Author Archives: Melissa Kean

The First Time Rice Beat Texas, 1917

A while back I noticed a large, mysterious scrapbook back by the vault on the bottom of the oversize shelves. Last week I had time to pull it out and take a good look. It was full of pages from … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

“A Dream Coming True”: Fondren at 75

I can’t let 2022 slip away without acknowledging something that an alert reader pointed out to me a while ago. This year is the 75th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone of Fondren library, just before Christmas in 1947. … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Rally Club Thanksgiving Dance, 1925

For many years Thanksgiving Day was also Rice’s Homecoming and from the beginning in 1919 these events were absolutely jam packed with functions, making for a very long day.  Our traditional football opponent for all those years was Baylor. In … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 9 Comments

Inauguration, 2022: Part II, Ruth Simmons’s Speech

I’d first like to account for my extended absence, for which apologies are hereby issued: I was chairing a presidential search at another university and that task took pretty much all of my attention for the last month or so. … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

“Football Headquarters,” 1935

Football is having a pretty good year and tomorrow’s Homecoming game with Charlotte should be fun, but equally interesting is the nightly dancing in the terrace ballroom. I wish I could have seen that: The Woodson is chock full of … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Inauguration, 2022

It’s been really fun this last couple of weeks watching the campus prepare for this weekend’s inauguration of Reggie DesRoches as Rice’s eighth president. After several years of either no commencement or commencement in the football stadium things are all … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Kitchen Staff, 1965

Baker College, from the materials Gerald Moorhead gave to the archives last Spring. I’ll let these pictures speak for themselves: The staff at Rice provides an astonishing amount of aid and comfort to both students and faculty, often with little … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Faifax 1664, 1929

Something interesting happened soon after the offices of the Rice Institute moved to the Esperson Building (seen recently here). We got our first dial telephone! I love the huffy tone of this letter but I do wonder why we needed … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Rice University Volleyball, 1974

I attended my first college volleyball match last Sunday afternoon and was deeply impressed by the speed, power, and general athleticism of these young women. It was a great match, back and forth, between two very high level teams and … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Cannady Hall Groundbreaking, 2022

Yesterday’s groundbreaking ceremony was a lot of fun. It was a nice afternoon, warm but not scorching. The speakers, including Will Cannady himself, were gracious and brief and the crowd was happy. I saw a lot of people I hadn’t … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment