I’ve mentioned before that for many years beginning in 1919 Rice held its homecoming celebration on Thanksgiving day. I’ve written about some of these events using odds and ends and partial football programs that I came across in the ordinary course of business but earlier this year loyal reader Robert Taylor ’74 donated an absolutely splendid complete program from the 1927 game against what was then our traditional Thanksgiving opponent, Baylor. Here is the entire thing–every page is a magical wonderland–read it all, including the ads, for a delightful immersion into that vanished Rice. (This is a pdf so put your cursor over it and you can scroll through from the bottom.) This is a real gem. I learned a lot from it.
This was a real bad season, by the way, the last under John Heisman. We went 2-6-1 but managed to pull this one out, beating Baylor 19-12.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Rice-Football-1927_01
The owner of The Gables, Inc. has a nickname which would be generally considered to be politically incorrect in today’s era.
Despite my memories growing up in south Louisiana in the 50s, I found Jack’s nickname, in print, below his smiling face, to be totally jarring. I am forced, again, to contemplate the crushing burden placed on a whole people that I was mostly oblivious to.
Jack was the atlhletic trainer, not the owner of the Gables.
The Gables was saluting him by including him in this ad.
From what I have read elsewhere, the team found his services to be indispensable.
Minimal protective gear and playing both ways was very tough on them.
The nickname was used with much affection back then, which may add to how jarring it is today.
If you are interested in learning more about Jack Shelton, there is a lot of detailed, new information about his history at and beyond Rice in chapter 2 (pages 45-68) of the final report from the Task Force on Slavery, Segregation, and Racial Injustice.
This program is an interesting new source, as I cannot immediately recall another instance of his image being used in an advertisement, even though his image appeared often in Rice publications and the Houston press at the time.
https://taskforce.rice.edu/final-report
This is amazing! Thank you for sharing! I guess in looking at some the advertising, several players must have been the first NIL’s in college football!
Thank you. I was at Rice in the early 1960s, but many of the businesses that advertised in this program were still in existence. The first suit I bought on my own was at Nathan’s.
Did you notice the 5 yard penalty for “second incomplete forward pass in a series of downs”?
This is great, thanks for sharing
Such a fun post – thanks very much Melissa, and a Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
The film advertised “The Gorilla” is now considered a “lost film.”