Martel College Construction, 2001

Until this afternoon I’d never seen a photo of Martel College construction. Now I’ve seen one, but it’s a real beauty, an aerial taken in January 2001:

New Martel construction 2000 DC Papers

So much has changed since then but what I’m stuck on is the parking lot behind Abercrombie. What was that lot called?

Here’s a nice piece about Mr. Martel and his generosity to Rice, written in the wake of the Martel Foundation’s gift that made the construction possible:

New Martel gift

Bonus: And here are some real rascals. That’s Speros Martel shaking hands with Hackerman and Ralph O’Connor and Karen George are at left. Based on Karen’s outfit I feel safe calling this the middle of the 1980s.

Speros Martel et al

Love the William Marsh Rice photo bomb!

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7 Responses to Martel College Construction, 2001

  1. vkbenson says:

    “Martel College…will house about 2,255 students.” Really?

    • E55 says:

      Perhaps the author interpreted Gillis’ comment that the construction of Martel College will move the university toward its goal of housing no fewer than four-fifths of undergraduates to mean that four-fifths of all undergraduates will reside in Martel.

  2. effegee says:

    That was lot C closer to the Duncan and C1 by the cooling tower IIRC.

    Didn’t Mr. Martel make a donation, late in Hackerman’s presidency, to improve the former digs of Continuing Studies in the building next to the “art barn”? I think the building was named in his honor. Perhaps the photo memorializes the donation?

  3. marmer01 says:

    Yes, Farrell is right about Continuing Studies.

  4. David Frels says:

    I find it interesting how many different sets of tennis courts have appeared and disappeared on campus.

  5. Owlcop says:

    It was called Abercrombie Lot after the letter designations were done away with. Now it is called (what is left of it after Duncan/McMurtry) the North College Lot.

  6. Pingback: Ralph O’Connor, 1926-2018 | Rice History Corner

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