Originally organized by students to provide much-needed meal services during the initial years of the University, they quickly became hubs for social activities.
[2] A new dining hall, "Linx," was established in their place, and Toyon residents were merged into the campus meal plan system.
[3] Although the clubs had a strong, enthusiastic membership, their challenge to secure a new site where their social purpose of inclusion and independence could continue was thwarted.
Throughout their history, they saw many changes in location, size, and character, all the while remaining an integral part of the Stanford community.
In 1909 Breakers Club was organized in a small cottage on Stanford Avenue near its intersection with Escondido Road.
Faced with conditions they considered intolerable, the clubs began a concentrated effort to build their own facilities.
They launched a fund drive that proved to be successful, and in 1951 the last club building was dedicated on Big Game day.
In their new location, referred to as "The L" due to its shape, the eating clubs took on a new dimension, becoming an integral part of the life of adjacent Toyon Hall.
The eating clubs by this point continued to be an important alternative to the exclusionary policies of the fraternity system.
When Toyon Hall became coed, the clubs chose to abandon their male-only policy and welcomed female members.