This morning I was looking through some pictures of the statue of William Marsh Rice—we have many of these, taken from all angles, in all lighting conditions, all alone or with gatherings of students around him. These two I found particularly intriguing:
What caught my eye first was the unobstructed view across the south side of the quad towards the Med Center. There’s no Rayzor Hall yet to block the lines and you can see how the area is growing. But then I noticed what’s going on in the foreground, which I suspect was the actual subject of the photographs. Zoom in and look closely and I think what we’re looking at is the installation of the pea gravel sidewalks that replaced the gravel paths. This must have taken place sometime between about 1946 and 1949. That gravel, of course, was responsible for the wear on the stairs inside Lovett Hall and I remain in awe of generations of Rice women students who endured those paths in high heels.
Bonus: Willie came along with me this afternoon to the Parking Registration Office. The old rascal was delighted to discover that I had to buy a permit to park on campus.
Extra Bonus:
