The flyleaf, 2002

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

1

w

3

w.

/vH

\

\

^H

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:

Patrons

Ken Allums
Kelly Bozarth

Sponsors

Charlotte B. Alexander
Joseph Brazzatti
Anthony Coffman
Candace W. MacMahon
Dr. Frank Mango
Keith J. Ritchey

Contributors

Hassan Abouseeda and

Hebatalla Abouelfadi
Taixtx Bai
Robert Barnett

Peggy Martin and Phillip Beall
Stisan L. Bell
Tara Braniim
Jtidy Chapman
Jack Chen and Ann Cheng
Dr. Madhukar Chetty
Pius Onyekwere and Frances
Ngozi Chukwukere
Dr. David R. Cotirtney
Dr. Elisabeth Cummings
Kenneth Dinger
Mrs. Daylet Domingtiez
Malcolm T. and Lisa C. Donnell
Dr. Oleg E. Esenkov
Richard M. Foley
Kishor Gawande
Jon L. Gilbreath
Claire and John Goosey
Mr. and Mrs. Howard Murray Hill
Mr. and Mrs. William C. Horwitz
Judith Bump Hulsey

Mitsu Kobayashi Iwata

Gregg M. and Eleanor Kabay

Dr. Altamash Kamal

Mr. and Mrs. Boris Kaplun

Bryan and Alma Patricia Kite

Dr. Elaine Kleiner

Luisa Kluger

Allison Lindblade

Dr. and Mrs. John Marrelli

Bettina Schroeder and

Kenneth McGuire
Frank J. Meckel
Apostolo D. Merguzhis
Winfred and Mary Putnam

Morgan
William and Sonja Murphy
Mr. and Mrs. Muthuswami V.

Narasimhan
Dr. and Mrs. Ram S. Narayanan
Thurston Eugene and

Earnestine Neptune
Dinh Nguyen
Dr. Richard H. Nielsen
Priscilla Ann Ochoa
Robert P. Odle
Gregory Orcutt
Kimberly Orr
Don Palmer
Saxon Borden and

Francis Peronard
Libo Yang and Jian Pu
Abbas Razavi
Dr. John and Mrs. Perry Ann

Reed
Annie Reilly

Mr. and Mrs. John P. Ricks
Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Riley
Glenn L. Roberts
Mario Rodriguez
Lawrence A. and Robin K.

Rogers
Saad Saeed
Dr. Naidu Sammeta
Jessica Schinieg
Isabel C. Serrano

Alpesh V. Shah

Consul Dan Shaham

Patricia Strimpel

David N. Tuck

Kelly Walker

Dr. Riki Weinstein

Drs. Booker and Madeleine Wright

Recent Alumni

Walter A. Caro-Carrillo
Mitzi Frances Delgado
Daniel A. Heller
Nil Kalagoglu
Teddy Kapur
Hanna Kim
Charlotte L Linn
Deanna Jtilian-Ross and

Michael J. Ross
Dr. Tony Salazar
David Raphael Smith

In addition, the following have
upgraded their membership in the
Friends:

Teddy Adams

Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Baillio, Jr.

Dr. H.C. Clark

Bill Flanagan

Mr. and Mrs. Bill Frazier

Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Fry, Jr.

Dr. and Mrs. Reuven Hollo

Melissa and Steve Kean

Mr. and Mrs. William James Miller

Carla Saulter

Mr. and Mrs. Glenn E. Setueau

DaNdd R. and Joanne E. Simms

G.E. Vague, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. P.L. Vrancken

Kenneth and Gina Waterman

David and Doris Westheimer

M Tlic Flyleaf 18

Gifts to Fondren Library

October 1, 2001 -January 31, 2002

In-kind Gifts

American Historical Association

American Swiss Foundation

Paul Blair

Books From Mexico

Mr and Mrs. Sanuiel S. Crocker

Editorial Board of Journal of

Tsinghua Universit)'
Fentress Bradburn Aixhitects
Mrs. J. Street Fulton
President Malcolm Gillis
Institute of Germanic Studies,
Universit}' of London School of

Advanced Study
Lawrence Jablecki
The Journal of Southern History
Eric Lautzenheiser
Stewart Lillard
Mrs.J.M. McCaine
Carlos Pacheco
Robert Patten
The Royal Norwegian Consulate

General
Susan V. Sample

Swiss American Historical Society
Universit)' of Texas at Austin,

School of Law Publications
Lawrence James Wathen
Thomas L. and Joyce K. Wilson
Michael Winkler

