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Rice and the Swc TION OF RICE ALUMNI VOLUME 40, NUMBER 3 FEBRUARY—MARCH 1984 RICE AND THE SWC ngui lowi INSIDE: Cuthbertson Interviews Hobby The Strange Case of William Sidis 1984 Self Study Preliminary Report FEB.-MAR. 1984, VOL. 40/6 Full-Time Hobby BY GILBERT M. CUTHBERTSON 4 Popular Rice political science pro essor Gilbert "Doc C" Cuthbertson interviews Texas Lieuten- EDITOR ant Governor William P HobbV, Jr. '53 about Rice, Austin, and what the future may hold. Virginia Hines '78 SCIENCE EDITOR The Strange Case of William Sidis 6 B.C. Robison Billed as the "world's youngest professor" when he came to study and teach at Rice in 1915, DESIGN "boy wonder" Sidis died 30 years later in obscurity. Now, as several books by or about Sidis are Carol Edwards about to make a belated appearance, his contributions are finally being reevaluated. PHOTOGRAPHER Pam Morris BY LINDA PHILLIPS DRISKILL '61 STUDENT ASSISTANTS On Being Rice . 8 Grace Marie Brown '84 Every ten years, virFien committees of administration, faculty, staff, students, and alumni sit Joan Hope '84 down to evaluate the university, feedback from the greater Rice community is vital. Here we offer preliminary conclusions and encourage readers to let committee chairmen know how OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION OF RICE ALUMNI they feel about the state of the university in 1984. President, Joseph F. Reilly, Jr. '48 President-Elect, Harvin C. Moore, Love It or Leave It 10 1st Vice-President, Carl Morris '76 etbc Once again the old question is raging: should Rice throw in the towel in the Southwest Confer- 2nd Vice-President, Carolyn Devi ccahuoslae ence? In this issue professors James Castarieda and Harold Rorschach spell out the pros and Treasurer, Jack Williams '34 in his cons of keeping a Division I football team in Rice Stadium. Past President, Catherine C. Han Executive Director, Kathryn A. D tuxnater, ASSOCIATION COMMITTEE 1941- current SALLYPORT, I thought I would send in write a better paper, you will have a better ON PUBLICATIONS on Sot the enclosed information anyway. paper. If you draw better pictures but report Chairman, Patti Shelton Simon '654>S.W utIi My father, W.M. Nathan (1894-1979), en- and write poorly, you may have a mediocre Cochairman, Charles Szalkowski War tered Rice Institute's first class in 1912 and paper. I laid before me on my desk the W.W. Akers 1 duo: W.V. Ballew, Jr. '40 .e graduated "with distinction" in 1916. He was September/October 1983 issue and the June O aS C John B. Boles '65 the first editor of the Campani/e and a life- 1983 issue, and I would be hard-pressed to bask long Rice booster. say which has the 1980s graphic look. Brent Breedin S now Multiple Degrees His son, Charles C. Nathan, graduated In regard to the cover of the September/ Franz Brotzen I was interested in the story on three-generation in the class of '40 with a BS in ChE, and was October 1983 issue, how did the Apoli- Christopher Ekren '84 and. Rice families in the November 1983-January 1984 the first son of a Rice graduate to graduate. headed teacher eat part of the apple sitting Ira Gruber ii Homecoming edition. Our family takes pride in Another son, Meyer J. Nathan (1937-1981), re- on her desk? Incidentally, the drawing re- Darrell Hancock '68 playat bll having had three members take degrees in the ceived a BS in 1959, and went on to teach his- minds me vaguely of Marcel Duchamp's Harry Holmes '66 same year. Is this unusual? tory at Colorado State University until his style, circa 1920. Harvin C. Moore, Jr. '59 aarrnliee; They were M.D. Patrick Groves MSEE '64, death. Lastly, your assertion that "the new SALLY- Sara Meredith Peterson '47 heirb: tr Patricia Dodds Groves BA '64, and R.V.M. Will Nathan had three nieces and neph- PORT will lead the innovators of the 1980s" Harold E. Rorschach Groves BA '64. Pat Groves is now president of ews who graduated from Rice—Edna Leah might be a bit premature. At any rate. I hope Ewa Thompson Access Computers with offices in Santa Clara, Jacobs Frosch '35, Louis K. Jacobs '38, and Sa- you do succeed in restoring the integrity of UNIVERSITY ALUMNI GOVERN( RICE r-icalnufdeEi California; Patricia is with Information Solutions dye Rose Jacobs Goodstein '40. He also had a the SALLYPORT. Please let me know when you David Farnsworth '42 in San Jose, California; and R.V.M.