Football, 1957: Arkansas

On November 9, Arkansas came to campus for Rice’s homecoming game.  In contrast to Rice, which had lost to Clemson the week before in a flat performance, Arkansas was on a bit of a roll. The 5 and 2 Razorbacks had been one of the most consistently successful teams in the SWC in recent years and had very nearly beaten Texas A&M the previous week, stopped only by a missed field goal from the 5 yard line. It turned out to be a great game, perhaps the moment that the up-and-down Owls gelled into a remarkable team.

The game also captured the imagination of the Rice student body. Here’s the unusual letter that appeared in the Thresher the following week:

What else? Beverly Montgomery was crowned Homecoming Queen.