The Flyleaf
Friends of Fondren Library
Vol. 52, No. 2
Spring 2002
Fondren Library Bids Nanq^ Boothe Farewell Upon her Retirement
A Letter to the Friends
Dear Friends,
In this issue of The Flyleaf you will read more about our suc- cessful Homecoming brunch which I mentioned in my first letter. Our honoree, Ed Snow, could not have been more deserving (and entertaining) . He accepted the award with characteristic grace and levity. Again, Teddy Adams deserves kudos for organiz- ing the well-attended event.
Teddy and fellow board members responsible for the success of the earlier Distinguished Guest Lecture and book sale earned a well-deserved rest during the holiday hiatus. But the board hit the ground running in January by approving a donation to the Li- brary exceeding $45,000 to fvmd an Electronic Resources Center which will provide valuable resotuxes to the faculty and students to facilitate electronic publications. The source of the funds was a match of contributions to the Friends by faculty, staff and univer- sity retirees from the beginning of the Rice - The Next Century Campaign to date. An article about the Electronic Resources Cen- ter will appear in the next issue of The Flyleaf.
In the next issue you will read aboiU our annual Rice Authors Reception held on Sunday, Februaiy 10. Honored authors and non-authors alike enjoyed a panel discussion by the authors of four very diverse publications and an opportunity to mingle with the authors and peruse and purchase their works. This event, my favorite in that it focuses on the real mission of the University, scholarship, never ceases to surprise and delight. The breadth and depth of intellectual pursuit manifested by the works of our honorees year after year is truly astounding. I am exceedingly proud of the Friends for initiating and carrying on this event. It is a great tribute to the scholarly contributions made by our Univer- sity community.
Every month, like clockwork, the gala committee has met and continued to work diligently in preparation for the Friends of Fondren Gala XXII. This is our Super Bowl. I remind you again that we are honoring former Federal Reserve Board Governor Edward "Mike" Kelley, Jr. and his wife, Janet Kelley, on Friday, April 26, 2002 at 7:00 p.m. at the River Oaks Country Club. As in past years, the evening will feature a cocktail hour, silent auction, seated dinner and live auction. Tables have sold quickly.
Preparations are underway for our annual meeting to be held on the evening of Tuesday, May 21, 2002 at Cohen House. I am pleased to announce that our speaker for this event will be David Vaisey, Bodley's Librarian Emeritus at Oxford University. He will give a talk entitled "Four Centuries of Collecting: The Bodleian Library 1602-2002." Please plan to come.
Continued on pg. 7 M The Flyleaf 2
Fondren Library
Founded under the charter of the university dated May 18, 1891, the library was established in 1913. Its present building was dedicated November 4, 1949, and rededi- cated in 1969 after a substantial ad- dition, both made possible by gifts of Ella F. Fondren, her children, and the Fondren Foundation and Trust as a tribute to Walter William Fondren. The library celebrated its half-millionth volume in 1965 and its one-millionth volume on April 22, 1979.
The Friends
The Friends of Fondren Li- brary was founded in 1950 as an as- sociation of library supporters in- terested in increasing and making better known the resources of Fon- dren Library at Rice University. The Friends, through members' contributions and sponsorship of a program of memorials and honor gifts, secure gifts and bequests, and provide funds for the purchase of rare books, manuscripts, and other materials that are needed to sup- port teaching and research at the university.
The Flyleaf
Founded October, 1950, The Flyleaf is published by the Friends of Fondren Library, MS - 245, Rice University, P.O. Box 1892, Hous- ton, Texas 77251-1892. The Flyleaf is a record of the acti\dties of the Friends, the Fondren Library, and the generosity of the library's sup- porters. The Flyleaf is published three times in each academic cal- endar year and is also available online at the Friends of Fondren web site at http://ruf.rice.edu/~fofl/.
The Flyleaf
Editors:
Dr. John E. Wolf, Jr.
Vice President, Publications
Mary Bixby Mary Pat Julian
Photographs; Leslie Breivster
JeffFitlow Mary Pat Julian
Layout: University Publications
Contents
Honiecoming Brunch Page 4
In Memoriam: Mary Alice Haniillon Page 6
Nancy Boothe: A Look Back Page 8
Board Profiles Page 11
Treasures in the Attic Page 14
Bookmark Review Page 16
Friends of Fondren Membership Page 18
Gifts to Fondren Library Page 19
Looking Ahead Pagre 24
Board of Directors 2001-2002
Officers
Charles D. Maynard, Jr., President Robins Brice, Vice President,
Membership John E. Wolf, Jr., M.D.
Vice President, Publications Alan Harris Bath, Ph.D. John C. Ribble, M.D. Karen Hess Rogers Pamela Riley Smith, Vice Presidents,
Special Events Mrs. Pamela S. Giraud, Secretary Kyle Allen Frazier, Treasurer
Edward B. "Teddy" Adams, Jr.
Texas Anderson
Iris Lytle Balle^v
Georganna Allen Barnes
John W. Brice
Lucas T Elliot
Preston J. Frazier
Frances Heyne
Diana P. Hobby
Mrs. Thomas W. Houghton
Frank G.Jones
Ex Officio
Eugene H. Levy, Ph.D., Provost
Charles Henry, Ph.D., Vice President and Chief Information Officer
John B. Boles, Ph.D., Chairman, University Committee on the Library
Mary D. Bixby, Director of Development - Library
Mary Pat Julian, Executive Director
Elizabeth W. Kidd Mary Catherine Miller Ivitherine Feibleman Miner David L. Minter, Ph.D. Robei-t L. Patten, Ph.D. Shiiley R. Redwine Cathryn Rodd Selman Lee Chatham Seureau Michelle M. Shedd J. D. Sitton, III Betty Blount Scale Wood
Spring 2002 3M
2001 FOn/REA Annual Homecoming Brunch
BY Teddy Adams
On November 10, 2001, the Friends of Fondren Library and the Rice Engineering Alumni co-hosted their annual Homecoming Brunch. Each year at the brimch the Friends pre sents an award to the individual or couple that have made a spe- cial contribution to the organiza- tion. The Rice Engineering So- ciety also pre- sents awards for the outstanding engineering alumnus and outstanding young engineer- ing alumnus.
At this year's event, the award from the Friends was presented to Edward Snow, a professor in the Rice English department. As Charles Maynard, the president of the Friends of Fondren explained in his introduction, Professor Snow's knowledge and love of books is not surprising. A Rice alumnus, Professor Snow received his B.A. in 1964. Then, Professor Snow explored both coasts, re- ceiving his M.A. from the Univer- sity of California, Riverside in 1966 and his Ph.D. form the Uni- versity of New York at Buffalo in 1969.
Professor Snow's academic work has been nothing short of outstanding. In 1985 he won the prestigious Harold Morton Landon Translation Award from the Academy of American Poets for his translation of Rainer Maria Rilke's "New Po-
Donald Greive, Dr. Sydney Burrus, Joh?i H. Scott, Phillip Glynn, and Dr. Edward Siioiu
Charles Maynard presents aiuard to Ed Snoiu
ems." This award is given annually for outstanding achievement in the translation of poetry into En- glish. He was awarded his second Landon Transla- tion Award for his work on Rilke's "Duino Ele- gies." Professor Snow also won the Texas Insti- tute of Letters Souraette Dieh Fraraser Trans- lation award for that work. Addi- tionally, Profes- sor Snow has won an Acad- emy of Arts and Letters Award and the PEN Award For Po- etry in Transla- tion. In addition to his work on Rilke, Professor Snow has published works on Vermeer and Bruegel.
As one critic wrote, Professor Snow "has an eye and a mind for details," and Professor Snow gra- ciously has lent that mind and eye to the Friends of Fondren. This year, as in years past. Profes- sor Snow devoted countless hours to the Friends' book sale. His contribution was especially sig- nificant this year in that he do- nated more than thirty boxes of books to the sale. These books were some of the real treasures of the sale; most of them were first edition or better books.
More than merely donating books to the sale. Professor Snow also gave his en- ergy and expertise to the drive. He spent many hours sorting and pricing books for the sale. Fur-
The Flyleiif 4
^
ther, throughout the months leading up to the sale, Professor Snow also turned his eye and mind for detail to the volunteers working on the book sale, helping them organize the ma- terials for the sale.
Critics have de- scribed Professor Snow as "the best translator that Rilke has ever had." While there is little debate on that well-deserved accolade, it is equally beyond dispute that Professor Snow also truly is one of the best friends Fondren has ever had.
