Cynthia Ou will be stepping down as the sole food provider at the Dartmouth Medical School in June amidst her claims that she is being forced to involuntarily retire.
But Medical School officials say they did not know Ou was upset about having to leave.
Ou has been serving her Chinese food in the Kellogg cafeteria of the medical school since June 4, 1973.
Since 1973, she has served more than a million meals to students, staff and faculty of the Dartmouth Medical School and College, according to a medical school memo.
On the 23rd anniversary of her opening in the Medical School, Ou will serve her last meal there.
Ou's imminent departure has precipitated opposition from various faculty in the Medical School and at the College.
Inge Brown, assistant director of the Humanities Resources/Language Resource Center, has started a petition to keep Ou at the Medical School for two more years.
Brown said she started the petition because she "sensed anger and resentment when Mrs. Ou explained that she was leaving."
"She has many loyal patrons," Math Professor Robert Norman said. "The Math department has a large number of faithful customers -- computer science and economics professors also."
But the Medical School claims not to know about Ou's discontent.
Ou expressed doubt that the petition would work, but she added, "If the petition works, if people like my cooking, then I'll stay. I'm not happy to leave. I'm being forced out."
Director of Planning and Administration at the Medical School Ann Bauer said "I was unaware that there was any opposition to Mrs. Ou's departure."
When initially questioned, Ou said she had been at the Medical School for a long time, and it was "about time to retire."
"I don't want to stay here forever, but I wanted 25 years. A quarter of a century. That's all," Ou said.
The "Medical School wanted to change to American food," she then explained.
Bauer said both students and faculty petitioned for healthier and different food in the cafeteria and to be allowed to pay with their student ID cards.
Ou refused to allow students to use their ID cards, Bauer said.
Bauer said Ou responded to requests for healthier food by offering bowls of lettuce for three dollars apiece.
"Schedules for students are tight and do not allow going downtown for lunch," she said. "One small student lounge and a small refrigerator were all students had so bringing lunch was also difficult."
Bauer said students claimed Ou charged different students different prices for the same food.
Before the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center moved from Hanover to Lebanon, medical students had a choice between the hospital cafeteria and Mrs. Ou's for lunch.
But, since the hospital has moved, Mrs. Ou's is the only luncheon cafeteria in the medical school area.
"It was always the feeling of the medical school that Mrs. Ou is an asset, Bauer added. "But she is the only option here and Chinese food can get old."
"There is no ill will and we are surprised that this is a problem. There were never harsh words: it was very straightforward," Bauer added. "We were strictly meeting the needs of the students."
Pete Napolitano, director of Dartmouth Dining Services, denied reports that Ou was being forced out.
Napolitano said he is helping the medical school plan for her departure.
"They asked me to submit a proposal," he said. "We have plans for a small continental breakfast, lunch and afternoon and early afternoon things. Soups, deli operation for sandwiches, salads, a few hot entrees, lots of beverages and some desserts. If they ask me to provide the food, well, that's the service I provide."
Ou said the medical school told her to leave.
"Around June [last year], somebody was sent to tell me that by July 1, 1995, you have to leave," Ou said.
Ou said the situation made her very angry.
"To treat me like this, to tell me to leave almost immediately, is insulting -- after 23 years," she said.
She said she was asked to leave again, this time by mid-August.
Again, she said, she refused to leave.
At that point Ou said she was approached by Susan Vogt, the previous director of planning and administration at the Medical School.
Vogt asked Ou to leave by Christmas, Ou said. After some discussion, Ou decided to leave on the 23rd anniversary of her opening at the medical school.
Vogt has left the Medical School and was unavailable for comment.
Ou claimed it was the decision of second-year medical students that caused the school to ask her to leave.
"Students, second year med students, because they want me to leave, held a meeting," she said. "That is unfair to me and the faculty. Lots of professors are against the Med School decision."
Dartmouth Medical School Communications Director Hali Wickner said it is unclear who will provide food after Ou leaves.
"No decision on a provider has been made and no contracts have been signed," she wrote in an electronic-mail message.
