The Butler Did It!

Sometimes reality is stranger with fiction. That’s surely the case with the history of Rice University. Students hurrying to classes on the campus of this renowned research university have no idea that there almost was no Rice University. It’s a tangled tale of greed, conspiracy, forged and contested wills.William Marsh Rice’s second wife, Elizabeth Baldwin Rice, was, shall we say, a bit insecure and self-centered. She loved to entertain and demanded adequate quarters to do that in grand style. The couple kept apartments in hotels in New York City and Houston, where they stayed at the Capitol which her husband owned. She referred to herself alternately as Mrs. Rice of Houston and Mrs. Rice of New York, though she preferred the social scene in New York. When she had a stroke, her husband sent her to a facility in Minnesota because he thought she would benefit from cooler weather. Mrs. Orren Holt accompanied her and was among her constant companions.

Mrs. Rice’s mind was affected by the stroke, and urged by lawyer Orren Holt, she made out a new will. Instead of leaving everything to her husband, she distributed large sums far and wide to relatives and causes of her own choosing. She would have the will filed in Texas, where her estate would be entitled to half her husband’s considerable fortune. Holt was executor, for which he would receive the enormous sum of $100,000.

Rice himself meanwhile knew nothing of this new will and was devoted to the idea of establishing an institute in Houston to be known as the Wm. M. Rice Institute of Literature, Science and Art, and to which he would leave his entire fortune. The institute was incorporated in Austin, and Rice’s attorney, James A. Baker, Jr., chaired the board.

After a second stroke, Elizabeth Rice died and the will was filed. Rice was shocked. If the will stood, he would not have the funds to establish his institute. He appealed, and the case hinged on residency. Rice claimed his wife’s primary residence was in New York and the will was not valid in Texas.

Rice, now an octogenarian, established himself in an apartment in New York City, with one Charlie Jones as his man servant. He had Houston businessman Emanuel Raphael looking after the institute’s business and a young but highly capable Arthur Cohn handling all other business affairs in Houston.

It began to look as if Mrs. Rice’s lawyers were not going to be able to establish her Texas residency, so Holt hired Albert Patrick, an unsuccessful and unscrupulous lawyer, disbarred in Texas, to investigate in New York City. Patrick befriended Charlie Jones and convinced him he had earned a legacy from Rice. Slowly, he drew Jones into a complicated scheme of forged wills and correspondence, had him convince Rice to take mercury pills for his digestion, and finally convinced the gullible Jones to smother his already-weakened employer with chloroform.

The story gets even more exciting after Rice’s death when newspapers had a field day with the story of the millionaire who, in life, had shunned publicity. But read it for yourself in the new edition of the 1972 biography, William Marsh Rice and His Institute, edited by Randal Hall, written by Sylvia Stallings Morris, and based on the research notes and papers of Andrew Forest Muir.

You can guess the outcome, of course: Rice University is today one of the nation’s leading universities. But how its legacy was saved by one determined lawyer and what happened to the villains makes pretty interesting reading. It’s as good as a lot of modern-day whodunits.

Written By: Judy Alter

Judy Alter is the author of the Kelly O’Connell Mysteries, Skeleton in a Dead Space, No Neighborhood for Old Women, and the forthcoming Trouble in a Big Box, as well as the Blue Plate Mysteries which will debut in January. For twenty years, she served as director of TCU Press.

Your Weekend: Exploring the Brazos River

No summer is complete without an outdoor adventure.  Why not make a new summer memory, and explore a Texas river that is unlike any other? The Brazos River is both Texas's longest river and it has the largest flow of any other river in the state. Whether you want to canoe, fish, swim, camp, kayak, boat, or tube, the possibilities are endless along the Brazos River. Take a break from your routine and experience the beauty and mystery of being outdoors.

The Brazos River of Texas begins in eastern New Mexico and empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The river is lengthy, and no two places along it are the same. The river’s flow is constantly changing, along with its variation in ecology and wildlife. Some of the wildlife you can find include snakes, ducks, snails, beavers, alligator gar, turtles, and many different species of fish. But don’t worry; most of these animals are afraid of humans and only attack when cornered!

Exploring the Brazos River: From Beginning to End (Texas A&M University Press, 2011) by Jim Kimmel is your ultimate guide to having the best summer adventure yet. Filled with beautiful photographs, maps, landmarks, and descriptions of both the river’s ecology and flow, it is perfect for any outdoor enthusiast. Kimmel also provides the inside scoop on specific places to explore the river and land surrounding it.

Author Jim Kimmel and Photographer Jerry Touchstone Kimmel have provided us with a summary of their book and why they wrote it:

“Can’t afford to explore the Amazon River? Then explore the Brazos. It is a wild place with ‘gators, gars, snakes, and even some pretty wild natives. The 400 miles from Waco to the mouth of the river near Freeport is one of the longest undammed lengths of river in the U.S. The river’s history is long and fascinating. Clovis people lived on its banks at least 12,000 years ago, and the Brazos was the main transportation artery for the Anglo settlement of Texas as steamboats struggled against floods or crawled over sandbars. Four tributaries flowing from just below the Caprock Escarpment east of Lubbock form the modern Brazos, but its drainage extends into eastern New Mexico. The upper tributaries are bright red and one is saltier than sea water.