The Rice Engineering Alumni honored both Sidney Burriis, Ph.D. and Phillip Glynn as Outstanding Engineering Alumni and Donald Greive as the Outstand- ing Young Engineering Alumnus.
Kay Dobelman and Demaris Hudspeth
Teddy Adams and Page Gandy
Spiing2002 5M
In Memoriam: Mary Alice Hamilton '32
BY Demaris Hudspeth
When the history of Rice's library is written, the name of Maiy Ahce Hamilton should be on the list of "Best Friends of Fondren." She virtually kept the support group. Friends of Fondren, going in the years before a full-time director was added to the staff of the university.
To go back to the earliest days of Rice, Alice Dean quit her job as a school princi- pal and entered Rice (in the first class) in order to get a college degree. Even as a student she became "acting librarian," serving in that capac- ity until she retired in 1947 (and by then she had been given the title "Librarian"). William Dix of the English department was librarian until the mid '50s when he left to head up the library at Princeton, and Hardin Craig, Jr. of the history depart- ment succeeded him at Fondren.
The Friends organization had
been started by a group of alumni in 1950 and about that time Mary Alice became its de facto secretai^-treasurer. She kept the records of dona- tions, deposited them, and sent the acknowledgements. There were four meetings each year and she sent the notices for them. She helped with The Flyleaf although faculty members wrote feature articles in them. We have the late Dr. Alan McKillop to thank for writing or securing
Mary Alice and Charles Hamilton
most of these fine articles. Mary Alice did her work for twenty years, sometimes calling on other members to help with addressing envelopes. She insisted that the addressing be done in handwrit- ing, and that the acknowledgements be personal and warm when people sent donations in honor or remem- brance of someone. She set the high standard of efficiency and social niceties that the organization has maintained. Mary Alice's husband, Charles Hamilton (Class of 1928), was her part- ner in this work. He was a banker and helped set up two accounts for the Friends. Into one went funds collected as dues ($5 per year, maybe $10) and spent on mimeographing and mailing The Flyleaf, and sending out the
acknowledgements. Into the other ac- count went the donations and 100% of that money went into books, at the libraiy's discotmted cost. Fondren Libraiy footed the bill for cataloguing and preparing the books for use. Members took turns proxiding the refreshments for meetings.
In those early days, the librarian made the arrangements for the four meedngs (there were no board members to do any of these things) and secured the speakers, these being either facult}'
The Flvleaf 6
members or visitors to the campus. Wlren one of the latter spoke, a dinner was given beforehand, usually at the Craig's home. Since it was not known in advance who might be available or when the meetings could be schedtiled, there was no set time for the meetings. The program for the winter meeting was often based on the works of Charles Dickens, and for one of these the refreshments were plum puddings, made from the recipe of George V and cooked in English pudding bowls. I still use mine often (biu not for pudding) and each time that I do it brings me memories of our sitting arotmd the table preparing mounds of dried fruits, years ago.
Quite unexpectedly, in 1971 we had the double shock of losing both Hardin and Charles within a few months of each other. Not long afterwards, Richard O'Keefe became the new librarian (the first who had a graduate degree in library science) and, of course, Richard had his hands full with the former librarian's not being there to help in the transition. I was president of the Friends at the time and I called on my in- house counsel to help me formalize the organization. He wrote some by-laws setting out the usual stipulations as to officers, terms, etc. By that time, the organization was going well, and it was not hard to get Ralph Anderson, Lillian Illig and other faithful members to take office and for the organization to assume responsibility for all of its activities. As we know, it has flourished under the guidance of succeeding officers. But the Hamiltons and Hardin Craig were the ones who kept the flame burning brightly in the early years.
'When our fine director of the Friends of Fondren goes home after a full day of work, she can, with me, feel a wave of admiration for Mary Alice and the years of fruitful and diligent work she put in on behalf of our organization.
Continued from "A Letter" pg. 2
Library 1602-2002." Please plan to come.
Later, there is one more treat in store for Friends looking for real adventure. The third Friends of Fondren Library Tour will head back to England in mid-June to tour an ex- traordinary batch of libraries, both institutional and private, in the Mid- lands and the West Countiy There's hope that the tour will include a visit to Highgrove, Prince Charles' estate. For those of you who have made one of these journeys already, you know how singular they are. For those of you who have not, space is still available (as I write) and I cannot overstate how extraordinary the journey will be.
