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Ray Watkin Strange Research Materials for "William Ward Watkin and the Rice Institute"

 Collection
Identifier: MS 465
Finding aid note: Stored onsite at the Woodson Research Center. Boxes 1-11 in vault, box 12 unprocessed..

Scope and Contents

These materials document the career of William Ward Watkin, including his private architecture practice and well as his relation with Rice Institute, and touches briefly on his personal life. The material was maintained by Watkin's daughter, Ray Watkin Strange, and served as research for the book: William Ward Watkin and The Rice Institute by Patrick James Nicholson (published 1991 by Gulf Pub. Co.). Dates range from 1917-1985, and formats include correspondence, notes, clippings, interviews, brochures, sketches, typescripts, photographs.

Dates

  • 1917-1985

Access Restrictions

No access restrictions; this material is open for research.

Conditions Governing Access

Stored onsite at the Woodson Research Center. Boxes 1-11 store inside vault.

Use Restrictions

No access restrictions, but permission to publish material from the Ray Watkin Hoagland Research Materials for "William Ward Watkin and the Rice Institute"> must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library.

Biographical / Historical

Annie Ray Watkin, eldest of three children of William Ward Watkin and Annie Ray Townsend, was born May 11, 1915 in Houston, TX at the Watkin residence, 5009 Caroline. She was home schooled through second grade by her mother and then entered the Kinkaid School (San Jacinto @ Elgin) where she graduated from the tenth grade. The family traveled to France in 1928-29 for her father to study architecture. In 1930 she entered Chatham Hall, an Episcopal Preparatory School in Chatham, VA and majored in American history. She attended Rice Institute from Sept. 1932 to June 1936, graduating with a baccalaureate degree in liberal arts with a major in French. She was queen of Rice Institute's Archi-Arts Ball in 1936 and the same year was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.

Ray married Carl Biehl, a shipping executive, in Dec. 1939 and moved with him to Washington, DC where he had accepted a position with the War Shipping Department. After her husband left for England with the Army Transportation Corps, Ray returned to Houston and pursued a master of arts degree in the history of art at Rice Institute under the auspices of the School of Architecture and professor James Chillman. She received her MA in 1944. Ray served as secretary of the Houston chapter of the American Red Cross through 1945 and as Red Cross Arts and Skills Corps Chairman in 1947. Ray formed the Rice Alumni History Committee in 1975, now the Alumni Archives Committee, and permanently endows the William Ward Watkin Traveling Scholarship in Architecture. Ray divorced Biehl in 1955 and in 1961 married Henry W. Hoagland, spending time between Boston, Houston, Kennebunkport, ME and Tucson, AZ. Following Hoagland's death, Ray married Robert F. Strange on Jan. 25, 1997 and now lives in Brenham, TX.

Extent

5.5 Linear Feet (11 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Overview

This material covers the architectural career of the Ms. Strange's father, William Ward Watkin, including his private architecture practice and well as his relationship with Rice Institute as Supervising Architect, touching briefly on his personal life. The material was gathered by Ms. Strange and much of it served as research for the book: William Ward Watkin and The Rice Institute by Patrick James Nicholson (published 1991 by Gulf Pub. Co.).

Acquisition Information

The materials were donated by Ray Watkin Strange and Mr. & Mrs. (Rosemary Watkin) Nolan E. Barrick in 1965 and 1979, and deeded as a gift in 1998. Addenda in 1999, 2000.

Related Material

William Ward Watkin Papers MS352

William Ward Watkin and Ray Watkin Hoagland [Strange] information/vertical files

Subjects

Record Groups

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Guide to the Ray Watkin Strange Research Materials for "William Ward Watkin and the Rice Institute,"1917-1985
Status
Completed
Author
Lee Pecht
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

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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