Universities

I think that there are very few scenes in Houston that are as impressive as the view of Rice University as you come down the main entryway from Main and Sunset. The Rice Institute main building was built in 1912, designed by architects Cram, Goodhue and Ferguson as Lovett Hall.

The Rice Institute was endowed by William Marsh Rice, a turn-of-the-century Houston millionaire. He was murdered in New York in 1900, and left much of his wealth to the Institute. So wealthy was its endowment that for many years, students attended the college tuition-free.

In 1927, the need for a community college in Houston became apparent. Through the efforts of H.I.S.D. and others, a college was formed and began to meet in the local high schools. When it became clear that a permanent structure would be needed, the college began construction in an area just southeast of downtown. In 1934, the college became the University of Houston, a university that was neither tax supported nor privately endowed. One of the first buildings was the Roy Gustav Cullen Memorial Building, built in 1936 with funds donated by Mr. and Mrs. H. R. Cullen as a memorial to their son. It is in the "stripped classical Moderne" style and made of native Texas limestone. The style is notable for its asymmetrical massing.

In 1936, the university had a student body of about 4000 students. In 1963, the university became a state supported school. By the mid-1980s, the university's central campus at University Park had over 31,000 students, making it the third largest university in the state. The university now has campuses in Downtown Houston, Victoria, Pasadena (Clear Lake), and remote learning centers throughout the Houston area.

The borderless card of the Rice Institute is an early divided back card from about 1914. It was published by S.H. Kress & Co. The other card of the Rice Institute is a linen from Curteich. It's a "C.T. Art-Colortone" produced in 1938 and distributed by Seawall Specialty Co., Houston and Galveston, Texas. Here's a link to Rice University. The 1941 linen card of the Roy Gustav Cullen Memorial Building was made by "C.T. Art-Colortone" and published by Seawall Specialty Co. of Houston.
This HTML page is copyright ©1998, 1999 Leslie Carl Seiler. All rights reserved. This page was updated 31 May 1999.