As is customary this time of year, our Nominating Committee is hard at work, considering additions to otir board. Approaching the final months of our fiscal year, we look fonvard with enthusiasm to the challenges the next year will bring, but with a bit of sadness knowing that some of our fellows will depart our board. To all my fellow board members, I offer enormous thanks for your hard work and dedica- tion to Rice, the Fondren Librai7 and the Friends.
f
Spring 2002 7l
Nanq^ Boothe: a Look Back
Nancy Boothe, longtime head of special collections for Fondren Library, is retiring this year after a long and special relationship with Rice Univer- sity. Highly regarded in her field of archives and special collections, she has lead ef- forts for new archival pro- grams, served as a mentor to new professionals in the field, and in 1996 received the Dis- tinguished Ser\dce Award from the Society of Southwest Archivists. She has worked with archival programs for numerous local organizations including Houston Grand Opera, the San Jacinto Mu- seum of History, and the Mu- seum of Fine Arts, Houston. She has published extensively in her field and remains ac- tive in the Society of Ameri- can Archivists, giving a pre- sentation this year.
Nancy graduated from Rice in 1952, receiving a B.A. with honors in French. A member of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa society, she remains involved with this organization today. Reflect- ing on the growth of the univer- sity from her undergraduate days, Nancy commented "In those days if you were applying to Rice, you went to the registrar with your high school grades and spoke to him for a while. A short time later he would call you and tell you whether you were ac- cepted or not. Things have changed greatly." She views the rise of the university's college sys-
BY David M. Bynog
tem as a great enhancement to undergraduate life and a unique experience for the Rice commu-
nity according students numer- ous opportunities. With the addi- tion of the Art Department and the Shepherd School of Music, Nancy believes that Rice became a much richer place. With these departments, and others to fol- low, Rice built upon its solid foundation and brought a higher level of sophistication and cul- ture to the school. Nancy also re- ceived an M.A in History from Rice in 1979 and has served as a University Associate for Brown College.
Additional careers, family, and study followed Nancy's graduation in 1952, and in 1965
she obtained a Master of Library Science from Catholic University in Washington. She returned later that same year to Rice University as a member of Fondren Library's Acquisi- tions Department. In May of 1966 the Library experi- enced one if its worst floods. The basement was flooded during heavy rains while con- struction on the university air conditioning system pro- gressed. Electricity was out for several days and numer- ous books, periodicals, and other library materials were damaged. Staff members formed a human chain to salvage flooded books and periodicals, and wonderfully supportive communit)' mem- bers spent countless hours drying out materials. Such rescue operations for librar- ies are paramount to those interested in special collections and archives. Nancy's involve- ment with helping devastated li- braries has lasted throughout the years, including her pro\iding valuable assistance to libraries hit hard by Houston's Tropical Storm Allison in 2001.
After several years in the Ac- quisitions Department, Nancy ac- cepted the position as Head of Special Collections for the Woodson Research Center in 1972. The department, then only four years old, has been greatly influenced by Nancy's direction in the last 30 years. The center houses such varied items as rare
M The Flvleaf 8
books, manuscript collections, and university archives. Rice and non-Rice researchers as well as students, staff, and community members utilize the rich volume of materi- als housed within the center. The uni- versity ar- chives in- cludes anything related to the history of the uni- versity, in- cluding early draw- ings and plans for the univer- sity. A notable acquisition in re- cent years is a Shakespeare "First Folio" from 1623 containing three plays, "The Tragedie of King Lear"; "The Tragedie of Othello, The Moore of Venice"; and "The Tragedie of Anthonie, and Cleopatra." Nancy has been instrumental in obtaining numer- ous important and notable col- lections and is particularly proud of two collections in Woodson: the Axson Collection and the Julian Huxley papers.
The Axson Collection, named for influential English professor Stockton Axson, began as the core of 2500 works pur- chased in 1956 from money do- nated in memory of Axson and with additional funds from Jesse
Jones. The collection consisted of approximately 50 percent of all the plays published in Great Brit- ain during the eighteenth cen- tury. When Nancy began at
W^oodson she emphasized devel- oping the collection, which has doubled in size during her ten- ure. Through aggressive seeking and collecting of additional ma- terials the Axson collection now contains a near complete group of all the plays published be- tween 1700 and 1800 in Great Britain, including numerous first editions and rare copies. The col- lection ranks as a premiere col- lection in the study of British drama.
