Guide to the Rice University President's Office Records : William Vermillion Houston, 1946-1960


Descriptive Summary
	Creator:	Houston, William Vermillion
	Title	Rice University President's Office Records : William Vermillion Houston
	Dates:	1946-1960
	Abstract:	These records reflect the daily business of the Rice University President's Office, during the tenure of Rice's second president, physicist William Vermillion Houston, and date from 1946-1960. Formats include correspondence, reports, memos, notes, newsclippings, and speeches.
	ID	Rice UA Houston
	Extent	12 lin. ft. (24 boxes)
	Language	Materials are in English.
	Repository:	Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University, Houston, TX

Biographical Note

William Vermillion Houston was born in Mount Giliad, Ohio, on January 19, 1900. He received B.A. and B.S. degrees from Ohio State University in 1920. In 1922, he received an M.S. degree from the University of Chicago, and in 1925, his Ph.D. from Ohio State University.

Houston was a National Research Fellow at the California Institute of Technology, and taught there until he became president of what was then Rice Institute, later Rice University, in 1946. Houston studied in Germany on a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1927, assisting Warner Heisenberg and others in the development of quantum theory.

The U.S. Navy awarded Houston its Medal of Merit for directing development of the first homing torpedo and for supervising scientific studies which helped improve U.S. weapon effectiveness in the area of undersea warfare. Because of his genuine modesty, Houston never wore his Medal of Merit ribbon.

Houston made pioneering efforts in the fields of atomic spectroscopy and soild state theory. He was the author of two books: Principles of Mathematical Physics (1934) and Principles of Quantum Mechanics (1951), as well as of numerous scientific articles. After having been a fellow of the American Physical Society for many years, he was elected its president in 1962. He also served on the Society council.

Houston was a member of the National Academy of Sciences, serving on its council and on several important committees. He was also a member of the American Philosophical Society and several other scientific and educational associations. He served on the National Science Board and as a trustee of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

When Houston arrived at Rice in 1946, he greatly expanded graduate study and research. He also initiated a five-year engineering program with greater emphasis on the humanities than had previously existed, and implemented the planned residential college system.

Houston died after a brief illness, in Edinburgh, Scotland on August 22, 1968, while attending the 111th International Conference on Low-tempurature Physics at St. Andrew's University.

Scope and Contents

These records reflect the daily business of the Rice University President's Office, during the tenure of Rice's second president, physicist William Vermillion Houston, and date from 1946-1960. Formats include correspondence, reports, memos, notes, newsclippings, and speeches.


Arrangement
	These papers follow the typical order of Rice University President's Office Records:

		Series I: On Campus (with Subseries: General; Departments; Scholarships, Fellowships, Prizes, Awards; Speeches)
		Series II: Off Campus

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Access to these records requires written permission from the President's Office. Contact Woodson staff for instructions.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish material from Houston records must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University.


Index Terms

	Subjects (Persons)
		Houston, William Vermillion.
	Subjects (Organizations)
		Rice University -- history.
		Rice University -- President's Office.

Related Material


	See also William V. Houston personal papers, at WRC.

