President's Office records: Lovett, 1912-1945
Records reflecting the daily business of Rice Institute's first president, Edgar Odell Lovett. 62 boxes dating from 1912-1945.
TABLE OF CONTENTSDetailed Description of the Collection Series I: Planning the Institute, 1907-1914 Series II: Opening of the Institute and Book of the Opening |
Guide to the Rice Institute President
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Descriptive Summary |
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| Repository: | Rice University, Fondren Library, Houston, TX |
| Creator: | Lovett, Edgar Odell |
| Title | Rice Institute President Edgar Odell Lovett Papers |
| Dates: | 1907-1954, Bulk dates 1914-1944 |
| Extent | 32 cubic feet, 32 linear feet |
| ID | UA Lovett Presidential |
| Language | Materials are in English. |
Biographical Sketch
Edgar Odell Lovett (1871-1957), mathematics professor and president of Rice Institute (now Rice University), was born in Shreve, Ohio, on April 14, 1871. After graduating from Shreve High School he entered Bethany College, Bethany, WV, where he graduated in 1890. From 1890 until 1892 he was professor of mathematics at West Kentucky College; in 1892 he became an instructor at the University of Virginia, where he continued his studies and received degrees of M.A. and Ph.D. in 1895. The following year he studied in Europe and received M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Leipzig in 1896. In 1897 Lovett lectured at Johns Hopkins University and the universities of Virginia and Chicago, and became instructor in mathematics at Princeton University in September. He was promoted to assistant professor of mathematis in 1898 and from 1900 to 1905 held the rank of professor. From 1905 to 1908 he was both professor and head of the Department of Mathematics and Astronomy at Princeton.
In 1907 he was asked to head Rice Institute, Houston, being recommended for the post by Woodrow Wilson, then president of Princeton. He accepted in 1908, moved to Houston, and was formally inaugurated as the first president of the institute on Oct. 12, 1912; he continued in this capacity until his retirement on March 1, 1946. Thereafter, he was associated with Rice as president emeritus, director and consultant.
Lovett was a member of many learned societies, including Phi Beta Kappa, the London Mathematical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Royal Astronomical Society. In 1898 he married Mary Allen Hale; they had two daughters and two sons. He died on Aug. 13, 1957, and was buried in Glenwood Cemetery, Houston.
Excerpted from The New Handbook of Texas, 1996
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Scope and Contents
Edgar Odell Lovett's Presidential Papers document his lengthy tenure in office, from 1912-1945. The papers, housed in 62 Hollinger boxes, include his speeches, general office correspondence and records, construction records of the new Rice Institute, academic department records and financial matters. The collection is arranged in four series.
The first series, Planning the Institute, chronicles the beginning of Rice through correspondence, reports, faculty selection and building records. Opening of the Institute and Book of the Opening, the second series, includes correspondence regarding the formal opening of Rice and the official record of the opening, Book of the Opening. The third series is the President's Office Records, which detail the everyday records generated by the president's office--fiscal matters, speeches given by Lovett, correspondence and general office records. Academic Departments constitute the fourth series and document the general office matters of the departments.
Arranged in four sub-series of Correspondence, World Tour Reports [detailing Lovett's visits to international educational facilities], Faculty Selection, and Construction Records. The records give a detailed account of the many facets involved in beginning an institute for higher learning. The bulk of the materials are among the construction records of correspondence, bids, specifications, contracts, blueprints, and expense/time sheets.
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Arrangement
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Restrictions
Access restrictions
This material is open for research.p>
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish from President Edgar Odell Lovett President's papers must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University.
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Related Material
See also related collection, Edgar Odell Lovett Personal Papers, MS 60; information (vertical) files: Edgar O. Lovett; Edgar O. Lovett addresses---1919-1945; Edgar O. Lovett Bethany College Memorial, 1965; Edgar O. Lovett Princeton; Lovett Family. See also Photo/Image files and memorabilia.
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Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
President Edgar Odell Lovett's Papers - 1912-1945, AR 1, Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University
Acquisition Information
The papers were the official records of the President's Office in Lovett Hall and eventually were moved to attic storage. Transfer to Fondren Library occurred in the early 1960s.
