The 1904 World’s Fair Society has monthly membership meetings with programs on various topics relating to the Fair.
It has always been a tradition of the organization to have a meeting near the end of April to celebrate “opening day”, (the day the fair opened, April 30th,1904), and to have a “closing day” banquet in December (the day the fair closed, December 1st, 1904) .
Most meetings have a drawing for an attendance prize for members attending the meeting. You may register every time you attend a meeting at the reception table near the door. Attending more meetings will give you more opportunities to win. Attendance prizes will vary. Often they will match the subject of the meeting. You must be present to win.
The meetings are always well attended with people very knowledgeable about the fair. Please feel free to attend and ask questions. Visitors are always welcome.
Meet Sarah Tyson Rorer November 10, 2025 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm Charter member Pam Vaccaro will present a new program about Sarah Tyson Rorer.
University City Public Library, 6701 Delmar Blvd, University City, MO 63130, USA
- Sarah Tyson Rorer authored 75 cook books and pamphlets. She edited her own magazine Table Talk, the short-lived Household News, and was domestic editor of the Ladies Home Journal for 14 years. She headed the Philadelphia School of Cooking from 1883 to 1903. She was the Julia Child of her era.
- For the 1904 Fair, she wrote a cookbook titled “World’s Fair Souvenir Cookbook”, which sold for 50 cents.
- She also operated The Model Restaurant at the Fair (the East Pavilion cafe), which could seat 1200 people. She rented the East Pavilion cafe for $7,500.
- Mrs. Rorer had the reputation of being a master coffee brewer, as she sold cups for 15 cents and tins of coffee. Her many cook books emphasized healthy food, advanced the science and art of cooking. Unfortunately, she died poor in 1937 at the age of 88 after losing her financial holdings in the Great Depression.