Summer鈥檚 here. Know any students looking for summer jobs?
The summer when Mary Emma Showalter鈥檚 now classic “” was released in 1950, various college students sold聽the cookbook as a way to make money for their college expenses.
Eugene Souder was one such entrepreneur who had about 15 young women and men selling cookbooks under his loosely organized effort.
He says the John C. Winston Company (publishers in conjunction with the early 鈥淢ennonite Community Association鈥� in Scottdale, Pennsylvania) put out a notice that they were looking for someone to round up students who could sell the cookbook to acquaintances, church members, friends or neighbors鈥攁nd perhaps door-to-door.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I saw聽that initial notice put out for sales reps, but someone recommended me. So they came recruiting me,鈥� recalled Eugene in a phone interview recently.
鈥淚t was simple鈥擨 had one or two meetings of interested persons at聽Eastern Mennonite College, inviting them to earn some extra money that summer,鈥� said Eugene, who at the time was between his junior and senior years of college.聽 鈥淚t was fun to recruit. That was basically all I had to do. I got a commission off of each sale, and the total that year was enough to cover my expenses for my final year of college.鈥� Eugene added that he didn鈥檛 sell more than five himself,聽and that there were more women than men selling the cookbook.
Dan Hertzler, a classmate of Eugene鈥檚 and former editor of Gospel Herald, recalls that a year at EMC at the time cost $550, with a $100 discount for Bible majors. While Dan was later connected with the Mennonite Community Association and has long been associated with聽Scottdale, Dan didn鈥檛 help sell the cookbooks.
Eugene confesses he didn鈥檛 sell many himself because he was heavily involved in a budding men鈥檚 quartet at EMC that went on to help launch the long running radio program in 1952, which led to the whole international Mennonite Broadcasts, Inc. 聽organization鈥�(which eventually became Mennonite Media, which joined with Mennonite Publishing Network to form MennoMedia in 2011.)
鈥淪o that summer of 1950, I didn鈥檛 really have that much time to actually sell; I was surprised at the good return for my time,鈥� Eugene says. The cookbook initially cost $3.50 for the plain edition; a deluxe 鈥渃hapter tab鈥� edition was $4.50. 鈥淭hey were very fair in the commission they paid me.鈥�
Eugene went on to a long career as a pastor, graphic designer, and founder/editor of at least three church magazines: Our Faith, Together, and [the only magazine still in publication, under the editorship of article author Melodie Davis].
Jay B. Landis, a former professor in the English language and literature department at EMC, also sold the cookbooks. But neither Jay nor Eugene remember it being through Eugene鈥檚 circle of sellers. 鈥淚 sold a few鈥攎aybe to my mother and a few others,鈥� Jay confesses. Jay was just out of high school and working a full-time job to make money for college, so his involvement was definitely limited.
Jay and his wife Peggy now live in the home where Mary Emma and her eventual husband, Ira Eby, lived in Harrisonburg. When Peggy was an officer of the Auxiliary, she offered a dinner for their annual auction: a meal at their home with recipes cooked from Mary Emma Showalter鈥檚 cookbook, including the famous seven sweets and seven sours.
鈥淪ome of Mary Emma鈥檚 nieces and nephews were the eventual recipients of the dinner, and during the course of the evening, we read several of the essays Mary Emma included at the beginning of each chapter of the book,鈥� Jay recalls.
Eugene summarized his experience of earning enough money for a whole year of college as 鈥渢he easiest money I ever made. Sometimes it is surprising what good things come your way.鈥� Like other students of his time, he graduated debt free.
Republished from the website with permission from the author, who says she would love to hear from any other cookbook sellers. Visit the cookbook’s website for contact information.