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Detailed Description of the Collection
| Series I: Planning the Institute, 1907-1914 | |||||||||||
| Subseries A: Correspondence (1907-09) | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Re: Rice, 1907 | |||||||||
| 2 | Re: Rice, 1908 | ||||||||||
| 3 | 1909 | ||||||||||
| 4 | World Tour letters, Lovett to Raphael, 1908 - 09 | ||||||||||
| 5 | Re: Publishing letters of World Tour | ||||||||||
| Subseries B: World Tour Reports (1908-1909) | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 1 | Postal and photo cards | |||||||||
| 2 | World Tour newspaper publishings | ||||||||||
| 3 | "The Every Day File" | ||||||||||
| 4 | Report to the Trustees of The William M. Rice Institute | ||||||||||
| 5 | Report to the Trustees of The William M. Rice Institute | ||||||||||
| Subseries C: Faculty Selection (1910-1918) | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 3 | 1 | Selection of faculty, 1910-11 | |||||||||
| 2 | Axson, Stockton, 1912-1914 | ||||||||||
| 3 | Bergson, H., 1912 | ||||||||||
| 4 | Bevan, P.V., 1912 | ||||||||||
| 5 | Daniell, P.J., 1912-1913 | ||||||||||
| 6 | Evans, Griffith C., 1912-1913 | ||||||||||
| 7 | Guerard, A.L., 1913-1918 | ||||||||||
| 8 | Huxley, Julian, [a few scattered letters from father, Leonard Huxley] 1910-1912 | ||||||||||
| 9 | Inghiller, G.M., 1913 | ||||||||||
| 10 | Jeans, J.H., 1912 | ||||||||||
| 11 | Lombardi, Cesar M., 1913 | ||||||||||
| Subseries D: Construction Records (1910-1914) | |||||||||||
| Correspondence | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 4 | 1 | Replies RE: Proposed Administration Building, 1910 | |||||||||
| 2 | Cram, Goodhue and Ferguson, 1909-1912 | ||||||||||
| 3 | A.B. Cohn, etc. Re: Contractors, Estimates, Expenses #1, 1910-1911 | ||||||||||
| 4 | A.B. Cohn, etc. Re: Contractors, Estimates, Expenses #2, 1912 | ||||||||||
| 5 | P. de la Rosa, Re: Rice Shield Design, 1910-1911 | ||||||||||
| Bids | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 5 | 1 | Administration Building | |||||||||
| 2 | Bricks, Marble, Limestone | ||||||||||
| 3 | Bids and Costs: Grounds Work | ||||||||||
| 4 | Mech. Lab and Power House | ||||||||||
| 5 | Physical Laboratory | ||||||||||
| 6 | President's House | ||||||||||
| 7 | Residence Hall | ||||||||||
| 8 | Tunnels | ||||||||||
| 9 | Campus Well | ||||||||||
| Specifications | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 5 | 10 | Administration Building - Electric Work | |||||||||
| 11 | Administration Building - Electric Work | ||||||||||
| 12 | Administration Building (Lovett Hall) Excavation, etc. | ||||||||||
| 13 | Administration Building - Heating | ||||||||||
| 14 | Administration Building - Plumbing | ||||||||||
| 15 | Chemical Laboratory | ||||||||||
| 16 | Chemistry Building | ||||||||||
| 17 | Drainage and Sewers | ||||||||||
| 18 | Field House - Electric Work, Plumbing, and Heating | ||||||||||
| 19 | Mechanical Lab and Power House - Electric Work | ||||||||||
| 20 | Mechanical Lab - Electric Work | ||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 6 | 1 | Mechanical Lab and Power House - Excavation, etc. | |||||||||
| 2 | Mechanical Laboratory - Heating | ||||||||||
| 3 | Physics Lab - Heating, Plumbing and Electric | ||||||||||
| 4 | Mechanical Laboratory - Plumbing | ||||||||||
| 5 | Mechanical Laboratory and Power House - Plumbing | ||||||||||
| 6 | Physics Laboratory - Excavation, etc. | ||||||||||
| 7 | President's House - Excavation, etc. | ||||||||||
| 8 | President's House - Excavation, etc. Alternate A | ||||||||||
| 9 | President's House - Mains | ||||||||||
| 10 | Residence Hall (No. 2 South) - Electric Work | ||||||||||
