ASSOCIATION OF RICE ALUM: VOLUME 43 NUMBER I SEPT -OCT 1980t) Computer-Aided Design Bruce Vernor's China Geoff Winningham's Houston Homecoming '86 Preview - Coolefral SEPT.-OCT. 1986, VOL. 43, NO. 1 Finding a New Face for the Rice Curriculum 8 As Rice faculty members gear up to take a long, hard look at the university's curriculum, EDITOR phrases like "well-rounded education" and "required minor" are being heard more and more Suzanne Johnson often. Sallyport takes a look at the discussions to date, and talks with Rice Provost Neal Lane CONTRIBUTING AND about what the faculty hopes the Rice education will become. STAFF WRITERS Erin Blair '88 Steve Brynes Back to the Drawing Board? Andre Fox '86 10 PHOTOGRAPHERS Not if Rice's Bill Bavinger and John Heile have anything to say about it. Their program in James Bell computer-aided design at Rice's School of Architecture sets out to prove that computers are Kristi Isacksen more than just high-tech substitutes for the drafting table. DESIGNER Carol Edwards Houston: A Place of Dreams 12 OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION OF RICE ALUMNI It's the title of a new book from Rice University Press. It also describes how the co-author, President, Gwynne E. Old '59 Rice professor and photographer Geoff Winningham, sees his city. Fourth in the Sallyport se- President-Elect, William (Bill) Merriman '67 ries saluting Houston's and Texas's sesquicentennials. 1st Vice-President, Nancy Moore Eubank '53 2nd Vice-President, Dan Steiner '77 Treasurer, H. Russell Pitman '58 The China Connection 14 Past President, G. Walter McReynolds '65 Life for Bruce Vernor '52 has been far from dull these past 17 years living overseas. But even Interim Executive Director, Marilyn Moore'59 getting out of Tehran a bare two weeks before the Shah pales next to Vernor's years in China. ASSOCIATION Now, the Rice alumnus is putting his experiences with ARCO China to work in his new role COMMITTEE ON PUBLICATIONS as executive vice president of the National Council on U.S.-China Trade. Gwynne E. Old '59, ex officio Association of Rice Alumni Marilyn Moore '59, ex officio Homecoming 1986 17 Association of Rice Alumni As the calendar rolls toward Rice's homecomizg weekend on November 14-15, alumni around Darrell Hancock '68, chairman the country are gearing up for a full schedule of activities. Check out the preliminary sched- John Boles '65, past chairman W.V. Ballew Jr. '40 ule, and start making plans to attend. Nancy Boothe '52 Brent Breedin Nancy Burch '61 Kent E. Dove Lisa Gray '88 Ira Gruber Robert Patten Patti Simon '65 Geri Snider '80 Linda Leigh Sylvan '73 Charles Szalkowski '70 Class of'57 salutes Peden theme of the meeting was,"Meet the New year is ano, not ano. To omit the diacritical G. King Walters President of Rice University." mark is to misspell the word, which is an il- Our class members were deeply saddened RICE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI GOVERNORS to learn of Ken Peden's death due to inoper- Dr. Rupp explained some of his plans literacy. Furthermore, such omission, for Rice's future programs of excellence, while changing pronunciation, can also Joyce Pounds Hardy '45 able brain cancer on June 14, 1986. Neal T. Lacey Jr. '52 The memorial service on June 17 had and it seemed to me that I could see fulfill- change intended meaning. The Spanish ment of some of the dreams of President word ano has a meaning very different from Jerry McClesky '56 been planned by Ken along with his minis- Pat H. Moore '52 ters at St. Paul's Methodist Church, and it Lovett of Rice as a university of the first that of ano. class. I hope Dr. Rupp can meet other local I am aware of the careless disrespect reflected Ken's irrepressible joy of living, SALLYPORT(USPS 412-950) is published in groups in this manner, for he is certainly for foreign words and names now prevalent his great love of family and friends, and his September, November, February, April Rice's best advertisement. in so much of American writing. Still, it unshakable faith in God and life hereafter. and June by the Association of Rice Isaac C. Sanders '16 pains me to discover such egregious error Ken's mother, Mrs. Clarence Peden, Alumni, and is sent free to all university in a publication associated with Rice. lives in Houston at Bayou Manor, and his Tyler, TX alumni, parents of students, and friends. sister, Mary Claire Peden Bradshaw, lives Ernest Allen Connally '43 Second class postage paid at Houston, Memories of Fondren in Nashville, Tenn. Alexandria, VA Texas. Ken was the managing partner of his The late, great library debate is irresistible. Much ado about paper law firm, Crady & Peden, and had achieved Happily, my impressions of