Rice University is a private, independent institution of higher learning in Houston. It has earned praise as one of the prominent teaching and research facilities in the United States. Rice is known for its relatively small size and selective admissions. It is a member of the Association of American Universities, an organization of North America’s leading research schools.
In 1891, American businessman William Marsh Rice chartered the William Marsh Rice Institute for the Advancement of Letters, Science, and Art. Rice left funds in his will to establish the institution, which was to be built after his death. In 1900, his valet Charles Jones murdered Rice in a plan to claim Rice’s estate with a false will. Rice’s own attorney, Captain James A. Baker, uncovered the plot and cleared the way for the university’s opening in 1912. Recognizing its broadening scope, the school adopted its present name in 1960.
Well-known graduates of Rice University include authors John Graves and Larry McMurtry; businessmen Charles W. Duncan and John H. Duncan; and Nobel Prize winners Robert F. Curl (chemistry) and Robert W. Wilson (physics). The university’s athletic teams are called the Owls.
The university’s website at https://www.rice.edu/ offers additional information.