| 11 | Residence Hall for Men - Excavation, etc. | ||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 7 | 1 | Residence Hall (No. 2) - Excavations, etc. | |||||||||
| 2 | Residence Hall (South) - Excavations, etc. | ||||||||||
| 3 | Residence Hall (South) - Heating | ||||||||||
| 4 | Residence Hall - Heating and Ventilation | ||||||||||
| 5 | Residence Hall - Heating, Plumbing, and Electric | ||||||||||
| 6 | Residence Hall - Plumbing | ||||||||||
| 7 | Residence Hall (South) - Plumbing | ||||||||||
| 8 | Street Lights | ||||||||||
| 9 | Tunnel Extension | ||||||||||
| 10 | Tunnel Extension Piping | ||||||||||
| 11 | Pipe Tunnels - Excavation and Concrete Work | ||||||||||
| Contracts | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 8 | 1 | No. 1 -- Administration Building | |||||||||
| 2 | Athletic Field | ||||||||||
| 3 | No. 2 -- Mechanical Lab and Power House | ||||||||||
| 4 | No. 2 -- Orders to Contractor | ||||||||||
| 5 | No. 3 - Pipe Tunnels (1911) | ||||||||||
| 6 | No. 3A - Storm Drains and Sewers | ||||||||||
| 7 | No. 4 - Residence Hall | ||||||||||
| 8 | No. 5 -- Planting Trees; No. 6 - Gates | ||||||||||
| 9 | No. 7 - Painting; No. 8 - Furniture; No. 9 - Street Lights | ||||||||||
| 10 | No. 10 - Screens; No. 11 - Flags; No. 12 - Stands for Opening | ||||||||||
| 11 | No. 13 - Physics Laboratory | ||||||||||
| 12 | No. 14 - Residence Hall No. 2; No. 15 - Physics Lab (Electric Work); No. 16 - Physics Lab (Plumbing) | ||||||||||
| 13 | Street Widening | ||||||||||
| 14 | Concrete Tunnels, 1916 | ||||||||||
| 15 | No. 17 - Hardware for Residence Buildings Order | ||||||||||
| 16 | No. 17 - Residence Hall Construction (1915) | ||||||||||
| 17 | No. 17A - Furniture - Residence Hall | ||||||||||
| 18 | No. 17B-- Lighting Fixtures - Residence Hall | ||||||||||
| 19 | Physics Building | ||||||||||
| 20 | Athletic Field and Expenses | ||||||||||
| 21 | Expenses - Drains and Sewers | ||||||||||
| 22 | Contracts and Estimates -- Roadways and Grading | ||||||||||
| 23 | Contracts and Estimates - Roadways | ||||||||||
| 24 | Residence Hall for Men - Electric Work, Plumbing | ||||||||||
| 25 | Railroad Spur to Institute | ||||||||||
| Blueprints | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 9 | 1 | Stadium Drainage System | |||||||||
| 2 | Athletic Field, Drainage and Grading (1911) | ||||||||||
| 3 | Original Drainage (1910) | ||||||||||
| 4 | Campus Sewer and Drainage (1910) | ||||||||||
| 5 | Sketch Standing Desk | ||||||||||
| 6 | Third Floor of Residence (Revised) | ||||||||||
| 7 | Harris Bayou - Drainage | ||||||||||
| 8 | Progress Sheet for Tunnel Work (1911) | ||||||||||
| 9 | Sewer and Drainage System (1910) | ||||||||||
| 10 | Profile of Drainage Ditch (1929) | ||||||||||
| 11 | Location of Entrance and Drives (1911) | ||||||||||
| Expenses/ Time Sheets | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 10 | 1 | Waldo, Wilmer Engineer: Expenses, 1910 | |||||||||
| 2 | Drainage and Sewers, 1911 | ||||||||||
| 3 | Tunnels, 1911 | ||||||||||
| 4 | 1911 | ||||||||||
| 5 | Athletic Field, 1912 - 13 | ||||||||||
| 6 | 1912 | ||||||||||
| 7 | 1912 | ||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 11 | 1 | Drains and Sewers, 1912 | |||||||||
| 2 | August 1912 | ||||||||||
| 3 | September 1912 | ||||||||||
| 4 | November 1912 | ||||||||||
| 5 | December 1912 | ||||||||||
| 6 | 1913 | ||||||||||
| 7 | January 1913 | ||||||||||
| 8 | February 1913 | ||||||||||
| 9 | March 1913 | ||||||||||
| 10 | Drainage System and Athletic Field | ||||||||||
| 11 | Tunnel Views (Photos - Nov. 1, 1911) | ||||||||||
| 12 | Tunnel Views (Photos - Dec. 1, 1911) | ||||||||||
