RICE FACTS - HISTORY

R I C E F A C T S · 1 9 9 7 - 9 8

HISTORY

EARLY HISTORY

On May 13, 1891, Massachusetts-born businessman William Marsh Rice chartered the William Marsh Rice Institute for the Advancement of Letters, Science, and Art as a gesture to the city of Houston, where he had made his fortune. The terms of the charter required that work on the new institute would begin only after Rice's death. However, unforeseen circumstances almost prevented its very founding. In 1896, William Marsh Rice's wife died, leaving a will which claimed half of Rice's estate. The claim was challenged; but while this process was moving through the court system, William Marsh Rice was murdered on September 23, 1900, by his valet, Charlie Jones. Jones had conspired with an unscrupulous lawyer, Albert Patrick, to kill Rice and claim his estate by using a forged will. When an autopsy ordered by Rice's attorney, Captain James A. Baker, revealed evidence of poisoning, Jones agreed to provide state's evidence against Patrick in return for immunity from prosecution. Patrick was convicted of murder and sent to Sing Sing in 1901 (although pardoned in 1912). Captain Baker's quick action and the favorable legal resolution in 1904 of the claim against Rice's estate cleared the way for the Institute to fulfill its charter's mandate.

In 1907, acting upon the recommendation of Woodrow Wilson, then president of Princeton University, the trustees of The Rice Institute named astronomer and mathematician Edgar Odell Lovett the first president of Rice.

Lovett's first initiative as president of Rice was to visit 78 major institutions of higher learning in the United States, Europe, and Asia in order to gather ideas for shaping the Institute and solicit recommendations for the faculty. Lovett called for the establishment of a university "of the highest grade." "We must keep the standards up and the numbers down," he declared. The university would place "no upper limit to its educational endeavor."

The Rice Institute opened in 1912 with an inaugural student body of 77 (48 men, 29 women), 75 of whom hailed from Texas, and 10 faculty members. The opening was celebrated by an academic festival in October 1912 that was attended by distinguished scholars from around the world. At its first commencement, held in 1916, the Institute awarded 27 B.A.'s, 8 B.S.'s, and 1 M.A. It awarded its first Ph.D. in 1918.

DATES OF NOTE

1816
William Marsh Rice born in Springfield, Massachusetts.

1839
Rice moves to Houston to seek fortune.

1891
Charter establishing The Rice Institute signed.

1896
Death of Rice's second wife; her will claimed half of Rice's estate.

1900
William Marsh Rice murdered.

1901
Albert Patrick imprisoned for the murder.

1904
Legal challenges to Rice's will resolved.

1904
The Rice Institute receives $4.6 million founding endowment from Rice's estate.

1907
Edgar Odell Lovett named first president of The Rice Institute.

1908
Lovett visits 78 institutions of higher learning on an around-the-world trip concluded in 1909.

1911
Cornerstone laid for first campus building, now Lovett Hall (photo).

1912
First classes held: 48 male and 29 female students; 10 male faculty.

1914
Rice became charter member of the Southwest Conference.

1916
Honor System adopted by vote of student body.

1916
First commencement exercises; 36 degrees awarded.

1918
First Rice Ph.D. awarded to Hubert Bray (in mathematics).

1928
Rice awarded Phi Beta Kappa chapter.

1930
Founder's memorial statue (photo) dedicated.

1946
William Vermillion Houston named second president of Rice.

1950
Rice Stadium (photo) opens; 48 years later (photo), it is still Houston's largest outdoor stadium.

1957
Residential college system initiated.

1959
R1 Rice Institute Computer goes online.

1960
The Rice Institute formally redesignated as William Marsh Rice University.

1961
Kenneth Sanborn Pitzer named third president of Rice.

1962
Rice donates land for NASA's Johnson Space Center. Speaking in Rice Stadium, President John F. Kennedy announces that the United States intends "to become the world's leading space-faring nation."

1963
Rice opens nation's first department of space science.

1964
Lawsuit allows Rice to modify its charter to admit students of all races and to charge tuition; decision appealed.

1965
Tuition charged for first time ($1,200).

1965
Rice's Department of Architecture, established in 1912, renamed the School of Architecture.

1965
$33 million development campaign launched. ($43 million raised by campaign's conclusion in 1970.)

1966
Court decision to modify Rice's charter upheld by appellate court.

1967
Texas Supreme Court dismisses challenge to lower court decision that allowed Rice's charter modification.

1967
Continuing Studies program founded.

1969
William H. Masterson appointed, then withdrew, as president of Rice. Frank Vandiver appointed interim president.

1970
Norman Hackerman named fourth president of Rice.

1974
Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Administration founded.

1974
Shepherd School of Music founded.

1976
The Brown Challenge, an extraordinary fund-raising program designed to encourage annual gifts, launched.

1979
School of Social Sciences founded.

1981
Rice made repository of NASA'S Johnson Space Center archives.

1985
George Erik Rupp named fifth president of Rice.

1990
1990 Economic Summit of Industrialized Nations held at Rice.