Another collection highly prized by Nancy is the Julian Huxley papers. Julian Huxley was chosen by president Lovett to be Rice's first professor of biology, his tenure lasting from 1913 until 1916. He had a distinguished ca-
reer in the sciences and was granted a knighthood in 1958. The collection, which includes his personal library and impor- tant correspondence, was highly sought af- ter by sev- eral insti- tutions. The pa- pers took two years to obtain and re- quired great ef- fort from Nancy, who re- calls a cold week in an un- heated London office inspecting materi- als in the collection. Through the diligent efforts of Nancy and the assistance of donors, the Friends of Fondren, and many others, the Woodson Research Center was able to obtain the papers as well as a grant to cover the pro- cessing costs.
While Nancy's time at Rice has seen a gi^eat many success sto- ries, she has also experienced many colorful episodes. She once spent several days at the Univer- sity of Illinois campus police de- partment helping to identify plates stolen from rare books by a Texas antiques dealer. Another time, she traveled to San Antonio to meet an elusive bar owner who claimed to have some Mexican
Spring 2002 9M
colonial printed books. And when some Kahlil Gibran exhibit materials in Woodson's care were mis- placed she had to ward off the threat of calling in a clairvoyant to find the ma- terials. A very recent epi- sode occurred in Woodson's vault. The center's fire systems were undergoing inspection. This involved reviewing the halon system, a gas sys- tem that is often used in special collections and has more benefits than sprinklers or carbon dioxide systems. The technician was unaware of the halon tank that was located in the vault and accidentally set it off. The blast knocked several large boxes off of the tops of shelves and turned scores of pa- per documents into confetti.
Nancy is active in the Unitar- ian Church and has a wide range of cultural interests. She helped organize the Texas Salon, a local group that meets to dis- cuss and promote the more interesting as- pects of history. Her first job after graduating from Rice was as secretary to University Li- brarian Will- iam S. Dix. Later she
TheFlvleiif 10
worked as an assistant for noted art collector Jean de Menil and, she is now enrolled in the Glassell School at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Fluent in French and Spanish, she is an avid traveler. For many years she, along with other members of the libraiy staff, traveled with the Spanish Department on group trips. A recent trip found her on
the Sepik River in Papua, New Guinea where the ^tH three-story boat her group ^ V was traveling in ran ^nfl aground. Trees crashed '^^^ into glass on the upper tiers of the boat and they finally managed to get afloat, limping along on the return trip. Nancy has proven to be a great asset not only to the libraiy, biu also to Rice LTniversit)', the greater Houston commu- nity, and beyond. Her multitude of talents is sure to leave a lasting impression here at Fondren Library.
Board Profiles
BY Elizabeth W. Kidd
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Frances Berryman Heyne
Frances is another on the board who grew up across the street from Rice - on Uni- versity Boulevard, where her mother, Katherine Beri"yman, still lives. All of her cotisins attended Rice, so it's perhaps not surprising that, though she received her degree in Fine Arts from the University of Texas, she mar- ried a true Rice man. Dr. Edward Fred Heyne III attended Rice as did his father and his uncle, Roland Heyne, who was also the bursar at Rice for a ntimber of years. Two of their four sons also attended Rice and we can hope that some among their nine grandchildren may also attend.
Her appreciation for art and antiques has guided both Frances' career and avoca- tions. As an art consultant, she has helped create the interiors of many corporate headquarters in Houston, including Wells Fargo Bank, Coopers Lybrand, Price Waterhouse, and, most recently, Houston Pipeline (AFP). She and Ed, as evidenced in their home, have enjoyed collecting Pre- Columbian art, an endeavor initiated on their honeymoon in Mexico, and Southwest Indian pottery, an interest developed in her frequent trips to New Mexico that began when she was a child. Frances also collects antique dolls and ceramics. Their collecting has been part of the trips they enjoy - for many years to Mexico, now more to West- ern Europe, and, in the fall, to Istanbul and the Greek Isles.
Her appreciation for art and antiques
has also guided much of her volunteer work. She has served for over twenty years as a Bayou Bend docent, often in a leadership role. She has chaired the Winedale Sympo- sium of the UT History Center and has been on the board of the Harris County Heritage Society.
