After I wore myself out thinking about where the picture of the high jumper was taken (to no resolution), I began to wonder whether I could figure out who he was. I began with the assumption that it was a Rice guy (otherwise why take it?) and started off with some disappointment. I went right to the early student scrapbooks for two reasons. First, the quality of the photos is usually much higher than of those in the Campanile. Second, it’s just fun. I really enjoy these early classes. And sure enough, I found a snapshot of the 1916 track team in Fred Manaker’s book:

They certainly look happy, but I sure don’t see the guy in the high jump photo. So off to the yearbook, where I do find him.  He’s Lawrence Kingsland, a very talented freshman who was also the star center on the basketball team:

I don’t know much about Kingsland yet, only that he was a good enough basketball player to be All-Southwest Conference for three years in a row and that he was made a member of the Rice Athletics Hall of Fame for his performance in track and field. Here’s the scorecard for the jumping events at the 1916 TIAA meet that was held at the Rice track. He won the high jump.

Two more quick things. First, I’d bet fifty dollars the reason Kingsland isn’t in the picture of the track team above is that he’s the one who took it.

Second,  sharp eyes will have noticed that Rice’s other high jumper that year was named “Waters.” That is none other than Jimmy Waters, the famous “Chief.” Waters graduated in 1917, served two years in the Army then returned to Rice as an instructor in Mechanical Engineering under J.H. Pound. He soon moved over to Electrical Engineering, where he served as chairman and also as  the Rice faculty representative to the Southwest Conference for many years. Waters taught at Rice for 45 years, leaving only to serve the United States again during World War II as a Colonel in the Air Force. He died three days after Christmas, 1964.