Dear Pete,
Certainly as Professor Lewins notes "The Whiffinpoof Song" takes its
chorus from "Gentlemen-Rankers", but his "alas"is not entirely warrented.
While Louis is no longer there, the "Tables down at Mory's" are certainly
still present.
In the 19th century there was a tavern on Temple Street in New Haven
owned by the Moriarty family called "The Temple Bar". The proprietor from
1898 to 1913 was Louis Linder, and in 1912 he moved the establishment to its
current location on York Street and, with the help of some Yale alumni, set
it up as a private club called "The Mory's Association". From about 1905 a
Yale student singing group called "The Whiffinpoofs" has sung there.
All of this is encapsulated in the opening lines of The Whiffenpoof
song:
"To the tables down at Mory's,
To the place where Louie dwells,
To the dear old Temple Bar we love so well..."
I can assure Professor Lewins that the tables are still down at Mory's
(I ate at one last week), and The Whiffenpoofs, a group of male
undergraduates in their final year, still sing there each Monday evening
during term. The Whiffenpoof song is sung as their concluding number for
each performance.
Best
regards,
Robert
W. Lyons
Assoc
Clincial Professor
Yale
Medical School
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