One of the things that happens after a couple of decades the same archive is that you notice very quickly when something doesn’t fit into the usual patterns. Here we have one such thing, the cover of the program for the 1964 Rondelet:
That is instantly recognizable as being both far too sophisticated and entirely too good for its purpose. The artwork for things like this typically can best be described as “adequate.” I didn’t at first see the artist’s signature inside the drawing but the inside of the program, under “Rondelet Committee,” credits “Mister Bill Condon.” Condon, who graduated from Rice in 1949, was a practicing architect but had a second life as a successful painter and printmaker:
As I looked more intently at the drawing I had a sense that I’d seen other work by the same artist before, so I went and asked a colleague about it. Indeed, back in the vault he turned up this small multi-media piece which Condon made for George and Alice Brown. It found its way to the Woodson via Ralph O’Connor:
Now, go back to the inside of the program and see if you can spot the other, even more startling anomaly.
Beer-Bike and Tea-Trike considered part of Rondelet? Sometime around this time the lovely Carolyn Gurklis graduated and married a chemical engineer named Harrell Huff. She went on to a twenty-year-plus career as one of the most respected English teachers in the Brazosport school district. She was my favorite teacher, wrote my teacher recommendation to Rice, and is still a close friend. She and Harrell still come to Rice events and she looks ten years younger (at least!) than she is.
That’s not what riveted my attention.
Carolyn was in the class of ’63.
As for the anomaly, the “chairmen” had unusual first names for men. Also, Rondelet is misspelled in the thanks to Condon.
Not that either.
You previously posted about a Christmas card that also features one of Condon’s images of campus: http://ricehistorycorner.com/2011/12/27/christmas-continued/. I was just showing that multi-media piece to Norie the other day saying that someone should hang it in their office in Woodson. Incidentally, Condon made multiples of that mixed media piece; I have seen another one inscribed to someone else.
Melissa———— This must have been the first time Texas Southern was included in Rondolet——WOW!! 1964… Good for Rice!! Susie
Exactly so! I can’t do the research right now but I’ll bet you this didn’t actually happen. It was just too close to the charter change trial. I suspect that the students did it on their own and as soon as the higher ups found out, they stopped them. I’ll check when I can.
Reading the freshman class honorees, the girls listed are in the class of 1969. Could this bee Rondelet 1965 rather than 1964?
One of these years I’ll learn to proofread before hitting the send button.
He was a friend of Daddy’s!
It is interesting to see the Songfest. By 1975 the “World-Winning Award-Famous Will Rice College Chorus” still convened for a couple of occasions. The Songfest may have died out after that.
I know we performed “There is Nothin’ Like a Dame”, as well as the old favorite “Charlie on the MTA”.
“Edastelle Cook” should be a pretty danged effective search term. I see some references to an Edastelle Cook Andress in Houston. Also, this obit lists the children of Katie Lucille Davis as “John W. Cook” and “Edastelle Andress”, which would support Cook as a maiden name.
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/houstonchronicle/obituary.aspx?n=katie-davis&pid=151310178
I also found this intriguing snipped in a Brazosport newspaper, Oct 22 1963, “Mrs. Katye L. Cook and Miss Edastelle Cook vs. State of Texas, stay of suspension. Stay order granted as prayed for and as per order.” “Mrs. Katye L. Cook” might well be the same person as “Katie Lucille Davis” in the obit.
http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/6502531/
This has to be Rondelet 66. I’m in the Class of 67. Cindy, Jenny and Carolyn are all in my class. Lewis and Cox were Seniors my Junior year and Milani and Rackley were a year behind me. This was also the first year that Rice admitted black students.
Barney L. McCoy, Hanszen 67
This is a perilous job. Most things aren’t labeled and some things are mislabeled. It’s as though the universe were trying to trick me every single day.
I noticed that this was not 1964. I was listed for “publicity.” See Barney’s comments.
The young lady from TSU was definitely in attendance. My girlfriend and I double-dated with the couple from TSU and we picked them up and brought them to the dance.
Was her escort John Andress, by any chance? He appears to be her husband now.
The representatives named for Rondelet are from the spring of 1966; I’m listed, and I didn’t matriculate until fall 1965. Just fyi . . . . Kathleen Davis Niendorff
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