Fondren Library William Marsh Rice University offers numerous professional distinctions, yet it do not coincide with Professor lam amazed at the publicity that the two equal opportunity to all applicants with- was his role as senior class president and Loewenheim's (Sallyport letters, June 1986). most recent parchment diplomas given by out regard to race, color, sex, age, na- then permanent president of the Rice Class General reference needs I faced during Rice have received. When I requested a tional or ethnic origin, or physical of 1957 that Ken viewed as equally special a three-year historical editing project parchment diploma two years ago, it was a handicap. highlights of his lifetime. No one cared funded by the National Historical Publica- very quiet and simple procedure. I am sur- more about our Class of 1957 than Kenneth tions and Records Commission,The Papers prised that no parchment diplomas were is- Editorial offices for SALLYPORT are located Peden. of Carlos Montezuma, were ably met by the sued before 1984. The reasons for not in the Allen Center for Business Activi- Likewise, no one has been more gener- Fondren and its efficient, friendly staff. One wanting a sheepskin diploma can be per- ties, Rice University, 6100 South Main ous in regard to our class than Ken. For ex- expects — and is not disappointed — to find sonal, but are quite obvious to anyone who Street, Houston, Texas. ample, through the years whenever we that Fondren Library is a fairly solid under- cares for animals. planned Class of 1957 reunion parties, Ken graduate library with special strengths in I have been a vegetarian for a number POSTMASTER: Send address changes to always found a way to pick up far more areas where Rice has chosen to concen- of years and, in answer to W.P. Blair's petty SALLYPORT, Office of Information Services, than his share of the cost of those parties in trate. However, Native American history letter in Sallyport, I do not wear leather Rice University, PO. Box 1892, Houston, order to keep prices lower so more persons generally has not been a field cultivated by shoes, leather belts or furs, nor purchase Texas 77251. might attend. Rice through the years with regular courses furniture with leather seats or trim. Yes, if One of Ken's legacies for us would be to or sustained graduate study. So it is with given a choice, I wouldn't sit in a leather Copyright 1986 by the Association of Rice urge us to continue to remember and care considerable delight and not a little pride chair. lam appalled at his attack on two Alumni, Rice University. about our classmates and our university, that one finds the Fondren handily serving students who show a bit more compassion which have been such an important part of research needs falling outside familiar do- than the average human being. Vegetarian- all our lives. mains. ism can mean much more than just a differ- ent Dixie Sick Leggett '57 If a crisis of the magnitude Professor diet. To be quite blunt, I requested a parch- Houston, TX Loewenheim suggests actually prevails, and if remediation avenues described by ment diploma because! did not want a dead sheep Lovett's dreams fulfilled Librarian Carrington are extant and open, hanging on my wall. I prefer to be able to enjoy my memories of Rice and Rice has been very good to me. I registered why the need for faculty lobbying alumni On the cover: via my Rice diploma without also remembering as a freshman in September 1912 with a lot Sallyport? that an animal had to die for it. Jim Rollinson, a fifth-year senior of hopes but very little money. They gave John W. Lamer '60 Lisa Brannon '84 me a job as office boy that paid my room Pennsylvania State University in chemical physics at Rice, puts a and board, and when I left Rice to enter Altoona, PA West Lafayette, IN "fresh face on the Rice curriculum" World War!, I had a B.A. degree in physics A symbolic protest in a photo by James Bell. Special and mathematics and was secretary to Sin of omission Somewhat against my better judgement, I thanks to Neil Havens for the run President Lovett. In the recent article by B.C. Robison about am going to intervene in what is my daugh- I want to report more on a recent meet- Prof. James Copeland's linguistic investiga- of Hamman Hall during the photo ter's business and respond to the letter writ- ing of alumni, friends of Rice, and parents tions in Chihuahua (Sallyport, June) is this shoot. ten by W.P. Blair (Sallyport, June)criticizing of Rice students in the East Texas area. The statement: "Este ano hay bastante comida," the actions of Sarah Duck and Jennifer meeting took place last April 25 in Mar- which is translated, "This year, there is Kavinsky in refusing sheepskin diplomas.