Money Gifts

Dr. Richard D. Felder
Shirley L. Hamner
Dr. Catherine Elaine Howard
Dr. Stephen Edwards Kiergan
Roberta K. Randall Charitable

Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. J. Richard Luna
Oscar M. Palmer, Jr.
Gylene Wilcox
Joanna M. Winters

Gifts in Honor o^

given by

Barbara Scott McKittrick
on her retirement
Shirley L. Hamner

C-ecile Keeper
Kalherine B. Dobebnan

Charles D. Maynard, Jn

for his dedication to Fondren

Librar}' and libraries and books

in general

Col. and Mrs. Charles D. Maynard

Charles M. Langford, III
on his 70th birthday

Bernie Moses

Edward Oppenheimer
on his birthday

Margaret and Emory Carl

Hope F. Kobayashi

on her birthday, Dec. 20th

Mitsu Kobayashi Iwata

John McKee

Ann Doremus

Millie and Louis Wliittington
on their 50th wedding
anniversary
Elaine H. Maas

Bill Russell

on his 70th birthday

Mr and Mrs. John E. Joiner, AIA

Mrs. Harold Hecht
Bernhard C. Moses

Mrs. Robert Strange

Mr and Mrs. Wni. James Miller

Professor Anderson Todd

on his 80th birthday

Mr and Mrs. John E. Joiner, AIA

Gifts in Memory o£/

given by

Mr. and Mrs. J.S. Abercrombie

The George A. Robinson A'
Eoundation

Brucie Ashmim
Ralph S. O'Connor
Eliza Lovett Randall

Elizabeth Hill Baird

Joan Baird Gloiier

Cleo Blaylock Barkley
Margaret B. Cools bee

Thelma Bertuzzi

Mr and Mrs. James W. Woodruff

Catherine Bland

Lynette Bishop

The Faculty Women's Club

Judge William Neal Blanton, Jr.

Mrs. Wiley Anderson, Jk

Jackson Emmite Bowman

Boyd and Madge Collier

Mary Bucalo

John and Amy Aubrey

Rosalie Sherman Carnvright
Mr and Mrs. Roy Nolen

Spring 2002 191

Angelo N. Castanza
Susan Castanza

Madeline Johnson Hill

Mr. and Mrs. Frank C. Shelden

Roy F. Kopecky

Stella Sullivan

Doris Robinson Childress
Gus and Kay Schill

Anne Court

The Cliffiuood School

Anne Cronin
Mrs. Ben G. Sewell

Lindsey Hogan Dunn

Mr and Mrs. Thomas C. Dunn

Hub Finkelstein

John and A7ny Aubrey

Harry Bernard Gordon, Sr.

Ralph S. O'Connor

Mary Sue Fox Grace

Robert and Margaret Deininger

Ida Grob

Mr. Wiley Andeison III and

Mrs. Wiley Anderson, Jr.

Dr. and Mrs. David Minter

Mary Alice Hamilton
Feme and Harold Hyman
ANONYMOUS

Carolyn Harshbarger Johns
Dr. and Mrs. Jim Douglas, Jr

Jacquelin B. Hawkins
Dr and Mrs. David Minter

John Francis Heard
Mrs. Robert F Daily

I

Patricia Houck

Mrs. Wiley Anderson, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Frank C. Shelden

Grace Picton Wise

Kinjiro Iwata, M.D.

Mitsu Kobayashi Iwata

Marjorie Diumjacobe

Mr and Mrs. Thomas C. Dunn

Meredith H.James, Jr.
Doris Fondren Allday
Albert M. Bowles
Judson D. Bryant
Betty F Carothers and

Shelley H. Baker
Mrs. F. G. Dorsey
Steve and Hortejise Dyer
Stephen Fox

Marion and Jim Hargrove
Mr and Mrs. Joseph F. Meyer, III
Mr and Mrs. Clinton F. Morse
Robert C. Park
Dr. and Mrs. Ray H. Skaggs
Grace Picton. Wise

Clarence T.Johnstone
Mr and Mrs. Jon Madsen

Mr. Burdette Keeland, Jr.
Mrs. Wiley Anderson, Jr

Lucile Keeney

Mr. and Mrs. Edwin H. Dyer Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. AugieErfurth

David D. Klager

Dr and Mrs. Jim Douglas, Jr

Barbara L. Linton Kossie
Dr. and Mrs. John B. Boles

Jane & Christopher Lappala
Karen Irvin Parran

Van L. Lawrence
Camilla G. Lawrence

Douglas W. Lawrence-Toombs

Stephen Fox

JoAnn W. Leavesley

Mr and Mrs. James W. Woodruff

Edna Meyerhoff Le\'y

Eliza Lovett Randall

Walter E. Liljestrand

Howard W. and Corinne Thome Collins

Dr. Richard Gordon Martin, Sr.. M.D.
Dr Robert K. Blair, Sr, M.D.