As the chair of the Friends of Fondren Library 2001 Gala, Frances, as might be ex- pected gave that special consideration to the aesthetics of the evening, and it was a beauti- ful night that also raised a record sum for the occasion. That she took on that job after only a year on the board is a testament to her en- ergy and dedication (though with her dry hu- mor she inight say to her naivete), and for that we are grateful.
Lee Chatham Seureau
Lee Seureau pro- vides us with an- other example of a board nrember whose work for the Friends is borne of an early acquain- tance with Rice. Lee's father, Lee Chatham, was in the Rice class of 1923. He was Student Band Director and later, Director of the Marching Band, and for years director of a popular dance band, "Lee's Owls." Lee remembers attend- ing as a young girl the dedication of the grand piano in the student center in honor
Spring 2002 111
of her father, and their many Sunday after- noon rides through the campus.
With Lee's innumerous contributions to the Friends, including chairing the 1999 gala and the 1998 book sale, and currently acting as vice-chair of the 2002 gala, one wonders that she is active in so many other educational and civic endeavors. She is co- fotmder of the Rice Historical Society, and serves on its board. She is active at St. Martin's Episcopal Church, Kinkaid School, and the Live Stock Show and Rodeo, among others.
Most fascinating to me is her work with the Sports Car Club of America, perhaps an offshoot of her interest in the family busi- ness. Star Motor Cars. She is the Points Keeper of the Southwest Division, was the first woman to race in the Club's Southwest Division, founded "the Grid," the safety check for driver and vehicle, and holds a Na- tional Starters License!!
When not (very) busy with all of the above, Lee enjoys time with her husband Glenn and their three grandchildren, Suzanna Lee, daughter of Caroline and hus- band Tom Jinks, and Peter and Harrison, sons of their son Glenn. She is also a great cook (making with Karen Rogers quite a team for many charitable organizations) , and often graciously hosts the Friends of Fondren Gala Committee. One could say she is "the driver" of many worthwhile ef- forts, and we are glad the Friends of Fondren Library is one of them.
Alan Harris Bath, Ph.D.
Alan and his wife Connie for many years before he be- gan his service on the board fre- quently attended the Friends of Fondren Library events. As a board member he has continued to be very active, especially as a regular contributor to The Flyleaf. He also chaired the Rice Authors Reception in 2001.
That he has been such an accomplished contributor to The Flyleaf is not surprising, given that Alan is a published author. His book, Tracking the Axis Enemy, was pub- lished in 1999 by the University Press of Kan- sas. It is a history of Naval intelligence in World War II, and began as a dissertation for his Ph.D. (Rice '95). As a retired Captain of the U.S. Navy who specialized in intelli- gence, Alan was well qualified to address the topic, but as it grew into a book he and Connie extended their travels for research purposes. They went to England, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Not bad duty, really.
On all of those trips they found time for extensive walks, another interest. Alan has been on the national board of AVA, the American Volkssport Association. Connie ex- plained to me that the organization began in Germany and was brought to the United States after World War II. It has branches in most cities and encourages "short" walks of ten or twenty kilometers or so, at one's own pace.
M The Flyleaf 12
Alan holds a Visiting Scholar Appoint- ment at Rice. In addition to his work for the Friends, he is a member of the Rice Histori- cal Society board, a volunteer at the Hous- ton Arboretum, and is a member of the Houston World Affairs Council. He and Connie are taking a course on art apprecia- tion at the Museum of Fine Arts and they very much enjoy the Houston Grand Opera. All in all, a vei^ full life for a "retired" fellow.
Edward B. "Teddy" Adams
Teddy Adams joined the Friends of Fondren Library board in 2000it be- came immediately clear that he would be an excellent board member. He circled all areas of possible volunteer re- sponsibilities with the exception of the Homecoming Brunch. Then when asked the next year to chair the Homecoming Brunch, he agreed and did an excellent job!
Teddy is one of our younger board mem- bers, a 1991 graduate of Rice. Having called Texas home since his family moved to Austin in the mid-seventies, Teddy chose to return to Texas after graduating from Stanford Law School. He is currently a Senior Associate with Fulbright, Jaworski.
At Rice, Teddy was the president of Will Rice College, a job that no doubt prepared him in part for his specialty in litigation. He also played rugby (more preparation for
trial work) , and helped Rice become State Champs in 1989, All-State Champs in 1990 and 1991, and Regional Champs in 1991. He continued to play rugby until last year when the demands of work became too great for him to carry on. He continues to work out (in case rugby should become again fea- sible?), and enjoys reading in his spare time.