Detailed Description of the Collection



Series I: On Campus
		Subseries A: General
box	folder
1	1		Abercrombie Laboratory, 1946/47-59/60
	2		Admissions, 1948/49-57/58, n.d.
	3		Advisor to Men, 1958-62
	4		Advisor to Women, 1951/52-59/60
	5		Aid to Chinese students
	6		Air R.O.T.C.
	7		Alumni, 1946-47
	8		Alumni, 1948/49-59/60
	9		American Assembly, 1958
	10		Anderson Hall, 1946/47-47/48
	11		Anderson, M.D. Visiting Professorship, 1948/49-54/55
	12		Anderson, M.D. Visiting Professorship, 1955/56-58/59
	13		Archives, 1949/50-50/51
	14		Army Gauge Laboratory, 1945/46-53/54
	15		Army R.O.T.C., 1960-61
	16		Articles for campus publications
	17		Athletics, 1948/49-58/59
box	folder
2	1		Bartlett, H.L. bequest
	2		Board of Trustees memos, 1946-48
	3		Board of Trustees memos, minutes, 1945/46-46/47
	4		Board of Trustees meeting minutes, 1947/48
	5		Board of Trustees meeting minutes, 1947/48-50/51
	6		Board of Trustees corresp., meeting minutes, 1952/53-53/54
	7		Board of Trustees corresp., meeting minutes, 1954/55-57/58
	8		Board of Trustees corresp., memos, 1958-62 (includes West Estate deal)
	9		Bursar
	10		Business Office, 1945/46-56/57
	11		Cohen House, 1946/47-59/60
box	folder
3	1		Colleges, 1956/57-60/61
	2		Commencement addresses
	3		Commencements, 1946-55
	4		Complaints, 1951/52-61
	5		Computer, 1954/55-59/60
	6		Continental Oil Co. Scholarship Committee
	7		Co-operative store/Roost, 1947/48-57/58
	8		Correspondence, 1946
	9		Correspondence, 1947
	10		Correspondence, 1948
	11		Correspondence, 1950s
	12		Correspondence - letters of congratulations as Rice President, 1947
	13		Correspondence re: appointment as President, 1945-46
	14		Correspondence re: personal recommendations
box	folder
4	1		(Assistant) Dean for Student Activities, 1946-48
	2		(Associate) and Dean for Students, 1950-51-57/58
	3		Dean of Engineering, 1959
	4		Dean of Humanities, 1959-60
	5		Diplomas, 1956/57-57/58
	6		Draft deferments - faculty, 1950/51-57/58
	7		Draft deferments - students
	8		E.C.P.D. part-time graduate student info.
	9		Edwards Foundation Public Affairs Lectures, 1955/56-58/59
	10		Eisenhower, Dwight visit, 11/10/50
	11		Endowment needs
	12		(Rice) Exposition, 1949/50-55/56
	13		Faculty appointments, 1946-47
	14		Faculty housing, 1947/48-56/57
	15		Faculty promotions, 1960
	16		Faculty trips, 1952
	17		Field House repairs, 1948/49
	18		Fondren Library (proposed) - Burchard Report, 1946
	19		Fondren Library, 1948-61
	20		Fondren Library, construction of, 1945/46-54/55
box	folder
5	1		Fondren Library, dedication of, 1946/47-49/50
	2		Fondren Library, gifts to, 1946/47-56/57
	3		Fondren Library, gifts to, 1957-61
	4		Forensic Society, 1954/55
	5		Foreign Service recruitment, 1950/51, 54/55, 55/56
	6		Foreign students, 1952/53-58/59
	7		Forum Committee, 1961-63
	8		Geology Building, 1954/55-59/60
	9		Gifts, 1946/47-57/58
	10		Gifts, 1958/59
	11		Gifts, 1959/60
	12		Government contracts
	13		Graduate Bulletin
	14		Graduates/assistants
	15		Gymnasium, construction of, 1949/50, 57/58-60/61
	16		Hamman Hall, 1956/57-57/58
box	folder
6	1		Hanszen memorial, 1950/51
	2		Hargrove Chair of Economics, 1955/56-59/60
	3		Health Service
	4		Honor Council, 1947-52
	5		Honor Council, 1960-61
	6		Inauguration - addresses delivered
	7		Inauguration book [Houston], 1948
	8		Inaugural celebration
	9		Isotope Laboratory
	10		Jones College, 1955/56-57/58
	11		Junior year abroad program (proposed), 1960
	12		[Special] Lectures, 1957-60
	13		Lectures
	14		Librarian
	15		Lovett, E.O. memorial
	16		Lovett Hall furnishings, 1950
box	folder
7	1		Low Temperature Physics Conference, 1953/54, 55/56-57/58
	2		Magnetic Observatory (proposed), 1947/48-48/49
	3		Mail procedures, 1953/54
	4		Masterson Professorship in History, 1946/47, 52/53
