Legendary Cook Gave Students Food For Thought

Services are scheduled Wednesday for Emanuel Voulkos, a short-order cook who couldn’t stand to see people go hungry, and became a legend because of it.

Voulkos, known to generations of Montana State University students as “Manny,” died Saturday at age 70.

“He fed everyone, no matter who they were or how much money they had,” said daughter Marcella Robino. “If they were broke he’d find a way for them to do chores to pay for the meal. They ate first, though.”

Many of those who ate the heaping platters of food at Manny’s diner were students. Plenty were without money to pay for the steak, eggs and hashbrowns that were standard fare.

“He had his own scholarship program,” said former legislator and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dorothy Bradley. “He literally helped students through school by feeding them.”

He was honored in 1993 as part of the MSU centennial homecoming celebration. “I don’t think as many people ever showed up in Bozeman to honor anyone else,” Bradley said.

“He wasn’t known for his culinary skills or special dishes,” said former MSU professor Harvey Larson. Salad was a taboo topic and “he may have actually invented cholesterol.”