Two presidents, a pie fight and UB giving

Editor’s note: “UB Then” is an occasional feature highlighting people, events and other interesting elements of UB history pulled from the University Archives.

As we prepare for UB Giving Day — the 24-hour fundraiser running today and Thursday — UB Then couldn’t help but think of our late friend, Jon Dandes, and a most unusual day more than a half century ago when the campus turned out to help raise money for the local community.

It was on Oct. 2, 1973, and UB students gathered outside the old student union on the South Campus to watch a highly anticipated duel.

The weapons of choice: cream pies. 

The two combatants were Robert Ketter, then the president of UB, and Dandes. We remember Dandes, who passed away Feb. 22, as a prominent alumnus, university booster and longtime member of the UB Council, but at the time he was still a UB student serving as the Student Association president.

The “duel,” of course, was actually a publicity stunt hatched months prior to raise awareness about the campaign for the Buffalo area United Way Fund. UB had been lax in its contributions and Dandes, always the UB booster, suggested the lack of publicity was the problem, according to a story in The Spectrum, the student newspaper. 

That’s when Dandes mentioned to Ketter how a pie-throwing contest between the president of the University of Hartford and its student association president garnered widespread attention. 

“I accept the challenge,” Ketter told Dandes. 

Students began showing up outside the student union around 12:45 p.m., while others peered from building windows in anticipation of the 1 p.m. showdown, according to The Spectrum article. 

The student newspaper reported that a sizeable ring had been roped off, along with a judge’s table and a cabinet loaded with whipped cream pies. It was to be a nine-round match with a five-point scoring system. A television news crew was on hand to witness the event. 

Eventually, Dandes was led into the ring to an assortment of greetings. Ketter, who was a half-hour late, arrived wearing his black ceremonial gown. There was some friendly banter to begin.

Then Ketter, given the advantage of a grossly oversized pie, fired the first shot prematurely, and “all hell broke loose,” according to the story. 

“It was a wild melee as students stormed the pie cabinet, throwing pies at everyone and anyone,” The Spectrum reported. “Dr. Ketter and Mr. Dandes clearly got the worst of the pie barrage.” 

Within five minutes after the match started, the area was covered with whipped cream, the newspaper reported. 

“It was a Keystone Kops scene with people sliding and falling everywhere, tumbling into the fountain and tossing pies at by-standers,” The Spectrum reported. “When the chaos ceased, high pressure hoses were brought in to clear away the wreckage and all went on as before.” 

The 12th annual Giving Day kicks off at noon today and runs until noon on Thursday.