	5		Naval Aviation College Program (N.A.C.P.), 1946/47-47/48
	6		Nuclear Research Laboratory, 1951/52-59/60
	7		Nuclear Science Program, 1956/57-58/59
	8		Office of Naval Research
	9		Office of Naval Research contracts, 1955/56-56/57
	10		Physics Building, 1957/58
	11		President’s House, 1947/48-49/50
	12		Provost, 1953/54-59/60
	13		Publications Committee, 1960
	14		“R” Association
	15		Registrar’s Office, 1946-48, 50/51, 52/53-55/56
	16		Registrar’s report to the President, 1946/47-48/49, 50/51-55/56
	17		Religious Emphasis Week, 1954
	18		Residential Halls, 1947/48-57/58
	19		Retirement plan, 1946/47-61/62
box	folder
8	1		Rhodes Scholarship, 1946-48
	2		Rice Institute Pamphlet, 1946/47-54/55
	3		Rice Memorial Center, 1953/54-59/60
	4		Rice Review, 1952
	5		Rice University Associates, 1957/58-59/60
	6		Rockwell Lectures, 1946-50
	7		Rockwell Lectures, 1951-55
	8		Rockwell Lectures, 1956-61
	9		Salary schedule, 1946/47, 48/49, 51/52
	10		Science Teacher Summer Research Assistantships, 1954/55-55/56
	11		Sponsored Research work policy, 1950/51
	12		Stadium, 1947/48-52/53
	13		Student Loan Fund, 1957/58-59/60
box	folder
9	1		Students - correspondence
	2		Tau Beta Pi, 1945/46-47/48, 49/50, 52/53
	3		T.C.U. - Rice Joint Engineering Program, 1953-57
	4		Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association
	5		Television programs, 1958-60
	6		Teller, Edward lectures, 1961
	7		Tuition Exchange - faculty children, 1950s
	8		Visitors, 1954/55-56/57
	9		Welch Company - diplomas, 1954-55
	10		Wiess Hall, construction and dedication of, 1948/49-49/50
	11		Wiess, H.C., 1945
		Subseries B: Departments
box	folder
10	1		Architecture (includes Art), 1948/49-50/51, 53/54-59/60
	2		Army R.O.T.C., 1950/51-56/57
	3		Army R.O.T.C., 1957/58-59/60
	4		Biology, 1950/51, 54/55-59/60
	5		Chemical Engineering, 1940/50, 52/53-59/60
	6		Chemistry, 1954/55-59/60
	7		Civics and Philanthropy, 1947
box	folder
11	1		Civil Engineering, 1950/51-59/60
	2		Economics and Business Administration, 1948/49, 51/52, 54/55-59/60
	3		Education, 1948/49-50/51, 54/55-55/56, 57/58, 59/60
	4		Electrical Engineering, 1954/55-60/61
	5		Engineering, 1945/46, 505/51, 52/53, 56/57-59/60
	6		English, 1949/50-50/51, 54/55-59/60
	7		Foreign Languages, 1956-61
	8		Geology, 1953-60
	9		Geology-Seismological Station, 1951-53
box	folder
12	1		Health and Physical Education, 1949-61
	2		History and Political Science, 1955-61
	3		Mathematics, 1952-61
	4		Mechanical Engineering, 1949-61
	5		Navy Program III, 1946
	6		Navy Program III, 1946
	7		Navy Program III, 1946
box	folder
13	1		N.R.O.T.C., 1946/47
	2		N.R.O.T.C., 1947/48
	3		N.R.O.T.C. Summer cruise, 1947-48
	4		N.R.O.T.C., 1948/49
	5		N.R.O.T.C., 1949/50-55/56
	6		N.R.O.T.C., 1956/57-61
	7		N.R.O.T.C. U.S. Naval Academy nominations, 1946-50, 53-62
	8		N.R.O.T.C. “Five Term Program” for officers, 1946-47
	9		N.R.O.T.C. - Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Program, 1947-48
	10		N.R.O.T.C. Armory facilities
box	folder
14	1		Oceanography - proposed
	2		Philosophy
	3		Physics
	4		Psychology
	5		Psychology - Near East report, B.B. Hudson
	6		Shepherd School - proposed
		Subseries C: Scholarships, Fellowships, Prizes, Awards
box	folder
15	1		Alcoa Scholarships and Fellowship
	2		American Can Co. Scholarships
	3		American Legion - War Orphans Scholarship
	4		American Smelting & Refining Co. Scholarship
	5		Atlantic Refining Co. Fellowship in Chemical Engineering
	6		Atomic Energy Commission (A.E.C.) Fellowships
	7		A.E.C. Fellowship Training Program in Biology
	8		Bjoerling Award, Jussi
	9		(Weldson) Brigance Scholarship Fund
	10		(Frank McFadden) Caldwell Loan Fund
	11		(Samuel Fain) Carter Fellowship
	12		Celanese Fellowship in Chemical Engineering
	13		Continental Oil Company