Of spare time, he must have little. Last year, in addition to serving on the Friends of Fondren board, he co-chaired his Rice 10- year class reunion giving campaign. In the broader community, he is co-chairman of the Legal Lines Committee, a director of the Houston Young Lawyers Association; a direc- tor of the Houston Lawyer Referral Service; works with the Houston Young Lawyers As- piring Youth Program; and is on the edito- rial board of The Houston Lawyer. He also serves on the board of the Affiliated Systems of Memorial Hermann Hospitals. It's a good thing he stays in such good shape!
Spring 2002 13^
Treasures in the Attic
Part IV
Admiral Sir William Sidney Smith, Royal Navy BY Alan Harris Bath
In many an attic, lying near-forgotten, are souvenirs of wars past - a helmet, sword, or faded uniform. Rice is no exception. However, its remembrances are on paper, not steel or cloth. One of these is the papers of Admiral Sir William Sidney Smith, Royal Na\y.
The Admiral well could have served as a model for the character of Jack Aubrey, hero of Patrick O'Brian's popular series of sea stories. Smith was a swashbuckler, often at odds with his masters in London, and recognized as one of the earliest propo- nents of "Com- mando" type warfare. His fame resides chiefly in his defense of the Eastern Mediterranean port of Acre against Napoleon in 1799. Using small boat raids Smith captured the supplies stockpiled by Bonaparte for his planned attack then, during the siege, landed a force of sailors armed with pikes who helped win the land battle. Like Aubrey, earlier in the war Smith had been a French pris- oner of war in Paris and later became a Member of Parliament while still a serving officer.
The Smith papers in the Woodson Research Center include letters from Sir William's brother, John Spencer Smith, at the time British Ambassa- dor to the Porte at Constantinople and letters to him from Robert Liston, who in 1796 became
British Minister to the United States. In addition to letters from Sir William, the collection contains his battle order for the HMS Tigre at the siege of Acre, a series of watercolors and drawings attrib- uted to John Spencer Smith, and a fascinating
collection of Smith family and British navy memora- bilia. The collection was acquired over an eight year period from dealers in Paris and London, and its pur- chase financed, in part, by funds from the Friends of Fondren.
How did this trove of the Napoleonic era find a home at Rice? Dr. Hardin Craig, Jr., proxided the impetus. At the time the collection was acquired Dr. Craig was Librarian of the Fondren Library. Dr. Craig received his doctorate at Harvard, taught at Hobart College in Geneva, New York, and later at California Institute of Technology, in the field of naval history. He came to Rice as an Assistant Professor of Histoiy in 1946, and became Librarian in 1953. During his fifteen years as its librarian. Rice acquired other notable collections: the Confederate imprints, the James Lockhart Autrey papers, and the Nadler collection of German literature, to naine a few. Following his service as librarian, in 1968 Dr. Craig returned to teaching at Rice, spending
TheFlvleaf 14
summers instructing in American Mari- time History at the Munson Institute in Mystic Seaport, Connecticut.
Throughout Dr. Craig's career, naval history of the Napoleonic Wars re- mained an object of study and re- search. It is thanks to his continuing interest that we, at Rice, now have a share of the papers of Admiral Sir William Sidney Smith, RN, as our military treasure in the attic.
Spring 2002 151
Bookmark
Bookmark is the hook club of the Friends ofFondren Library, featuring book reviews both in print and online at our web site. You can participate by adding your oum reviews and com- ments. Log on to rvww. rice, edii/ Fondren which is the library 's home page. Click on Friends of Fondren, and at the Friends ' home page, click on Bookmark.
Niagara Falls All Over Again
by Elizabeth McCracken
(Dell Publishing Company, 2001)
Review by Katherine Feibleman Miner
It is liard to imagine anyone who has more fun writing than Elizabeth McCracken. I say that knowing full well, and first hand, that the act of writing is rarely a rollicking good time. It's demanding, all-consuming, often heart-wrenching work. But McCracken's writing comes across as being the result of someone having a darned good time, and someone having that much fun is contagious. I can see her sitting at her computer, giggling at the latest challenge she's set for herself: How does a comedian face tragedy? What would a bimch of drunken vaudevillians in a clandestine bar at four in the morning say to each other? How would a
/^ novel by
the author of The
Gianfs House
Elizabeth McCracken
song for a television show about a puppet-pig sovind? Niagara Falls All Over Again is the prod- uct of a talented writer testing her own talent and reveling in the possibilities.
