Monthly Archives: November 2017

Not long ago it occurred to me that I might be able to get a different look at that frame building behind the Physics Building that housed Rice’s first nuclear accelerator if I looked carefully at the construction photos of … Continue reading →

Loyal reader Marty Merritt sent in this 1980 map of the village, which unlike yesterday’s map appeared in the Newcomer’s Guide rather than the Thresher. This looks rather more familiar although most of it is still gone: You’ll note that … Continue reading →

I’ve been too busy to think coherently about what to write this evening. Instead of trying to fake it I’ll  just offer this map of the Village. It appeared in the Thresher in September of 1968. I’m not positive but … Continue reading →

All the recent chatter about the current “don’t walk through the Sallyport” tradition had me thinking over break about how the students spent so much time there at various points in Rice’s history. I knew I’d read something about this … Continue reading →

This is brutal. I don’t know about y’all but–always defiant–I’m going to go ahead and take the extra day. See you Monday. By the way, Dr. Lovett was in Europe at the time and had left Caldwell in charge. Bonus:

First, thanks to everyone who commented and emailed about the sallyport question. I got lots of data and a few good stories. I think the most persuasive take on the matter was provided by the estimable Dr. Keith Cooper, who … Continue reading →

Traditions come and go, sometimes slowly and sometimes all at once. The abrupt beginning of the college system in 1957 uprooted decades of traditions that were based on class rivalries–the sophomores versus the freshmen in particular. Other traditions quickly sprang … Continue reading →

I ran across these two images last week. They were in the same envelope and I’m thinking it’s the same kid. They’re not dated but mid-1980s is my wild guess. I’m not at all sure what was being demonstrated but … Continue reading →

From the groundbreaking for the new Wiess College: Dr. Bill Wilson, Wiess Masters John and Paula Hutchison. We got an email yesterday informing us that Hutch is stepping down as Dean of Undergraduates this summer after seven (7!) years of … Continue reading →

Over the last week or so several people have pointed out to me that today is the 60th anniversary of one of Rice’s greatest football victories, the 1957 win over Texas A&M. I first wrote about this game way back in … Continue reading →