	14		Dow Chemical Co. Fellowship in Science & Mechanical Engineering
	15		English-Speaking Union
	16		Ethyl Corporation Fellowship
	17		Fluor Foundation Fellowship
	18		Freshman Scholarships (anonymous donor)
	19		General Education Board N. Y. Scholarships
	20		General Electric Education fund
	21		(John Simon) Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
	22		(Marcellus) Hartley Fund for Award of Medals
	23		Hoblitzelle Award
	24		Houston Engineering & Scientific Society (Houston Engineers Club)
	25		Hughes Tool Company Scholarship
	26		(Cordell) Hull Foundation
	27		Humble Oil & Ref. Co. Fellowships (Physics, Chemistry, Geology)
	28		Ideal Cement Company Fellowship
	29		Kennedy Prize
	30		Liberal Arts Scholarships
	31		(Dick Mayo) Lykes Memorial Fellowship
	32		Magnolia Petroleum Fellowship (formerly Socony-Vacuum)
	33		Medal of the Military Order of the World Wars - N.R.O.T.C.
	34		Nansen Fund, Inc.
	35		Naval Scholarships, Jesse H. Jones
	36		Pan-American Refining Corporation Fellowship in Chemical Engineering
	37		Pan-American Round Table Scholarships
	38		(Minnie Stevens) Piper Foundation Professorships
	39		President’s Loan Fund
	40		Procter & Gamble Fellowship (Chemistry)
	41		Rhodes Scholarships
box	folder
16	1		Root-Tilden Scholarships
	2		Rotary International Scholarships
	3		Shell Fellowship
	4		Shell Companies Foundation
	5		Socony-Vacuum Fellowship (Physics); see also Magnolia Petroleum Fellowship
	6		Stanolind Oil & Gas Company Fellowship in Mechanical Engineering
	7		State Department Exchange-Visitor Program
	8		State Department Internships & United Nations Student Loan Program
	9		Student Loan Fund
	10		Student’s Memorial Loan Fund (Rice University)
	11		Texaco Fellowships & Scholarships
	12		Texas Colonial Dames Award in American History
	13		Texas Gulf Producing Company Fellowship in Geology
	14		Texas-Swedish Cultural Foundation
	15		Theta Psi Omega Scholarship
	16		Union Carbide Scholarship
	17		United Daughters of the Confederacy Annual Prize in Southern History
	18		Westinghouse Achievement Scholarship
	19		(John Hay) Whitney Foundation
	20		(Harold A.) Wilson Award in Physics
	21		Woodrow Wilson Fellowships
	22		Fellowships and scholarships, miscellaneous
	23		Possible fellowships
		Subseries D: Speeches
box	folder
17	1		Rice Alumni Association Dinner, 13 April 1946
	2		Commencement 1946
	3		Matriculation Address 1946
	4		Alumni Dinner, Homecoming, 1 November 1946
	5		Pallas Athene Literary Society Alumnae Meeting, 4 March 1947
	6		Inauguration, 10 April 1946
	7		Address to Rice-Chicago Alumni, 26 April 1946
	8		Commencement, 1947
	9		Matriculation Address, 1947
	10		“Can Engineering Be Taught in College?” - Rice Institute Engineering Society, 2 December 1947
	11		“R” Association Banquet, San Jacinto Inn, 15 December 1947
	12		Cornerstone Laying of the Fondren Library, 21 December 1947
	13		“Rice Institute Looks Ahead,” Rice Institute Student Forum, 13 May 1948
	14		“The Future of Engineering at the Rice Institute,” 14 May 1948
	15		Commencement, 7 June 1948
	16		Matriculation Address, 1948
	17		Opening of Abercrombie Engineering Lab, 20 November 1948
	18		“R” Association Football Banquet, Houston Club, 9 December 1948
	19		Axson Club, River Oaks Country Club, 21 February 1949
	20		Commencement Address, 3 June 1949
	21		Matriculation Address, 1949
	22		Address to Hillel Society, Temple Emanu El, 17 February 1950
	23		Annual Football Banquet, San Jacinto Inn, 11 April 1950
	24		Matriculation Address, 1950
	25		Alumni Homecoming Dinner, The Commons, 27 October 1950
	26		Introduction of General Eisenhower, Grecian Room, Shamrock Hotel, 10 November 1950
	27		“R” Association Banquet, Rice Hotel, 6 December 1950
	28		Commencement, 1951
	29		H. A. Wilson Award, Fondren Library Lecture Lounge, 1 June 1951
