Monthly Archives: November 2014

Rice’s first Homecoming was held on Thanksgiving Day, 1919 but it’s obviously been a long time since that timing made sense. I started poking around to figure out when the reunion date was moved.  Let me acknowledge right up front … Continue reading →

These interior images of lab equipment were in the same scrapbook where I found the pictures of the great overall fad of 1920, suggesting that those guys did more than goof around. Both are dated January, 1921. Taking a strictly … Continue reading →

I ran across this charming invitation in an unexpected place. Ordinarily I’ll find things like this in student scrapbooks but this one turned up in the Information Files. Even as an object it’s quite lovely–very heavy stock, embossed seals and … Continue reading →

I know they can’t possibly be talking about me yet I still feel a small chill when I look at this. It’s a party held by one of the literary societies, circa 1960.

there was KOWL. Student radio at Rice seems to have begun in 1967 with a two-watt station, KHCR, broadcasting from the basement of Hanszen College. In 1968 it moved into the RMC and changed it’s name to KOWL. It was … Continue reading →

Almost against my better judgement, I love college basketball. I know that most people look forward to March and the NCAA tournament but I prefer November with it’s unsullied hopefulness. Here we have the Rice Owls early in the 1929-30 … Continue reading →

Time for the next–and probably the most exciting–installment of my series on Alan Chapman’s notes about the early power plant: I’ve already talked about McCants and about Walworth, English and Flett. Up today is the real breakthrough, the thing that … Continue reading →

No date. I do not like the look of this at all. Bonus: I’m in New York this weekend. Good cleaning crew at the Four Seasons.  

First, I’d like to thank everyone for the comments and emails about this project. Your kindness and interest is very heartening to me. Second, I am actually posting this from an examination room inside my doctor’s office, where I’ve grown … Continue reading →