With those words, Jim Jones, executive vice president of the World of Food, broke ground for his five-story pavilion at its 50,066 square foot plot in the Fair's Industrial Area on January 23, 1963. It would be one of the largest pavilions at the Fair, occupying an enviable site right at the Main Gate and playing host to some of America's largest food related corporations including Adolph's Ltd., RCA-Whirlpool, Hershey Chocolate, Thomas J. Lipton Tea Co., Pepsi-Cola, Roman Products, Inc. and five major food associations.

You won't find a listing for The World of Food Pavilion in either issue of the Official Guide even though it is often found on early maps of the Fair, only adding to the mystery of this "phantom pavilion." Ask any Fairgoer about the exhibits they saw there and they'll tell you they don't remember that pavilion. Why? Because The World of Food has the unfortunate distinction of being the Fair's first flop. The steel framework of the unfinished pavilion was demolished just weeks before the Fair's opening by order of the courts and the World's Fair Corporation. The steel was stored and later sold for scrap. The foundation was buried, the site was seeded over and The World of Food disappeared into World's Fair history before the Fair ever opened.

Not much has been uncovered about the story of The World of Food and what went wrong with this important exhibit until now, thanks to the research of Philip Ras into the records stored in the Manuscripts and Archives Division of the New York Public Library. nywf64.com presents the story of The World of Food through memos and letters from the files of the New York World's Fair 1964/1965 Corporation.

EXHIBIT 1

The project will be a multiple exhibit pavilion under the name "The World of Food" physically disposed and programmed over the two year period of the Fair to constitute a University of Food as well as a Forum of regular, lively, public demonstrations of all foods of the world in their recipe, dietetic, nutrition, economic, preparation, service and other related aspects.

The University phase of the project would be purposed toward educating the public through a regular course curriculum and scheduled classes, in the proper use of all foods from the preparation, service, economic, dietetic, nutrition and etiquette standpoints. The exhibitors would provide the material, faculty and other necessaries of the curriculum. The regularity of the classes and development of the program throughout each day during the Fair will require attendance at the project.

The Forum phase of the project will include, subject to coordination with the approval of the Fair Corporation, such things as

1. Actual cooking lessons of specialty foods of particular countries:
2. Various methods of preparing particular foods,
3. Demonstration tie ins with (a) local food features, e.g., Apple Festivals, Shrimp Festivals, Pennsylvania Dutch Days, etc., (b) manufacturers of food products not otherwise represented at the Fair and (c) Trade Associations representing a particular food or food grouping not permanently represented at the Fair;
4. Demonstrations of new foods in cooperation with foreign governments, United States agencies and State Agricultural groups;
5. The largest collection of cookbooks and food reference material with a recipe finder service on the spot; and
6. Demonstrations of the preparation and enjoyment of exotic cooking.

The exhibitors will include companies in the food and related industries who will, subject to the provisions of this Agreement and the Rider attached hereto, hire space in the pavilion from The World of Food Inc. Their exhibits, displays, expositions, etc. will be constructed and coordinated by The World of Food Inc.

The Project may include a restaurant and a bar as well as amusements, entertainments And/or diversions to the public all of which shall be no more than subsidiary and incidental to the purpose of the particular exhibitors involved and to the foregoing educational purposes of the Project.

The Project may include a private club for exhibitors, staff, and their invited guests, to which the general public will not be admitted.