Jones College at Rice University: A Legacy of Community, Change, and Connection

Rice University, originally known as the William Marsh Rice Institute for the Advancement of Letters, Science, and Art, boasts a rich history intertwined with the growth of Houston and the evolution of higher education. Among its distinctive features is its residential college system, a cornerstone of the Rice experience. Jones College, one of these residential colleges, holds a unique place in the university's narrative.

The Genesis of Rice University

The story of Rice University begins with William Marsh Rice, a Massachusetts businessman who amassed a fortune in Texas through real estate, railroad development, and cotton trading. In 1891, Rice chartered a free-tuition educational institute in Houston, named after himself, stipulating that it be created upon his death and funded by the bulk of his estate. His will specified that the institution should be "a competitive institution of the highest grade" and initially restricted admission to white students.

Tragedy struck in 1900 when Rice was murdered in New York. A subsequent investigation revealed a plot by Rice's lawyer and valet to steal his fortune by forging a new will. Fortunately, Rice's friend and personal lawyer in Houston, Captain James A. Baker, intervened, exposing the fraudulent will and ensuring that Rice's fortune, worth $4.6 million in 1904 (equivalent to $125 million in 2024), was directed towards establishing the Rice Institute.

In 1907, the Board of Trustees selected Edgar Odell Lovett, a mathematician from Princeton University, to be the institute's first president. Lovett embarked on extensive research, visiting 78 institutions of higher learning worldwide, drawing inspiration from the aesthetic uniformity of the University of Pennsylvania and the residential college system of Cambridge University.

The William Marsh Rice Institute for the Advancement of Letters, Science, and Art opened its doors on September 23, 1912, the 12th anniversary of William Marsh Rice's murder. The inaugural class comprised 59 students, known as the "59 immortals," and about a dozen faculty members. In accordance with William Marsh Rice's will and the Rice Institute's initial charter, students paid no tuition.

The Residential College System: A Foundation for Community

The residential college system at Rice University is a defining aspect of the undergraduate experience. Approximately three-quarters of Rice's undergraduate population resides on campus, fostering a strong sense of community and belonging. Housing is divided among eleven residential colleges, each named after university historical figures and benefactors.

In 1955, President William Houston announced the launch of the residential college system.

Jones College: A Tribute to Mary Gibbs Jones

Jones College holds the distinction of being the first women's residence on the Rice campus. Established in 1957, it was followed by Brown College. According to legend, the women's colleges were deliberately situated at the opposite end of campus from the existing men's colleges to preserve campus propriety, a value cherished by Edgar Odell Lovett. The path connecting the north colleges to the center of campus was humorously dubbed "Virgin's Walk."

Jesse H. and Mary Gibbs Jones were Texas legends whose generosity profoundly impacted Rice and Houston for generations. Jesse, a successful businessman, civic servant, and philanthropist, and Mary, a lover of literature, music, education, and travel, shared a commitment to community and opportunity. Together, they supported numerous scholarship programs, with a particular focus on including women.

In 1955, Mary and Jesse recognized an opportunity to make a lasting impact on Rice with the launch of the residential college system. Jesse Jones passed away before the college opened, but Jones College stands as his personal tribute to Mary.

Read also: The Rise of Jack Jones

Houston Endowment: A Legacy of Philanthropy

Jesse H. and Mary Gibbs Jones established Houston Endowment on September 25, 1937, with a vision of a vibrant community where all residents have the opportunity to thrive. Through the Endowment, they addressed critical social issues, inspiring its work today.

Jesse H. Jones, who moved to Houston in 1898, became an influential force in the city's civic life and business community. Mary Gibbs, an active community volunteer, helped establish some of Houston's early nonprofit institutions.

Prior to establishing Houston Endowment, the Joneses made significant personal contributions to colleges, hospitals, orphanages, museums, and other civic institutions. In 1937, they established Houston Endowment to improve the quality of life for people in Houston.

In the 1940s, Jones began transferring several of his buildings and businesses to the foundation, increasing Houston Endowment's annual grants. A number of these contributions were made to scholarship programs with careful consideration to include women as well as students at Prairie View A&M University. By the mid-1950s, the foundation had helped more than 4,000 students attend 57 colleges and universities.

In 1954, Mrs. Jones joined Houston Endowment's board of directors. Soon after, the foundation made a $1 million grant to build the Mary Gibbs Jones College at Rice Institute, enabling women to live on campus for the first time.

Read also: Cost of Attendance at BJU

The Evolution of Rice University: From Segregation to Diversity

From its founding until the early 1960s, Rice University prohibited the admission of Black students. However, growing national pressure and the moral and political imperatives of the civil rights movement led the Rice trustees to desegregate the university and initiate a legal process to remove racial barriers from its charter.

In 1963, the governing board of Rice University filed a lawsuit to allow the university to modify its charter to admit students of all races and to charge tuition. Ph.D. student Raymond Johnson became the first black Rice student when he was admitted that year. In 1964, Rice officially amended the university charter to desegregate its graduate and undergraduate divisions. The Trustees of Rice University prevailed in a lawsuit to void the racial language in the trust in 1966. Rice began charging tuition for the first time in 1965.

