I’m in New York and I got so excited by all the tall buildings that I forgot to post yesterday.
Here’s some Rice kids putting on a show!
I think it’s the Elizabeth Baldwin Literary Society rehearsing “Anything Goes!” circa 1960. (For my younger readers, the literary societies were founded in the early days of Rice as actual literary societies, but evolved into social sororities. They kind of slowly petered out after the turmoil of the late 1960s.)
The young lady standing on the right in the first row in the snazzy bermuda shorts and loafers is Evelyn Thomas Nolen, who went on to render extraordinary service to both Rice and the historical profession as associate editor of the Journal of Southern History for over thirty years. When you see undergrads acting goofy, it’s helpful to remember things like this.
There were still two literary societies when I graduated in 1979. EBLS was one, and I think the other was OWLS (Owen Wister Literary Society, I think).
They were small but there. Are they completely gone now?
Yes, they’re gone. Not with a bang, but a whimper.
I pointed my mother, Sharon Atkins Lockett (Jones ’63 and former EBLS member) at this page, and here’s her response:
Definitely EBLS cast for Anything Goes. (I was in Hamman Hall basement making posters for the show, although I have a vague memory of showing up on stage once to fill out a chorus number.)
Here’s my best ID for some faces:
Front row –
Far left – Shaper, Sue ?
2nd from left – ?
3rd (w/ glasses) – ?
Male (hands on hips) –
Male (hands in pockets) –
Male (right hand in pocket) –
Female (3rd from end) – Thomas, Evelyn [already identified]
Female (2nd from en) – Holmes, Danna
Female (right end) – Branard, Betty
Back row –
Males (3) – ?
Middle (short female) – Laughlin, Shirley
Female (blonde) – Hebert, Sue ?
Female (half face) – Crooker, Evelyn
Female (top of face) – Irwin, L. J.
If I can find the show’s program in one of the boxes I’m unpacking (after only 40+ years), I can probably match names for at least the four guys on the front row. To match other female names & faces, see page 244 of the 1961 Campanile.
By the way, on page 39 of the 1960 Campanile is the musical group of “mothers” who sang “Rice Is Nice” at the Senior follies. I might as well fess up that I’m behind the guitar on the far left, and Linda Day is plucking the ukelele on the far right. Linda lives in Houston and can probably identify others in the photo.
Thanks so much for this note–and thanks to your mother too! What else does she have in those boxes??
Melissa –
More names for that instrumental group in the Senior Follies photo (p. 39 of the 1960 Campanile). A Thresher article from fall 1959 (sorry, no exact date) cites Roy Nolen as Follies director and gives cast names. So the old alums are (l to r): Sharon Atkins, Marsha Bloom, Dot Remble, L. J. Irwin, and Linda Day. Will let you know what else turns up as I sort through memorabilia.
– Sharon Atkins Lockett ’63 Jones