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Rice University George R. Brown School of Engineering records

 Collection
Identifier: UA 237
Finding aid note: Stored off-site at the Library Service Center. Please request this material via woodson@rice.edu or call 713-348-2586.

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of a selection of records of the Rice University Engineering Department (subsequently the George R. Brown School of Engineering) spanning the years from 1916 to 1994. Annual reports for the years 1974-75 through 1991-92, with the exception of 1977-78, 1979-80, and 1983-84, are included. Personnel files relating to faculty appointments from 1975 through 1983 are also included. There are a summary of grants and contracts for the period 1981-86, graduate rosters from 1916 through 1986, a directory of engineers encompassing the period 1916 through 1941, and the 1975-76 Directory of Rice Engineering Alumni. In visual and audio form are two civil engineering items, two pertaining to chemical engineering, and one to environmental science and civil engineering. The collection also includes artwork for an environmental science and engineering article, microcassettes related to the Engineering Department from minute books of the Board of Trustees, and 3.5-inch floppy disks related to an Engineering Division brochure and the Rice Engineer magazine of 1992 and 1994.

Dates

  • 1916 - 1994

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Stored off-site at the Library Service Center. Please request this material via woodson@rice.edu or call 713-348-2586.

Access Restrictions

Access to personnel files is restricted. Contact woodson@rice.edu for further information.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish material from the Rice University George R. Brown School of Engineering records must be facilitated through the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library.

Biographical / Historical

From its opening in 1912, Rice University (then Rice Institute) has offered courses in engineering. The first catalog listed twenty-six faculty members, three of whom were engineers. They offered instruction in chemical, civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering. The first building completed on campus was the mechanical laboratory, which is still in constant use.

Through the years represented in this collection, the School of Engineering added specialists in computer science, environmental science, mathematical sciences, materials science, and statistics. Curricula expanded from offering bachelor’s degrees to the degrees of Master of Arts, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy. By 1992 graduate enrollment in engineering ranged between 370 and 400 annually. Also offered are a professional master’s degree requiring 30 hours of advanced courses beyond the bachelor’s degree, and, in conjunction with the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Administration, a Master of Business Administration/Master of Engineering degree.

The number of full-time faculty grew to 83 in 1990, all of whom held Ph.D.’s and from a wide variety of universities. Measured in dollars spent on Engineering School research, the total in 1990 was over 12 million dollars annually. The wide range of research interests of particular faculty members is represented in the promotion files included in this collection.

Extent

4.5 Linear Feet ( (9 boxes))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Overview

The collection consists of records of the Engineering Department (subsequently the George R. Brown School of Engineering) including annual reports, personnel files having to do with faculty promotion, and a summary of grants and contracts (1981-1986). There are also graduate rosters and directories of Rice Engineering alumni. Visual and audio items pertain to civil engineering, chemical engineering, environmental science and civil engineering, and content from Board of Trustees minute books related to the Engineering Department. Also includes disks related to the Engineering Division brochure and The Rice Engineer magazine. (9 boxes)

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Transferred to the archives via University Historian, Melissa Kean, May 2005.

Subjects

Record Groups

Related Names

Creator

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Guide to the Rice University George R. Brown School of Engineering records, 1916-1994
Status
Completed
Date
2013
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Woodson Research Center, Rice University, Houston, Texas Repository

https://library.rice.edu/woodson
Contact:
Fondren Library MS-44, Rice University
6100 Main St.
Houston Texas 77005 USA

Related Unprocessed Material

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Texas Archival Resources Online - statewide search of archival finding aids
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Scholarship.rice.edu - Rice University digital content

Harmful Content Statement
© 2023 Woodson Research Center
Fondren Library, Rice University
Physical Address: 6100 Main, Houston, Texas 77005-1827
Mailing Address: MS-44, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, Texas 77251-1892