A Yearly Reunion: Preserving Memories

The yearly reunion started when Linda Cherrington ’72 invited three friends - Madeleine Duvic ’73, Catherine Krahl Faubion ’72 and Kathleen Ryan McLaurin ’73 - for a weekend trip. Two years later, six friends gathered in San Antonio. Over time, the group continued to grow by the dozens as they met in cities across Texas, returning once more to New Orleans.

“We chat, eat, chat some more and eat some more,” Julie Itz ’72 (Jones College) said. “We didn't necessarily know each other at Rice, so this gives us an opportunity to connect and get to know each other better. Julie has become the organizing heart of the gatherings, stepping up to coordinate when Linda passed the baton in the early 2000s. “I started keeping the list,” she said, referring to a spreadsheet of 120 to 150 alumnae. She shares life updates and photos to help maintain bonds between reunions.

This past April, the group gathered on Rice’s campus, a location full of shared history, as many had recently marked their 50th reunions. In addition to creating plenty of nostalgia, the weekend included a new dimension: preserving stories. The alumnae worked with Rice University historian Portia Hopkins to share their personal histories with the Woodson Research Center at Fondren Library. They arrived with scrapbooks, mementos and vivid memories of a formative era.

“These women are incredible,” Portia said. “They shared these beautiful stories about experiences living on campus in the early 1970s that you cannot get just by exploring the Campanile. From protests over Vietnam and the Masterson affair, to the end of Saturday classes and curfews, the women witnessed a dramatic shift in culture and university life.

Portia noted that the women’s stories help document Rice’s transformation. “These were women at a university undergoing a ‘second founding,’” she said. “They came to an integrated, tuition-charging institution with a 4:1 male-to-female ratio. They built community and formed bonds, played bridge and had beer mattress parties, cheered at the football games and marched to protest the Vietnam War. They lived through so much between 1963-1977 that they can really speak to the immense changes that oc curred throughout the country, but also right here at Rice. Julie emphasized the urgency of preserving these memories. “We’re getting older, becoming the bionic women with hip and knee replacements, and we’re starting to lose people,” she said.

Brown College: A Sister College with a Unique Identity

The history of Brown College dates back to the early 1960s when Jones was the only all-women’s college on campus. A severe housing shortage forced some Rice women to be housed in the dorms of nearby Texas Women’s University, which incited the plans to build another women’s college on campus. Through the generous $1 million donation of George R. Brown and his wife Alice Pratt Brown, a new women’s residential college was established in the memory of their sister-in-law, Margarett Root Brown. Thus the Enlightened Era of Rice University began on October 3, 1965 with the dedication of Brown College.

In the beginning, Brown had a housemother who lived in the Resident Associate’s (RA) apartment and required all women to check in and out of the building at night and on weekends. The first Magister of Brown was Frank Vandiver, who later became president of Texas A&M University. In 1966, he resigned from Brown because of a “scandal” - the members of Brown blazed a trail for future generations by voting to drink alcohol in their own rooms (provided they were of legal drinking age). Vandiver resigned because he considered it inappropriate behavior for young ladies.

Up until her death in 1985, Alice Pratt Brown was an active patron of the college, giving the college much of the furniture and art in the first floor lobbies and private dining room. As the colleges became coed in 1971, Brown held out as the only female college until 1987, when male members were accepted into the college for the first time.

Traditions at Brown College

Brown College boasts a number of unique traditions that contribute to its vibrant community:

BROWN SKATE: During O-Week, Brown rents out a roller rink and takes our newest Brownies skating!
BIRTHDAYS: This person must be soaked in the sacred waters of the Fairy Fountain to ensure good luck and success over the next year.
BROWN DEFENSE: Brown College has had enough. We build barricades and bombard the runners with water balloons as they try to infiltrate our home.
FRIDAYS IN THE QUAD (FITQ): The Brown EC and Committees host Fridays in the Quad! Filled with food, music, games, and drinks, FITQ is a great way to just hang out in the Quad as you pass by or for the whole afternoon.
Snow Ball: Snow Ball is one of our newer traditions, where we celebrate the spirit of winter and the end of the fall semester with a fabulous winter formal (Snow Ball).
FLOORLYMPICS: Floorlympics is a great exhibition of Brown’s floor culture. Each floor comes down in their own special jerseys (shirts/tanks), and we compete in watermelon eating, juice pong, volleyball, tug of war, and cheer battles.
COLLEGE NIGHT: While every college has college nights, Brown’s are whole College Weeks.
BACCHANALIA: Brown makes sure your Rice experience is a complete college one by hosting Bacchanalia, an evening to rival the parties of Olympus!

Rice University Today

Rice University has evolved into a leading research university with a commitment to academic excellence, diversity, and community engagement. Its undergraduate students are admitted from a centralized admissions process, and students are encouraged to select the major path that best suits their desires; a student can later decide that they would rather pursue study in another field, or continue their current coursework and add a second or third major. Rice offers 360 degrees in over 60 departments.

Under the leadership of President Reginald DesRoches, Rice University continues to expand its local and global footprint, building on its legacy of innovation and impact.

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