(Mike) is great-niece, Diana Frosch Schoolnick, and a have done so! I wasn't aware that it had Neal Lacey '56 3asBi ,u.1d vice-president of Evans-Monical in Houston. great-nephew, Jack Jacobs, both of whom eroded. William McCardell '48 .riThdE, I am the mother of Pat and Mike Groves and graduated in the mid-1960s. JOHN P. PAPUGA '51 Louis Spaw, Jr. '40 the former mother-in-law of Patricia. I have a pnd So, in three generations we had a total of Pittsburgh SALLYPORT CUSPS 412-950) is publisl picture taken of them together at graduation in the eight graduates in my family. Not a bad track September, November, FebruarY, ai 1964. Proud of Rice, Admires Athletes record! and June by the Association of RiOi-41 to MRS. ALGIE GROVES I was dismayed to see the CHARLES C. NATHAN '40 letter m the November Alumni, and is sent free to all uni'J Quanah, Texas '83 SALLYPORT from the graduate who was Socorro, New Mexico alumni, parents of students, and t ashamed of Rice because of its football team's I am another four-degree alum: BA '76, MEE Second class postage paid at Houed •cr in w iPbct We all enjoyed the recent SALLYPORT article on performance. I find it hard to believe that '77, MS '79, PhD '81. Texas. multi-generation Rice families, since we are anyone who went there could ever be loss MICHAEL PATRICK BIENVENU on the verge of becoming a third generation o rot rn2 ac3 Falls Church, Virginia ashamed of Rice. The correspondent also William Marsh Rice University offi of graduates. mentioned withholding contributions be- equal opportunity to all applicant Thanks for the Memories My father, George Grady Cunyus, gradu- cause of her embarrassment. I plan to in- regard to race, color, sex, age, ridtfor Thanks for the interesting articles that let me ated in 1922, and my mother, Ruby King crease mine because of her attitude. ethnic origin, or physical handicd:ty'd keep up with Rice activities and people. Cunyus, in 1923. I graduated in 1951, and my I have only admiration for athletes who by son, John Grady Cunyus, will graduate at the Editorial offices for SALLYPORT are b TIM EBERSOLE '76 participate in sports at Rice, given the size of w s's Spring 1984 commencement. in the Allen Center for Business Al I Red Bank, New Jersey the school and its attitude towards athletics. Rice University, 6100 South Main ton In addition to this direct three-generation My feelings for Rice, though, are based on Houston, Texas. reo Corrects Tidelands Article line, our family has been well represented by what it is and on my experiences there, not g time The SALLYPORT is a superb publication and I my uncle, Howell H. Cunyus '30; cousin, Howell on some athletic performance somewhere. POSTMASTER: Send address chap di enjoy it very much. However, how wrong can H. Watson '33; my mother's sister and brother-in- I've always been proud of going to Rice. SALLYPORT. Office of Information Se di you be? The Rice-Texas game in 1957 was law, the late Ruth King Hochuli '28 and Paul Ho- STEPHANIE F. WRIT '68 Rice University, PO. Box 1892, Hot of played in Austin, not Houston, and Rice lost. chuli '27; my brother, Karl K. Cunyus '53, who Aiken, South Carolina Texas 77251. It was the Owls' only SWC defeat that year, left campus to enter service during the Korean Copyright 1984 by the Association 01 naerc, so you are at least correct about the champi- War; and my first cousin, Howell Cunyus's Another Owl Mascot Alumni, Rice University. onship(who could get that wrong?). This is a My roommate, a Bryn Mawr alumna, tells me daughter, Patsy Cunyus Johnston '53. sent small matter, I'll admit, but it calls into ques- GEORGE CUNYUS'51 that that institution of higher learning has an owl tion the credibility of other stories. Dallas as its symbol, if not exactly its mascot("Off- G.H. HUDSON 60 spring," November 1983-January 1984 "Through New Forum Houston Questions"New Look" the Sallyport"). Between us we have quite an In this issue SALLYPORT (Arc Your offering called "Face Lift" on the "Through impressive owl collection. gurates an opinion col More 3-Generation Alums Write the Sallyport" page of the September/October JANE CARMICHAEL '79 14inongnivoi:1 Here's one more addition to the three-generation 1983 issue suggested that the "SALLYPORT seeks New York that we hope will give ut hrtst cc Rice families. My great-aunt, Catharine Lefevre, to inform, entertain, and sometimes chal- matriculated in one of the earliest years—I913, I More on South Africa ers the opportunity to lenge its readership." You have challenged vd think—but did not graduate. Her niece(my I would like to puncture the bases of Jack ' out at some length on1 1Sinurv th this reader to take issue with your statement Schriver's protests ("Letters," November '83) con- mother), Ortrud Lefevre Much BA '38, married in the some column that "a new design by Fred Much BA '36, whose brothers Joe BA '37 cerning the alumni association's trip to South Af- of special interest to th Carol Edwards simply restores an integrity rica.
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