| 13 | Engineer's Report (W. Waldo) - Drainage/ Sewage (1910) | ||||||||||
| Series II: Opening of the Institute and Book of the Opening | |||||||||||
| This series includes information on printed materials for the opening, correspondence from invited guests, and information on the official record of the opening. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 12 | 1 | 1912 - 1913 | |||||||||
| 2 | Odes, Including Henry Van Dyke | ||||||||||
| 3 | Odes -- Kipling, Rudyard (opening - proposed inaugural ode) | ||||||||||
| 4 | Invitations not sent; printed matter | ||||||||||
| 5 | Engraved plates | ||||||||||
| 6 | Replies to invitations | ||||||||||
| 7 | Replies to invitations | ||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 13 | 1 | General correspondence, 1908-1910 | |||||||||
| 2 | General correspondence, January - August 1911 | ||||||||||
| 3 | General correspondence, September - December 1911 | ||||||||||
| 4 | Correspondence Re: Opening, July-October 1912 | ||||||||||
| 5 | Altamira, Rafael, 1912-1913 | ||||||||||
| 6 | Borel, Emile, 1912-1914 | ||||||||||
| 7 | Croce, Benedetto, 1912 | ||||||||||
| 8 | de Vries, Prof. Hugo, 1912 | ||||||||||
| 9 | Jones, Henry, 1912 | ||||||||||
| 10 | Kikuchi, Dairoka, 1912 | ||||||||||
| 11 | Ostwald, Wilhelm, 1912 | ||||||||||
| 12 | Poincare, Henri, 1912 | ||||||||||
| 13 | Ramsay, William, 1912-1914, 1926 | ||||||||||
| 14 | Volterra, Vito, 1912-1951 | ||||||||||
| Book of the Opening | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 13 | 15 | Program for the Opening, October 1912 | |||||||||
| 16 | Book of the Opening-Correspondence, 1917-1920, 1943 | ||||||||||
| 17 | Reviews - Book of the Opening, 1915, 1918 | ||||||||||
| 18 | Records of books sent | ||||||||||
| Series III: President's Office Records, 1914-1950s | |||||||||||
| This series, organized in four sub-series of General, Correspondence, Speeches and Fiscal, constitutes the largest series of 41 boxes. Highlights include statistics, scholarships/fellowships/bequests/loans, trustees, and records involving Rice and World War II. Lovett's interest in education is seen in his speeches on- and off-campus. Early ledgers and budgets are also included. | |||||||||||
| Subseries A: General (alpha) | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 14 | 1 | Institutional Membership in Organization and Accrediting | |||||||||
| 2 | Accrediting Information | ||||||||||
| 3 | Alliance Francaise | ||||||||||
| 4 | American Association of University Professors | ||||||||||
| 5 | American Association of University Women | ||||||||||
| 6 | American Dormitory Fund | ||||||||||
| 7 | American University in Europe, 1918-1927 | ||||||||||
| 8 | Andrews, Mrs. Mark Edwin | ||||||||||
| 9 | Angel, John (statue, portrait) | ||||||||||
| 10 | Announcements - Official | ||||||||||
| 11 | Anti-reds pamphlets, 1950s | ||||||||||
| 12 | Association of Rice Alumni | ||||||||||
| 13 | Athletics, (folder 1) 1918-27 | ||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 15 | 1 | Athletics, 1918-43 | |||||||||
| 2 | Telegrams concerning Atomic Energy [Atomic Bomb, 1945] | ||||||||||
| 3 | Autry House | ||||||||||
| 4 | [Anonymous lectures in memory of Stockton] Axson | ||||||||||
| 5 | Captain Baker | ||||||||||
| 6 | British Educational Mission (Nov 1918) | ||||||||||
| 7 | C Misc. | ||||||||||
| 8 | Clubs - Houston | ||||||||||
| 9 | Cohen, George S. and; Cohen House corres., 1920s-30s | ||||||||||
| 10 | A.B. Cohn | ||||||||||
| 11 | Commencement, 1916 | ||||||||||
| 12 | Commencement, 1917 | ||||||||||
| 13 | Commencement, 1918 | ||||||||||
| 14 | Commencement, 1919 | ||||||||||
| 15 | Commencement, 1920 | ||||||||||
| 16 | Commencement, 1921 | ||||||||||
