Author Archives: Melissa Kean

I happened upon this while browsing in old Threshers the other day. My first instinct was to save it for next year but after all who knows where any of us will be by then. So here we have Thanksgiving, … Continue reading →

F. Ellis Johnson was one of the original members of the Rice faculty. He arrived in Houston in 1912 to take up his first teaching position as an instructor in the nascent Department of Electrical Engineering and stayed until 1915. … Continue reading →

I like this guy’s style: It turned up in Dr. Bill’s stuff, by the way, undated. Bonus: I don’t understand this either.

We recently received a whole bunch of Dr. Bill Wilson’s things in the Woodson and among them I found these peculiar documents: This is, of course, a complete mystery. If anyone can explain, please do. Although I suspect no really … Continue reading →

Last week’s post about how Dr. Lovett received the scroll and the second Gold Medal from the Rice alumni in 1941 immediately raises the question of who got the first one.  My initial guess turned out to be correct–it was … Continue reading →

Poking around in my laptop I came across this image taken sometime in the late 1960s or early 1970s by Bob Roosth ’70 ’71, who was a photographer for the Thresher and the Campanile. I have no idea who any … Continue reading →

As promised, a couple of small things I noticed at Maxfield Hall the other day. First, remember the long saga about the original light fixtures in the Mech Lab cloisters? If you missed it, the story is here and here. … Continue reading →

I had some time last week to walk over and take a look at the newly renovated Mech Lab, now called Maxfield Hall in honor of Katherine and Bob Maxfield ’63, whose generous gift made the work possible. I was … Continue reading →

It’s Homecoming weekend and I hope everyone in town for the events has as much fun as these two young gentlemen celebrating with a beverage way back in 1934: Bonus: If you’re looking for something fun on Friday night, think … Continue reading →

I really hit the jackpot this week and once again completely by accident. There was a box from the Association of Rice Alumni collection sitting on a book truck in the back room of the Woodson, an irresistible attraction if … Continue reading →