1993
Malcolm Gillis named sixth president of Rice.

1993
James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy founded.

1994
Southwest Conference disbanded; Rice joins Western Athletic Conference.

1995
The Baker Institute Inaugural Annual Conference drew dignitaries from across the nation and the world to explore foreign policy challenges.

1996
Olympian Heather McDermid (Hanszen '91) becomes Rice's first Olympic medalist since 1976 and the first female Olympic medalist in Rice's history.

1996
Anne and Charles Duncan Hall (for Computational Engineering and Computational and Applied Mathematics) dedicated.

1996
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry won by Professors Richard Smalley and Robert Curl for the discovery and application of carbon 60 molecules (buckminsterfullerenes).

1996
The Brown Challenge ends. Contributions total more than $185 million.

1997
Fund-raising campaigns for Computational Engineering and the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy successfully completed their goals.

1997
Dedicational held for Edyth Bates Grand Organ and Recital Hall, the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, and the Center for Nanoscale Technology.

1997
Shepherd School of Music cello professor Paul Katz, as a member of the Cleveland Quartet, wins two Grammy Awards.

RECENT RANKINGS

1st, least amount of debt per graduate (for private universities) in nation, U.S. News & World Report.

2nd, best college value in nation, Money Magazine, U.S. News & World Report.

17th, quality ranking, U.S. News & World Report.

1816	William Marsh Rice born in Springfield, Massachusetts.
1839	Rice moves to Houston to seek fortune.
1891	Charter establishing The Rice Institute signed.
1896	Death of Rice's second wife; her will claimed half of Rice's estate.
1900	William Marsh Rice murdered.
1901	Albert Patrick imprisoned for the murder.
1904	Legal challenges to Rice's will resolved.
1904	The Rice Institute receives $4.6 million founding endowment from Rice's estate.
1907	Edgar Odell Lovett named first president of The Rice Institute.
1908	Lovett visits 78 institutions of higher learning on an around-the-world trip concluded in 1909.
1911	Cornerstone laid for first campus building, now Lovett Hall (photo).
1912	First classes held: 48 male and 29 female students; 10 male faculty.
1914	Rice became charter member of the Southwest Conference.
1916	Honor System adopted by vote of student body.
1916	First commencement exercises; 36 degrees awarded.
1918	First Rice Ph.D. awarded to Hubert Bray (in mathematics).
1928	Rice awarded Phi Beta Kappa chapter.
1930	Founder's memorial statue (photo) dedicated.
1946	William Vermillion Houston named second president of Rice.
1950	Rice Stadium (photo) opens; 48 years later (photo), it is still Houston's largest outdoor stadium.
1957	Residential college system initiated.
1959	R1 Rice Institute Computer goes online.
1960	The Rice Institute formally redesignated as William Marsh Rice University.
1961	Kenneth Sanborn Pitzer named third president of Rice.
1962	Rice donates land for NASA's Johnson Space Center. Speaking in Rice Stadium, President John F. Kennedy announces that the United States intends "to become the world's leading space-faring nation."
1963	Rice opens nation's first department of space science.
1964	Lawsuit allows Rice to modify its charter to admit students of all races and to charge tuition; decision appealed.
1965	Tuition charged for first time ($1,200).
1965	Rice's Department of Architecture, established in 1912, renamed the School of Architecture.
1965	$33 million development campaign launched. ($43 million raised by campaign's conclusion in 1970.)
1966	Court decision to modify Rice's charter upheld by appellate court.
1967	Texas Supreme Court dismisses challenge to lower court decision that allowed Rice's charter modification.
1967	Continuing Studies program founded.
1969	William H. Masterson appointed, then withdrew, as president of Rice. Frank Vandiver appointed interim president.
1970	Norman Hackerman named fourth president of Rice.
1974	Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Administration founded.
1974	Shepherd School of Music founded.
1976	The Brown Challenge, an extraordinary fund-raising program designed to encourage annual gifts, launched.
1979	School of Social Sciences founded.
1981	Rice made repository of NASA'S Johnson Space Center archives.
1985	George Erik Rupp named fifth president of Rice.
1990	1990 Economic Summit of Industrialized Nations held at Rice.
1993	Malcolm Gillis named sixth president of Rice.
1993	James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy founded.
1994	Southwest Conference disbanded; Rice joins Western Athletic Conference.
1995	The Baker Institute Inaugural Annual Conference drew dignitaries from across the nation and the world to explore foreign policy challenges.
1996	Olympian Heather McDermid (Hanszen '91) becomes Rice's first Olympic medalist since 1976 and the first female Olympic medalist in Rice's history.
1996	Anne and Charles Duncan Hall (for Computational Engineering and Computational and Applied Mathematics) dedicated.
1996	The Nobel Prize in Chemistry won by Professors Richard Smalley and Robert Curl for the discovery and application of carbon 60 molecules (buckminsterfullerenes).
1996	The Brown Challenge ends. Contributions total more than $185 million.
1997	Fund-raising campaigns for Computational Engineering and the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy successfully completed their goals.
1997	Dedicational held for Edyth Bates Grand Organ and Recital Hall, the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, and the Center for Nanoscale Technology.
1997	Shepherd School of Music cello professor Paul Katz, as a member of the Cleveland Quartet, wins two Grammy Awards.