Marshall, Davies, Huxley, Muller 1915
If you remember back to Monday, I came across all these Davies slides while helping a student with a project on campus biology. I had found a few nice things for her, but there really wasn’t a lot of easily identifiable material about the specific plants and animals that were native to the area. The reason I was looking in Davies’s papers was to see if I could find any evidence embedded in the stories about Professor Huxley and his sample collecting expeditions. There was a little, but the slides were the real discovery.
That night I was excited to write about Davies and his photographs, but I realized that I didn’t have a picture of him for the post. So I did what any modern girl would–I googled him. (There’s something truly hilarious about this, it seems to me.) I didn’t find a picture, but I got my second big surprise of this episode. Here’s the link if you’d like to see the whole thing.
I thought I knew every scrapbook we have in the Woodson, but I was obviously wrong. I had to wait until the next morning to see what was in there. Except for the photo above, you have to wait until Monday. (I had forgotten that new babies trail chaos in their wake. I’m too disoriented to write.)
Bonus:
Awwwww…… She’s just beautiful — congratulations, Melissa!
Gloria Meckel Tarpley ’81
Melissa,
In an audio interview with Miss Lel Red, member of Rice’s first graduating class, she said that Dr. Davies accompanied Julian Huxley to Rice as his glassblower. I remember that he served as the caller for our square dance club. What an interesting man — he spent his entire adult life at Rice.
Where is that audio interview?
I know a descendant who might like to hear it.
I think it’s in the Woodson.
Gorgeous granddaughter! I’m jealous!
Thanks, guys! She seems to be sweet natured as well, kind of quiet.
What is he holding up?
I worked as a lab instructor and graded Bio 100 tests for Davies my junior year and for Read my senior year. Davies was an amazing teacher with an amazing memory. All first year Academs were in that class, so it often numbered 200-300 students. Yet Davies knew all their names and personal information about each one. He started a response to a question I asked my freshman year by informing me that he had taught my aunt in the 1930’s. Later, when I worked for him, he told me his secret. First, he made up the seating chart before school started and reviewed each student’s application for admission and began the memorization process. When the lab schedule was complete, he then organized students names by day and lab section and then finalized the memoration process. I still never understood how he rememberd all those names. He also had great style and went out in style. After his retirement was announced and celebrated, he finished grading the papers of his last class, walked over to Lovett Hall and turned them in. On his way back to the Bio Building he had a heart attack and died. To this day I sorely miss that his love for life and that great twinkle in his eye. Barney L. McCoy Hanszen 67