| 17 | Commencement, 1922 | ||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 16 | 1 | Commencement, 1923 | |||||||||
| 2 | Commencement, 1924 | ||||||||||
| 3 | Commencement, 1925 | ||||||||||
| 4 | Commencement, 1926 | ||||||||||
| 5 | Commencement, 1927 | ||||||||||
| 6 | Commencement, 1928 | ||||||||||
| 7 | Commencement, 1929 | ||||||||||
| 8 | Commencement, 1930 | ||||||||||
| 9 | Commencement, 1931 | ||||||||||
| 10 | Commencement, 1932 | ||||||||||
| 11 | Commencement, 1933 | ||||||||||
| 12 | Commencement, 1934 | ||||||||||
| 13 | Commencement, 1935 | ||||||||||
| 14 | Commencement, 1936 | ||||||||||
| 15 | Commencement, 1937 | ||||||||||
| 16 | Commencement, 1938 | ||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 17 | 1 | Commencement, 1939 | |||||||||
| 2 | Commencement, 1940 | ||||||||||
| 3 | Commencement, 1941 | ||||||||||
| 4 | Commencement, 1942 | ||||||||||
| 5 | Commencement, 1943 | ||||||||||
| 6 | Commencement, 1944 | ||||||||||
| 7 | Commencement, 1945 | ||||||||||
| 8 | Commencement, 1946 | ||||||||||
| 9 | 3rd Commissioning Ceremony (28 Feb. 1945) | ||||||||||
| 10 | Cooperative Store | ||||||||||
| 11 | Cram and; Ferguson | ||||||||||
| 12 | D misc. | ||||||||||
| 13 | Deferment records, (folder 1) 1941-47 | ||||||||||
| 14 | Deferment records, (folder 2) 1941-47 | ||||||||||
| 15 | Deferment records, (folder 3) 1941-47 | ||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 18 | 1 | Deferment records (folder 4) 1941-47 | |||||||||
| 2 | Deferment records (folder 5) 1941-47 | ||||||||||
| 3 | Deferment records (folder 6) 1941-47 | ||||||||||
| 4 | [PhD] Degrees awarded by the Rice Institute | ||||||||||
| 5 | Degrees conferred by the Rice Institute | ||||||||||
| 6 | Dinner guests | ||||||||||
| 7 | Dinner programs | ||||||||||
| 8 | Diploma -framing | ||||||||||
| 9 | E misc. | ||||||||||
| 10 | [Bureau of] Education | ||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 19 | 1 | Engineering Alumni of the Rice Institute | |||||||||
| 2 | Engineering Associations, etc. | ||||||||||
| 3 | Engineering graduates of the Rice Institute - positions held | ||||||||||
| 4 | First Rice Engineering Show - 1920 | ||||||||||
| 5 | Rice Engineering Society | ||||||||||
| 6 | Engineers, American Association of | ||||||||||
| 7 | Engineers' Council for Professional Development | ||||||||||
| 8 | Professional Engineers, Texas State Board of Registration | ||||||||||
| 9 | F misc. | ||||||||||
| 10 | Faculty business | ||||||||||
| 11 | Faculty Club, (folder 1) 1928-49 | ||||||||||
| 12 | Faculty Club, (folder 2) 1928-49 | ||||||||||
| 13 | Faculty Club, (folder 3) 1928-49 | ||||||||||
| 14 | Faculty lectures | ||||||||||
| 15 | Faculty salaries: 1920, 1945 | ||||||||||
| 16 | Faculty statistics | ||||||||||
| 17 | Financial questions | ||||||||||
| 18 | Founder | ||||||||||
| 19 | French Mission | ||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 20 | 1 | French Mission I (1937) | |||||||||
| 2 | French Mission II (1937) | ||||||||||
| 3 | French Mission III (2 April 1937) | ||||||||||
| 4 | G misc. | ||||||||||
| 5 | General, (folder 1) 1940-48 | ||||||||||
| 6 | General, (folder 2) 1940-48 | ||||||||||
| 7 | Geddes Prize | ||||||||||
| 8 | Gifts to the Rice Institute | ||||||||||
| 9 | Godwin Lectureship - correspondence, 1919-20 | ||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 21 | 1 | Godwin Lectureship - correspondence, 1921-40 | |||||||||
| 2 | Godwin Lectureship - clippings | ||||||||||
| 3 | Goethe | ||||||||||
| 4 | Graduate work in the South | ||||||||||
| 5 | Guggenheim Foundation correspondence | ||||||||||
| 6 | H misc. | ||||||||||
| 7 | Harvard | ||||||||||
| 8 | |||||||||||