It was established in 1971, located out in that old shack by the track stadium that seems to have housed everything from an art studio to the original Black Student Union. We have only a couple of images of it, not especially surprising given how infrequently that general area has been photographed. Here’s one of Leighton Read ’73 speaking at its opening in March, 1973:
Last week loyal reader and well known Rice history nut Mike Ross ’70 ’74 discovered two more pictures of the center, both in color, featuring none other than Mike Ross himself caught in the act of adding recyclables to the bins outside:
It didn’t take much effort to turn up this gently skeptical article in the Houston Post, its author a bit bemused at the peculiar ways of the Rice campus:
Bonus: With classes cancelled this week because of coronavirus precautions it was pretty quiet on campus today, but I did spot roughly forty or so robins milling around in front of Allen Center this afternoon. Spring can’t be far behind.
The greatest (and best paying!) work study job I ever had on campus was working the recycling center, 1974-1976. Who else would pay a grand $2 an hour to drive trucks of glass, metal, and paper trash back and forth from the recycling center to the industrial recipients on the heavy industry side of Houston! My parents were horrified, but I loved that place under the oaks.
c1979
It seemed like a little cabin in the woods far away from Lovett College.
Pounding the glass in those barrels with a large metal pipe to compact them.
Getting questioned at the drop because we brought newspapers in the rain and they didn’t want to pay for water.
Driving a beat up pickup truck with three on the tree.
Thanks for finally finding pictures of the old place.