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General Ohio University Discussion/Alumni Events Topic
Topic: Tell me about The Red Room
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akamilkcat
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Posted: 12/20/2019 12:38 PM
My parents met while attending OU in the late 60s and I'm collecting stories and photos for their 50th wedding anniversary. My dad always talks about The Red Room where he tended bar for a while. I can't find any info online, but wonder if anyone can tell me about it or has photos/stories to share from that era? Thanks!
rpbobcat
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Posted: 12/20/2019 1:04 PM
This is going purely from memory.

When I was O.U. in the early/mid 70's,there was a building on the
road that went around the New South Green.

Looking at an old campus map it calls it Lakeview Community Center.

It had a Pizza Hut and a couple of other stores.

I think it also had some type bar.
For reason "Red Room" comes to mind.

Hope this points you in the right direction.
shabamon
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Posted: 12/20/2019 2:28 PM
According to this page, there was a bar called the Red Ram.

http://athensohiobars.com/defunct-bars
Alan Swank
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Alan Swank
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Posted: 12/20/2019 2:32 PM
akamilkcat wrote:expand_more
My parents met while attending OU in the late 60s and I'm collecting stories and photos for their 50th wedding anniversary. My dad always talks about The Red Room where he tended bar for a while. I can't find any info online, but wonder if anyone can tell me about it or has photos/stories to share from that era? Thanks!
Lou can tell you all about it. He and some of his friends have occassional Red Room reunions.
Spid71
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Posted: 12/29/2019 4:25 PM
I was at OU in the late sixties. The Red Room was in a building past the Lakeview Apartments. I believe the building recently has been owned by a church. Fraternity brothers were in a bans called Harper January St Joan. They played there every week, Wednesday night I think. Played until one finals week when they assumed they were not scheduled, but management had other ideas. Did not play there after that. The bar and dance floor were at the top floor.

The Red Ram was a great but short lived bar that was located in one of the alleys in town.

Hope this helps.
rpbobcat
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Posted: 12/29/2019 7:11 PM
Spid71 wrote:expand_more
I was at OU in the late sixties. The Red Room was in a building past the Lakeview Apartments. I believe the building recently has been owned by a church. Fraternity brothers were in a bans called Harper January St Joan. They played there every week, Wednesday night I think. Played until one finals week when they assumed they were not scheduled, but management had other ideas. Did not play there after that. The bar and dance floor were at the top floor.

The Red Ram was a great but short lived bar that was located in one of the alleys in town.

Hope this helps.
Did that building have a Pizza Place in it too ?
Spid71
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Posted: 12/30/2019 9:19 AM
I don't remember a pizza place, but that doesn't mean there wasn't one.
oldkatz
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Posted: 12/30/2019 9:53 AM
There was a Pizza Hut, a bank, a convenience store called the Short Stop, and the grand dame was the Red Room upstairs (both a restaurant and a bar). In addition, upstairs there were bowling lanes, pool tables, and a number of foosball tables.
Alan is partially correct; we've had Red Room reunions consecutively for the last 19 years in town. Next year will be our 20th. It's attended by those of us who worked there and friends who frequented the place.
Seventy cent pitcher nights, Taco & tequila nights, spaghetti nights all made it an interesting place.
"All my inside sources tell me I have no inside sources." Salvatore "money bucks" Mafiosiano.
OhioCatFan
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Posted: 12/30/2019 1:40 PM
oldkatz wrote:expand_more
There was a Pizza Hut, a bank, a convenience store called the Short Stop, and the grand dame was the Red Room upstairs (both a restaurant and a bar). In addition, upstairs there were bowling lanes, pool tables, and a number of foosball tables.
Alan is partially correct; we've had Red Room reunions consecutively for the last 19 years in town. Next year will be our 20th. It's attended by those of us who worked there and friends who frequented the place.
Seventy cent pitcher nights, Taco & tequila nights, spaghetti nights all made it an interesting place.
Initially I had not remembered much about this place, but after reading these posts, especially this one by my mud crawling Army friend, it all comes flooding back to my memory. I went there occasionally, but was not a regular. I should have remembered it better, though, because I actually interviewed Dwight Rutherford about his planning for this building, initially called the Rumac Center, before construction started. This was for the Messenger when I was doing my internship class there in the summer of 1963. Somewhere I actually have that clipping. Have to see if i can find it.
The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

