Sometime in the last week or so someone made reference in the comments to the fact that Allen Center used to be only three stories tall. This is true, of course, and I bet I have readers who didn’t know it. So, since I just happen to have some good pictures of it, let’s take a quick look at the original construction of Allen Center. The images, I happen to know, were captured in October 1966 by a library staff member named R.A. Wright who walked over there and took them with his own camera.
This first one is just about the last time we’d ever have a clear view of this side of Cohen House:
Here are a couple more vanished vistas:
I am a big believer in following instructions that have been left by the people who came before me in the library. They pretty reliably give sound advice. Therefore, next week we will do exactly as instructed on the file folder where I found these pictures and “See Also: Allen Center photo album containing pictures of the Open House Nov. 11, 1967.” There are a couple of interesting surprises in there.
Bonus: I saw so many strange things today that I hardly know where to begin. I guess I’ll start with this. Has it always been here?? Did I just miss it somehow?
I think I’ve seen that boat before. Makes sense over by Bio. Someone probably knows better than me.
If not that boat, which looks fairly modern, then an older one.
There have been boats parked over there as long as I can remember.
I’ve found mention, by means of Googling various combinations of “Rice University” and “boat” of various vessels called R/V Lone Star and R/V Trinity, primarily used by the Geo department for underwater research. There was a pic of the Trinity and this is clearly not it.
Geo gets around.
I’ve been moving some of Dr. Dunbar’s packing crates (empty) lately, labeled “Over-winter” and “Antarctica”.
So, in ’66 they still didn’t have concrete pumps?
They’re still using the wheelbarrows for concrete.
I *really* like the ramp under the concrete truck.
I think it is a new boat for one of the new earth science profs. That particular boat hasn’t been there very long – but there have definitely been others there in the past.