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Thursday, October 11, 2012

Old Rice Stadium


For many years Rice Institute football (along with the Houston Buffs) was the big sports entertainment in Houston.  Many Sugar Land football fans drove into Houston on Saturdays to watch Rice play all the old SWC schools plus non-conference rivals like LSU.  Anyone of my generation or younger knows the current stadium which was completed just before the 1950 season.  

The old stadium (1912-1949) stood at the intersection of Main and University, just across from Ye Old College Inn, Bill Williams Restaurant, and what was to become the Medical Center.  Here are a couple of photos of the old stadium from Rice University's photo collection.  I'm uncertain of the dates, but I think they were taken in the late '30s, when Rice had a formidable team.

FYI, Rice is celebrating its Centennial this week. 

(Added comment) That's South Main St. running from the top right corner to the middle left of the picture.  As you can see, there's no Medical Center, yet.  In the second photo South Main runs from the middle right to the middle top of the photo.  I believe Hermann Hospital is the large white building at the top right. (I'm wrong; I can tell that's not Hermann Hospital. It's Palmer Episcopal Church.)

Photo from Rice University collection
Photo from Rice University collection

  

5 comments:

  1. Chuck, are you going to the Rice Centennial? A colleague of mine, Bob Henson, graduated from Rice and is going. He's from OK - is a meteorologist, writer and has written several Rough Guide to .. weather books. Super nice guy. He's a bit younger than (we) are.
    https://www2.ucar.edu/atmosnews/communications/henson
    If you go, look him up!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd definitely like to go, but I'm pretty busy at the moment. I told Donna Williams Davis (RU '73) that I may try to attend the festivities on Saturday morning. I'll keep an eye out for your colleague.

      Delete
  2. It's Palmer Episcopal in the bottom picture, instead of the old Herman Hospital. The hospital would be more to the right.
    Remember Bill Williams and Ye Old College Inn along Main Street. I think they may be showing up in the top left of the top picture just above what appears to be the field house.

    ReplyDelete
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  4. To chuck kelly - another rampaging monkey story - AP News - Monkeys attack 7 people in east Indonesian village

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