William Fred Massey

Mr and Mrs. Louis D. Spaio, Jr

Dr. Charles C. Nathan
Mimi G. Cohen
Mr and Mrs. C. M. Hudspeth
Mr and Mrs. Louis D. Spaw,Jr

Garrett Isack Neubauer
John and Am'\ Aubrey

Helen Phillips Nixon
Mr and Mrs. Roy Nolen

Haylett O'Neill, Jr.
Pamela K Smith

m The Flyleaf 20

Newton Claxton Rayzor

Ted and Franna Litton

David D. Red

Mr. and Mrs. Louis D. Spaxi\Jr

Beverly Riedhart

The Cliffwood School

Leonise Smith Revia

Joh?i and Amy Aubrey

Frieda Ritchey

Fluor Daniel

Michael Edward Roberts

John and Amy Aubrey

Nelson B. Sears '36

L.S. Hanks, Terri Gilbreath and

Teddie Mize
Mr. and Mrs. Phillip H.

Thompson, Jr
Vicki B. Wiste

Jennie Filippone Sedita
Dr and Mrs. James F Helms

Will Rivers Shaw

Eliza Lovett Randall

Mr. and Mrs. T. R. Reckling, III

Mrs. Paul Eaton Wise

Kathleen Simmons
Dorothy Z. Bowman

Felicia Slataper '38

Mrs. Frank G. Keightley '41

William N. Stokes, Jr.
Dr. Robert K. Blair, Sr.

Judge Thomas Jackson Stovall, Jr.

Mrs. Wiley Anderson, Jr.

Robert F. Strange
Stephen Fox
Lee Pecht

Norrie Moore Waddell

W. Browne Baker III

Wesley and Laura Ellis

W Grant and Norris Fergeson

Dr. Joy L. Linsley

Sarah A. Phelps

Jack and Phyllis Selber

Dr and Mrs. Brian D. Walker

Doris A. Williams

Frank Jackson Wliitley

Eliza Lovett Randall

Dr. Harold E. Wigren
Rev. W. Darwin Andrus

Nell Willmann
Lucie Wray Todd

Benjamin N. Woodson

Mr. and Mrs. Samuel S. Crocker

Spring 2002 21 =

Membership

Membership in the Friends of Fondren Library is open to everyone. It is not an alumni organization. Member-
ship contributions are as follows:

Recent Alumni( 1-5 years since graduation from Rice) $10

Contributor. $50

Sponsor. $100

Patron $250

Benefactor $500

Libraiy Fellow $1,000

Members of the Friends receive The Flyleaf ■and invitations to special programs and events sponsored by the
Friends. Members who are not already faculty or staff of the university receive library privileges. A maximum of
four books may be checked out for a period of 28 days, and a photo ID is required. Members must be at least 18.
Checks for membership contributions should be made out to the Friends of Fondren Librar)' and mailed to Rice
Universit}', Friends of Fondren Library MS 245, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, Texas 77251-1892, along with your pre-
ferred name and address listing and home and business phone numbers. Under Internal Revenue Senice Guide-
lines the estimated value of the benefits received is not substantial; therefore the full amotmt of your gift is a de-
ductible contribution.

Gifts 3.nd Memorials PrOSrillll ^"^^ university Fnends of The Fondren Library — MS# 245

^ P.O. Box 1892 Houston, Texas 77251-1892 '

□ In memory of □ In honor of □ On occasion of

Name

Event or Occasion

Phase send an acknoioledgment to:

Name

Address
City

State/ Zip

This space for contributor:

Name

Address

City

State /Zip

Under Internal Revenue Service Guidelines the estimated value of the benefits received is not substantial; therefore the full amount of
your gift is a deductible contribution. The average book costs $50. All donations are greatly appreciated.

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.

The Flyleaf

Rice University

Friends of Fondren Library — MS 245

P.O. Box 1892

Houston, Texas 77251-1892

Nonprofit Org.

U.S. Postage

PAID

Houston, Texas

Permit No. 7549

Woodson Research Center ■

Fondren Library
MS 215
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