	30		Dallas Alumni Club, Venus Restaurant, Dallas, 7 June 1951
box	folder
18	1		Matriculation Address, 1951
	2		“Objectives of the Rice Institute,” Alumni Club Presidents, 29 September 1951
	3		Rice Alumni Reunion Breakfast, Rice commons, 17 November 1951
	4		Address to Ft. Worth Alumni Club, 23 November 1951
	5		“R” Association Banquet, 12 December 1951
	6		Meeting of Alumni Councils of America, Senior Commons, 18 December 1951
	7		Speech to New Orleans Alumni, 17 January 1952
	8		“Research ,” Sigma Xi Luncheon Meeting, 14 February 1952
	9		Commencement Address, 1952
	10		Matriculation Address, 1952
	11		Remarks to Alumni Club Presidents, Fondren Library, 27 September 1952
	12		Alumni Homecoming Dinner, The Commons, 30 October 1952
	13		Remarks on Science and Technology at the Rice Forum, 29 March 1953
	14		Commencement, 1953
	15		Speech on Atomic Energy, 12 September 1953
	16		Matriculation Address, 1953
	17		“R” Association Banquet, Rice Hotel, 1 December 1953
	18		1st Meeting of Rice Institute Association, Fondren Library Lecture Lounge 6 May 1954
	19		Commencement, 1954
	20		Matriculation Address, 1954
	21		Introduction of Dr. Grayson Kirk, Rice Associates Dinner, 20 January 1955
	22		Liberal Arts Committee of the Rice Institute Associates, 24 February 1955
	23		Rice Associates Dinner, Fondren Lecture Lounge, 6 May 1955
	24		Commencement, 1955
	25		Matriculation Address, 1955
	26		Rice Associates Dinner, Fondren Lecture Lounge, 30 November 1955
	27		Speech to Ft. Worth Alumni, 11 May 1956
box	folder
19	1		Commencement, 1956
	2		Matriculation Address, 1956
	3		Address to Alumni Club Presidents, 22 September 1956
	4		Alumni Dinner Honoring Mrs. Jones, Dr. Tsanoff and Dr. Moraud, Houston Country Club, 25 October 1956
	5		Introduction of Judge Medina, Rice Associates Dinner, 4 December 1956
	6		Remarks at Dinner Honoring Mrs. Fondren, Dallas, Tx, 4 February 1956
	7		First Annual Outstanding Student Award Banquet, 28 March 1957
	8		Address at Sigma Xi Dinner, 2 May 1957
	9		Commencement, 1957
	10		Matriculation Address, 1957
	11		Freshman Orientation, 1957
	12		Remarks to Alumni Presidents, Fall of 1957
	13		Remarks at Jones College Open House, 6 October 1957
	14		Alumni Association Dinner, Brae Burn Country Club, 8 November 1957
	15		Remarks at Football Banquet, 11 December 1957
	16		Introduction of Dr. Niels Bohr, Associates Dinner, 17 December 1957
	17		Reunion Dinner of Masters and Doctors in Biology, Biology Building Opening, 30 January 1958
	18		Address of Welcome--Biology Symposium, Opening of M. D. Anderson Biological Lab, 31 January 1958
	19		Mr. McCann Appreciation Dinner, Houston Club, 25 April 1958
	20		Commencement, 1958
	21		Matriculation Address, 1958
	22		Remarks to Methodist Student Movement, Fondren Library, 4 November 1958
	23		Address to Members of Wiess College, Wiess College, 23 October 1958
	24		Unveiling of Captain Baker’s Portrait, Baker College, 19 December 1958
	25		Matriculation Address, 1959
	26		Remarks on Mr. Wiess, Wiess College Dinner, 18 September 1959
	27		International Thanksgiving Breakfast, Baptist Student Union, 22 November 1959
	28		Football Banquet, Grand ballroom-Rice Hotel, 3 December 1959
	29		Baker College Annual Dinner, 17 December 1959
	30		Welcoming Remarks, Parathyroid Symposium, 3 February 1960
	31		Hanszen College Dinner, 10 February 1960
	32		“Is Engineering an Appropriate University Subject?” 8 March 1960
	33		Matriculation Address, 1960
	34		“Understanding the Physical World,” Rice Alumni Association 21 February 1962
	35		H. A. Wilson Award presentation, May 1962
	36		H. A. Wilson Award presentation, 29 May 1964
	37		Sigma Xi Luncheon, 1 October 1964
	38		Acceptance of award, Rice Alumni homecoming, 11 November 1967
	39		H. A. Wilson Award presentation, 31 May 1968