We wrote this book to inspire you to explore the Brazos to learn what it does and how it works. We list all of the places of public access to the Brazos and provide easy-to-understand information about climate, geology, ecology, and people. We hope this book turns you into a river explorer who learns the importance of rivers and wants to protect them.”

Location: Dinosaur Valley State Park, P.O. Box 396, Glen Rose, Texas 76043

Getting There: From College Station take TX-6 North towards Waco for about 80 miles. When you are in Waco you will continue onto TX-6 N/Texas Loop 340 for another 50 miles. Turn left onto TX-144N/Main St in Meridian, and continue for another 24 miles. Turn left onto SW Barnard St, take 3^rd left onto SW Big Bend Trail, and then turn right onto Farm to Market Rd 205. Turn right after 3 miles onto Park Rd 59.

About Dinosaur Valley State Park: Located on Paluxy River, a tributary of the Brazos River, this state park gets its name from the double set of dinosaur tracks once embedded in the river’s bed. Although these tracks were removed to be put on display in museums, there are still similar tracks found throughout the park.

What You'll See: Besides ancient dinosaur track sightings, the state park is a great place for both learning and relaxation. The river is clear and the land surrounding is abundant in vegetation. The park also has great trails for walking and sightseeing.

Kimmel Recommends: Learning more about the river and its flows. “Dinosaur Valley State Park . . . is a wonderful place to learn about the river and the land. . . A trail along the river has a set of signs that explains the fluvial processes of this flashy river.”

Order Exploring the Brazos River: From Beginning to End on our website for more author tips, river facts, and places to visit!



TELL TAMU PRESS: Have you ever explored the Brazos River? What was your favorite experience/memory?

--Madeline Loving

2012 Marks the 99th Anniversary Since World War I

99^TH ANNIVERSARY OF WORLD WAR I

In August 1914, two European coalitions stumbled into war. On one side were the Central Powers: the German and Austro-Hungarian Empires. Quickly they were joined by non-European Turkey and later by a third European (Balkan) nation, Bulgaria.

Facing them was the Triple Entente, comprised of Russia, France and Great Britain and her empire, plus Belgium, Luxembourg, Serbia and Montenegro. Through the course of the war a number of other European powers found it in their interests to enlist with the Allies, including Italy, Romania, Portugal and Greece.

From the beginning, France and Great Britain utilized troops from their empires first to defend their colonial possessions around the world from Africa through Asia to the Pacific Ocean and, second, to provide manpower in the main combat arena on the Western Front in France as well as in the Middle East. Even at the start, participation in the Great War was trans-European.--World War I Historical Association

Soon, the Middle East, Asia, and the United States were also involved.
This year marks the 99th anniversary of the declaration of the first World War.

For more information concerning World War I please go to http://ww1ha.org/ or check out our flyer of World War I books.

Is it "Davy" or "David" Crockett?

In an article by the Houston Chronicle on July 8^th, the Associated Press asks the question “Is it ‘Davy’ or ‘David’ Crockett?” Their article states that “he was born 'David,'” signed documents “David,” and titled his 1834 autobiography A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett of the State of Tennessee.” There’s even a state park using the name “David” in Tennessee, a high school in Washington County using the name “David,” and a book by Buddy Levy using the name “David.” 


However, there are also two additional lakes using “Davy,” as well as a tower in Nashville, another state park in Greene County, and later Bill Hayes, Ernie Ford and Fess Parker’s chart topper song “The Ballad of Davy Crockett.”

Paul Hutton, a history professor at the University of New Mexico who has studied Crockett extensively said “David just doesn’t fit the image of a frontier fighter and brave warrior at the Alamo in Texas.” Michael A. Lofaro, a professor of English at the University of Tennessee who has researched folklore agrees with Hutton saying that “’almanacs’ in the mid-1800s used ‘Davy.’”

Thankfully, the one thing both sides seem to agree on is that he was a “frontiersman, Tennessee legislator, U.S. congressman, defender at the Alamo and folk hero.”

What do you think?

For more information on the controversy surrounding Colonel Crockett, check out our book How Did Davy Die? And Why Do We Care So Much?

A Dog and a Newspaper Column

Did you know that the skies above the Texas coast used to be filled with seemingly limitless numbers of canvasbacks, mallards, and Canada geese? Hunters once harvested ducks, shorebirds, and other waterfowl by the hundreds in a single morning. The hundred-year-period from the mid-19th to the mid-20th centuries brought great changes in attitudes and game laws -- changes initially prompted by sportsmen who witnessed the disappearance of birds and their habitat.