This is the story of a comedy team in the tradition of Abbott and Costello. They are rising in vaudeville as vaudeville is dying, and they go on to have great success making bad but popular movies. The narrator, Mose Sharp, is the son of a Jewish immigrant living in Des Moines, Iowa. When Sharp is four, his mother dies after the last of
many diffictilt deliveries (seven children lived, six died) . We see him follow his vaudeville dream even though his co-dreamer, his sister Hattie, dies. Sharp is a man defined primarily by his relationships to others. It is his sister Hattie who first defines him as a performer. Then his pairing with Rocky Carter defines him as a straight man. Early in their friendship when Carter calls Sharp a lady's man, the previously inexperienced Sharp proceeds to pick up a woman in a bar because that is the role Carter has laid out for
TheFlyleiif 16
him. Later, Sharp pairs with a wife, a dancer who knows her mind and chooses to put her family first, as Sharp inevitably comes to do. It is his relation- ship _ or sometimes lack of one _ with his comedy partner that takes center stage in the novel. Carter is the loud, ftmny man who makes most of their deci- sions. He is very likable, despite his pushy, self-centeredness, and Sharp is likable too, as a straight man who is anything but boring.
The most notable aspect of Elizabeth McCracken's work is her voice, hi her first book, the short-story collection Here's Your Hat Wfiat 5 Your Hurry, and in her first novel, the well-received The Giant's House, McCracken's voice is unmistakable _ hilari- ously funny, sharp, and insight- ful. The Giant's House brought her much critical attention and well-deserved praise, but it is here, in the world of comedy, that McCracken_s voice seems to find its most fitting home. The narrator is funny, the characters are funny, the world they live in is funny. Sharp's life has much tragedy in it, and McCracken deftly moves the reader back and forth between these emotional poles. We laugh with the characters, never at them, because no matter how oddball they are, the writer clearly loves each of them and brings us to do the same. At a makeshift bar in the cellar of a home in the middle of no- where, we meet a big-drinking.
big-talking Scottish acrobat who has only one arm and one leg, described as "just a different model of man, a coupe instead of a sedan." Then there is the ventriloquist who, it is widely recognized, is not half the man Sammy, his dimimy, is. Sammy is well dressed, someone who can hold his drinks and definitely likes the ladies (two important qualities in this group): "Sammy was a star. It was a shame he had to work with such a dullard. Imagine what he could have been with the right partner!"
The book is filled with such unusual examples of mankind, biU they never seem unbeliev- able. McCracken always finds a way to thread them and the reader together by giving these characters down-to-earth com- mon concerns _ money prob- lems, loneliness, lost love. In this novel, the reader is given the opportunit)' to glimpse a world, the now-dead world of vaudeville, and what he sees there is a mixture of everyman's concerns and outrageous lifestyles. The reader accompa- nies Sharp as he lives out many a person's dream of fame and money and as he na\'igates the life of a straight man by partnering with strong-willed people and ultimately having to choose his own path.
Spring 2002 171
Friends of Fondren
October 1, 2001 -January 31, 2002
We welcome the followijig neiu members:
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M Tlic Flyleaf 18
Gifts to Fondren Library
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Spring 2002 191
Angelo N. Castanza Susan Castanza
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I
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m The Flyleaf 20
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Spring 2002 21 =
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M The Flyleiif 22
Spring 2002 23M
Looking Ahead
Mark your calendars now for upcoming Friends ofFondren Library events.
April 26, 2002
This year's gala honoring the Honorable Edward W. "Mike" Kelley, Jr. and Mrs. Kelley will be held on Friday April 26, 2002 at 7:00 p.m. at the River Oaks Country Club.
May 2 1,2002
The Friends ofFondren Annual Meeting will be Tuesday, May 21, 2002, at Cohen House, featuring David Vaisey, Bodley's Librarian Emeritus at Oxford Univer- sity, who will deliver an interesting lecture titled "Four Centuries of Collecting: The Bodleian Library 1602-2002." The evening will begin with a reception, followed by dinner and program.
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