Series II: Off Campus

A & M College of Texas

American Academy of Arts and Sciences

American Academy of Political and Social Science

American Association for the Advancement of Science

American Association of Physics Teachers

American Association of University Professors

American Association of University Women

American Chemical Society

American Council of Learned Societies

American Council on Education

American Petroleum Institute

American Philosophical Society

American Physical Society

American Rocket Society

American Society for Civil Engineers

American Society for Engineering Education

American Universities Field Staff

Anderson (M.D.) Foundation

Applied Mathematics Panel

Arkansas, University of (Fayetteville, Arkansas)

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

Council of Southern Universities

The Ford Foundation

Fund for the Advancement of Education - Committee on Utilization of College Teaching Resources

Houston Chamber of Commerce

Institute of International Education

International Business Machines

Invitations and announcements, 1946-48

Invitations, announcements and responses, 1946-48

Invitations from and congratulations to other universities, 1948

Invitations from and congratulations to other universities, 1949

Invitations from and congratulations to other universities, 1950

Invitations from and congratulations to other universities, 1951-59, n.d.

Invitations, Houston, Lectures

Johnson, Lyndon B.

National Academy of Science

National Commission on Accrediting

Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies

Patent Matter

Rayzor Endowed Chair

Research Corporation

Research Day

Resources for the Future, Inc.

Royal Society of Arts

Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools

Southern Fellowships Fund

Southern Regional Acceleration Project

Southern Regional Education Board

Southern University Conference

Southwest Research Institute

Southwestern Social Science Association

Texas Education Agency

Texas Foundation of Voluntarily Supported Colleges

Texas Surplus Property Agency

Town Meeting on Public Education

University of Texas

Water Analysis - Rice Campus, 1950

Welch Foundation - Correspondence

Welch Foundation - Proposals and Progress Reports

World Perspectives