This corncob may look like an object of Mammy Yokum’s oral fixation, but it’s actually a favor from a Northeastern smoker, a social gathering where men could kick back and unwind in an atmosphere scented by pipes, Chesterfields, and the occasional stogie.

As suffocating as this kind of bash sounds now, smokers were once a huge draw for Northeastern students, particularly during the 1920s, when organized campus activities were in their infancy and opportunities for socializing with classmates were few.

A smoker’s entrance fee—usually two to four bits—also guaranteed some form of entertainment. Diversions ran a vaudevillian gamut, from magic tricks, to music, to boxing or fencing. Sometimes, the entertainers were professionals. Occasionally, professors were brought in to bring the house down with jokes, anecdotes, or lectures.

Although individual groups—such as the student newspaper or a fraternity—might host their own smoker, these affairs were frequently an all-class to-do. As a point of pride, each class would try to sponsor the liveliest smoke-filled room. This could give rise to class warfare. For a gag, sophomores might raid frosh smokers and kidnap several yearlings (extra points for the class prez).

No need to pass the peace pipe, though. In NU’s early years, smokers actually helped stoke school spirit.

And that was no corny goal.