In A Hundred Years of Texas Waterfowl Hunting: The Decoys, Guides, Clubs, and Places, 1870s to 1970s (Texas A&M University Press, 2012), author R. K. Sawyer explores that 100-year period. His book includes research from interviews with experienced waterfowl hunters as well as historical and modern photographs. His book also showcases hunting clubs, decoys, duck and goose calls, equipment, and hunting practices of the period.

 We asked author R. K. Sawyer what inspired him to write a book about waterfowl hunting:

“Credit for ‘A Hundred Years of Texas Waterfowl Hunting’ goes mostly to a dog and a newspaper column. First, the dog. I visited Chet Beaty in 2007 to purchase a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Nellie, and in his office, Chet had a stack of old Texas waterfowling history photos. They were the John Winter Collection, loaned to him by Cliff Fisher, and those hundreds of pictures from 1914 to the 1940s led me to believe someone ought to compile them.  Next, the newspaper. Around the same time, Houston Chronicle ‘Outdoor’ writer Shannon Tompkins wrote of late 1800s canvasbacks in Lake Surprise, Chambers County. That, too, convinced me that someone ought to write a tome on historical Texas water fowling. With the dog, photos, and a newspaper column, I set out on the journey. I was not a writer. But, since then, I have learned that an amateur can write a book; the only difference is that the professional writer can do it in three drafts, the amateur in something a little over a hundred.”

Rob Sawyer has been a waterfowl hunter since 1964, the seeds of his lifelong passion sown on Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay.  Since then Rob has hunted waterfowl over a good portion of the Eastern and Central Flyways, and even New Zealand.  Rob’s inspiration for his two-volume series on the history of Texas waterfowl hunting stems from a lifetime of collecting Chesapeake Bay fowling stories, and over the years, he expanded his interest to include most of North America.  But Rob found little material on Texas, a region he was sure had a waterfowling heritage as robust as those that were better documented.  Rob was right.  The result was his first book, A Hundred Years of Texas Waterfowl Hunting – The Decoys, Guides, Clubs, and Places, and a second volume, due out in 2013, titled Texas Market Hunters, Game Laws, and Outlaws. 

Rob currently resides in Sugar Land, Texas, with his wife Wendy, daughter Christen, and a Chesapeake Bay retriever.  He can found from September through February each year prowling the Texas prairie for geese and cranes, or the coastline for ducks, and is on the staff of Thunderbird Hunting Club in Matagorda. 

Look for A Hundred Years of Texas Waterfowl Hunting this fall! Check out more information about this new book here!

--Madeline Loving

Your Weekend: Galveston's Historic District

Being BOI, or born on the island, is a big deal in Galveston. Artist Eugene Aubry, BOI and nationally famous architect, captures on paper the sensitibilities, the memories, and the grace that evokes Galveston, in his exquisite watercolors and drawings. 

In Born on the Island: The Galveston We Remember (Texas A&M University Press, 2012), artist Eugene Aubry and architectural historian Stephen Fox collaborate to enhance the visual record of the buildings and the unique architectural style many have appreciated over the years, as well as produce a tribute to the great island of Galveston.

The Mallory Building, located in Galveston's famous Strand Historic District and featured in the book, is an example of one nostalgiac Galvestonian site. It's a must-see!

Location: The Mallory Building, 2114 Strand, Galveston, Texas

Getting There: From Houston, take I-45 South for 50 miles. Continue onto TX-87 N/Broadway Avenue J, and turn left onto 33^rd St. After .5 miles turn right onto Harborside Dr, take another quick right onto 22^nd St, and then turn left onto Avenue B/Strand St. The Mallory Building will be on the left!

About the Mallory Building: Located in Galveston’s famous Strand Historic District, the Mallory Building is a recorded Texas Historic Landmark since 1962. Although originally built in 1877, the building was rebuilt in 1881 after a fire. It is a great example of 19^th century architecture and history.

What You’ll See: The Mallory Building, sometimes known as the Produce Building, is located on the most popular street of Galveston, the Strand. Its beautiful Victorian Era architecture contains many layers of space that appeal to its unique architecture design. It also has many arched openings along the sidewalk.

While You’re At It: Walk alongside the most popular tourist attraction in Galveston, the Strand. This strip in downtown Galveston is named as a National Historic Landmark District. The street contains many 19^th century buildings that now house various shops and restaurants, giving tourists much to see, eat, and explore.

--Madeline Loving

Author to be Interviewed About New Book

On August 17, 2012 WCHE Entertainment and Culture Show will interview Brian T. Atkinson, author of I'll Be Here in the Morning: The Songwriting Legacy of Townes Van Zandt. Be sure to listen live over WCHE 1520 AM in Chester County, PA and some surrounding areas starting at approximately 3:00 p.m. ET or on the internet at http://www.wche1520.com/entertainmentandculture.htm. Also check out more information on Brian’s new book here.