a weekly special to the offerings, and he changed the snack bar menu to include things such as hot dogs, chili fries, and fish &chips.

The dining commons was finally given a name on June 13, 1991.  The building was dedicated to John H. Reed, the Aroostook County native who in 1961, as Governor of Maine, signed the legislation that established the institution that has become NMCC.  Reed believed that the creation of NMVTI was among his greatest achievements as Governor of Maine.

On August 23, 2002, the function room in the Reed Dining Commons was dedicated to Madeline Keegan, who worked with campus food services from 1986 until her retirement in 1992.  She started as a cook and quickly worked her way up to food service manager, a position she held until her retirement.

Reed Dining Commons was an important addition to the campus.  It has served as a welcoming place for students to enjoy meals, watch movies, and meet for activities.  The Keegan Room serves as meeting place for groups from both on and off campus.  Reed Dining Commons continues to serve the campus community after more than three decades of service.  
 
Credit: Brian Hall
June 2011