I am fascinated by this image of a full gymnasium and leaping cheerleaders. There’s something almost otherworldly about it:
I found this write-up of the game in one of the old alumni scrapbooks:
We had a very good season that year, going 19-5 under coach Don Suman. The Owls were even ranked in the top twenty for a couple of weeks before running into the buzzsaw of the Southern Methodist University Mustangs in Southwest Conference play. Three of Rice’s five losses in the 1955-56 season came at the hands of SMU, who finished the season ranked seventh in the nation.
Bonus: The only other photos I can recall just now of the gym this full were from President Eisenhower’s visit in 1960, when it was quite full indeed–and without air conditioning on a very warm evening.
Extra Bonus: I was walking in front of Lovett Hall the other day when I was suddenly struck by something I’d never noticed before. What the heck is this??
