A. Raymond Madorin ’35

A. Raymond Madorin ’35 was born in 1911, the fourth son of Albert and Martha Madorin.  He was raised as an only child since his three brothers had all died prior to his birth.  Albert was a Swiss trained chef and restaurateur.  His restaurants in New York City and Montreal became known as “go to” restaurants and Ray spent much of his youth in those establishments until the death of his father. Ray’s uncle Rudolph, the owner of the East Hampton Inn (now the Gelston House), was also a restaurateur and Ray worked there for a few years post his graduation from Hartford’s Buckley High School in 1929.

It was Depression times and Ray’s mother, Martha had taken a job at Trinity College where she and then President Remsen Ogilby became close friends.  Martha saved enough money to have Ray attend Carnegie Tech, now Carnegie Mellon for the 1931-32 school year.  During Ray’s freshman year at Carnegie, Martha became fatally ill and asked President Ogilby to watch over her sole surviving son.  Even though the Chapel was still under construction, President Ogilby personally had Martha’s funeral be the first one celebrated there in the Crypt Chapel and he paid to have a full section of the Rose Window dedicated in her honor.  President Ogilby then honored his promise to Martha by calling Ray to Trinity. Knowing Ray’s background in restaurants and food, Ogilby offered Ray the job of running the entire faculty and student food service.  At the time Ray was only 21 years old but he did not hesitate and immediately accepted the challenge.  Ray became the first student at Trinity to ever hold this position, and in Trinity’s 200-year history he may remain the only one to do so.

At that time the position of director of Food Services was generally held by a married man and it came with campus housing adjacent to Hamlin Hall.  President Ogilby felt that it was only proper to offer these accommodations to Ray as part of the job.  Ray may also be the only student in Trinity’s history to have four rooms to himself.  He had two bedrooms, one of which he converted to a study, a living room, kitchen and private bath.  By the 1960s these rooms had been converted to Trinity’s Infirmary.

Ray thrived at Trinity and, despite it being the height of the Depression, he made enough money to not only cover his tuition but to also purchase a one-year-old Model A Ford and keep a Great Dane dog in his rooms.  While at Trinity, Ray became friends with another student, S.  Prestley Blake who only remained at Trinity for one year.  Prestley told Ray that he and his brother Curtis were planning on opening a restaurant over the state border in Massachusetts and since Ray knew the food business better than they, Prestley offered Ray a one-third ownership in the venture if he would quit Trinity.  With little time to go before his graduation, Ray declined.  Prestley and Curtis opened the restaurant themselves and called it Friendly Ice Cream.

After graduation Ray worked various jobs until he enlisted in the U.S. Army after Pearl Harbor.  He served as a signal corps officer in the Army Eight Air Force and saw service in the Philippines and Guam.  He rose to the rank of Captain.  After the war he worked for the Atlantic Richfield Company from which he eventually retired.

Ray’s son, Ray, Jr. is also a graduate of Trinity – Class of 1968. Ray, Jr. was married in the Trinity Chapel and Ray’s granddaughter, Catherine, was baptized there.  Fifty-six years after his mother’s funeral, Ray’s funeral was also held in Trinity Chapel but this time in the main Chapel.  Ray is buried in Trinity’s Memorial Garden amongst some of his lifelong friends.

One unforeseen benefit of Ray’s service to Trinity was enjoyed greatly by his son Ray, Jr.  Ray senior gave his old keys to Ray Jr., some of which still worked 30 years later.  Clandestine food raids through Hamlin were wonderful.