Monthly Archives: May 2016

Successful commencement ceremonies now behind us, the place clears out almost instantly. Here they are headed home after the 1924-25 academic year: I’ll be in and out myself for most of the summer, with a move, a new grandson due … Continue reading →

The first ceremony, the Advanced Degree Convocation, begins in an hour and a half. The last one, the Plenary Commencement, ends tomorrow morning. See you on the other side. From a 1929 student scrapbook, here’s a sample of the kind … Continue reading →

A couple of years ago I ran across some correspondence about the origins of the Rice ceremonial mace that is used at commencement and I posted about it here. For those of you who can’t be bothered to click on … Continue reading →

If you think you’re tired now, check this out. They had a tennis tournament! A Farewell Meeting! (That must have been a tear fest.) They had a Final Ball! Oh by the way, I happen to have right here the … Continue reading →

This seems to be a wet Jones School investiture. My guess is it was taken in the late ’80s or early ’90s but it reminds me of the olden days when they used to hold graduation ceremonies under a tent … Continue reading →

I can’t quite recall where I came across this but it must have been in one of the old student scrapbooks: And here we are this very day: Getting ready for the ceremony and all the visitors is a time … Continue reading →

College kids–what won’t they think of?

May 6, 2012 was one of the best days ever for me at Rice. I got out of my car in West Lot 1 and saw this: Dazzling, hilarious, completely unexpected and baffling all at the same time. I still … Continue reading →

Today we have a fabulous pair of images from the camera of Verne Simons. It gradually came clear to me that not all the photos were taken at the same time–they seem to span the entire 1930s–but these two look … Continue reading →

Verne Simons came to Rice in 1929 to teach accounting and remained here for forty years. His high standards helped prepare generations of students for outstanding careers. When he retired the Chronicle ran a long piece about his commitment to … Continue reading →