Norman Hackerman Takes In A Track Meet

Posted on September 18, 2012 by Melissa Kean

The internet service at my house is out so this is just a quick note from the Gilbert and Ruth Whitaker Business Information Center in the Jones School, where I stopped on my way out to the stadium parking lot. I’ve been thinking about Norman Hackerman a lot lately. I was quite fond of him and enjoyed pretty much all the time I spent talking to him. I sometimes aggravated him  with all my questions but he answered them, and he said something to me once that was so incisive in its wisdom that I’ll never forget it: “You need to wise up, kid.” It was a good natured remark, said only as a statement of fact and it was (and remains) true. I smile every time I think of it. I smiled again when I ran across this picture of him watching a Rice track meet from the stadium steps. He looks kind of cool, like he’s there just for the fun of it. I don’t know who’s sitting next to him. I’m promised internet tomorrow. We’ll see.

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11 Responses to Norman Hackerman Takes In A Track Meet

  1. effegee says:
    September 18, 2012 at 9:56 pm

    Is it Frank Vandiver (then Provost)? Whoever he is, he has on pin-striped suit pants… probably a spur of the moment outing for both of them.

    Reply
  2. R Lawrence Cook says:
    September 18, 2012 at 10:05 pm

    Next to Norman Hackerman is Dr. Jack Brannnon, Consulting Surgeon for Rice Intercollegiate Athletics for virtually 50 years, Honorary “R Man” and 1988 Rice Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee.

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  3. Leoguy says:
    September 18, 2012 at 10:11 pm

    I don’t know who the other persons are, but I love the composition of this photograph!

    Reply
  4. mjthannisch says:
    September 19, 2012 at 5:06 am

    I used to have Norman Hackerman’s signature on my diploma. Years of humidity in Honduras caused the felt tip signature to all but vanish. A slight smudge above the printed word “president.”

    Reply
  5. Tasso Triantaphyllis says:
    September 19, 2012 at 2:03 pm

    Can someone identify the runner please:)?

    Reply
  6. Marty Merritt says:
    September 19, 2012 at 2:39 pm

    Suit pants with a sport shirt? Interesting. Also interesting how many young kids are there and how unconcerned anyone is with them sitting on the brick wall. And how Hack and Dr. B are perfectly happy to sit on the steps, which were probably dusty, with their dark pants on. Hack and longtime Dean of the Shepherd School Michael Hammond loved to play squash together. Hack was quite the ruthless competitor, even at an advanced age.

    Reply
  7. Pat Martin says:
    September 19, 2012 at 3:32 pm

    Love the bells on those ‘tweens on the wall. And the fan wearing a Vietnamese straw hat.

    Reply
  8. Deborah Gronke Bennett says:
    September 28, 2012 at 10:27 pm

    While I was at Rice, I once found myself wiating for the same airline flight with him, traveling from New York back to Houston. He seemed so familiar, but of course he had no idea who I was. I said I was an undergraduate coming back from the holidays and we had a nice little chat. He was shorter than I thought (not even 6 feet tall). When the flight was called, he went off to First Class and I boarded in coach.

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