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MikeE
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Posted: 2/11/2023 8:27 AM
I was at OU from 1970-1974. I do remember the Red Room. I lived on New South Green in 1972-73 and Red Room was within easy walking (stumbling) distance. It was indeed red and in a new complex.
BSC 91
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Posted: 2/15/2023 12:05 PM
Can anyone help me find the Red Room building on Google Maps (if it still stands)? I'm fascinated by stuff like this.

Did Red Ram become Longbranch Saloon and then Gee Willikers?
greencat
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Posted: 2/17/2023 5:55 PM
Wasn't the Frontier Room where the guys who used to be Pure Prairie League (?) played at times? Six Shooter?

Now, the frat house that went out of business and became the Plasma place down stairs and studio apartments upstairs? Had an A&P out the back door? Stimson?

Having an apartment there was not so good.
Last Edited: 2/17/2023 6:00:06 PM by greencat
Joe McKinley
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Posted: 2/18/2023 3:45 PM
greencat wrote:expand_more
Wasn't the Frontier Room where the guys who used to be Pure Prairie League (?) played at times? Six Shooter?

Now, the frat house that went out of business and became the Plasma place down stairs and studio apartments upstairs? Had an A&P out the back door? Stimson?

Having an apartment there was not so good.
I was the Frontier Room booking agent during the 1980-81 school year. It was a blast. Thanks for coming in! I booked Six Shooter a couple times. Deke Davisson was the band leader. He and his brother Jimmy played/toured some with Pure Prairie League. They played in/around Chillicothe for years. Not sure about the other band members.
Last Edited: 2/18/2023 3:46:26 PM by Joe McKinley
greencat
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Posted: 3/2/2023 9:18 AM
Joe McKinley wrote:expand_more
He and his brother Jimmy played/toured some with Pure Prairie League. They played in/around Chillicothe for years.
Did their catalytic converter ever get stolen by addicts in Chillicothe?
Bobcatbob
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Posted: 4/1/2023 10:16 PM
oldkatz wrote:expand_more
There was a Pizza Hut, a bank, a convenience store called the Short Stop, and the grand dame was the Red Room upstairs (both a restaurant and a bar). In addition, upstairs there were bowling lanes, pool tables, and a number of foosball tables.
Alan is partially correct; we've had Red Room reunions consecutively for the last 19 years in town. Next year will be our 20th. It's attended by those of us who worked there and friends who frequented the place.
Seventy cent pitcher nights, Taco & tequila nights, spaghetti nights all made it an interesting place.
.
This is how I remember the Red Room, but didn’t it also have the advantage of being one of the few or only bar(s) open on Sunday in Athens? I don’t remember being there much but there were times…. Much, much closer than Club 33.
OhioCatFan
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Posted: 4/1/2023 10:38 PM
Bobcatbob wrote:expand_more
There was a Pizza Hut, a bank, a convenience store called the Short Stop, and the grand dame was the Red Room upstairs (both a restaurant and a bar). In addition, upstairs there were bowling lanes, pool tables, and a number of foosball tables.
Alan is partially correct; we've had Red Room reunions consecutively for the last 19 years in town. Next year will be our 20th. It's attended by those of us who worked there and friends who frequented the place.
Seventy cent pitcher nights, Taco & tequila nights, spaghetti nights all made it an interesting place.
.
This is how I remember the Red Room, but didn’t it also have the advantage of being one of the few or only bar(s) open on Sunday in Athens? I don’t remember being there much but there were times…. Much, much closer than Club 33.
oldkattz, you always struck me as more of a Club 33 type of guy. Lot's old Army vets out there.
The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

"It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right."

Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org
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