J o nes
C o l l ege
Named for: Mary Gibbs Jones, wife of Jesse H. Jones, founder of the Houston Endowment Inc. Established: 1957 (One of the five original colleges.) First master: Calvin M. Class (physics) Traditions: Originally housed women. Coed conversion: 1980, integrating with then all-male Lovett College. An annual “Birthday Bash” is held to honor the college’s namesake. Past celebrations have included a petting zoo and a college-sized crawfish boil. Every fall, Jones residents conduct a Turkey Drive to raise money for a local food bank. Floors compete against each other, and the one that raises the most receives an all-you-can-eat pizza party. Jones residents are tossed into the “Fairy Fountain” on their birthdays. Famous for: First on-campus housing for female students and first residence hall built specifically as a college. The building went almost completely unfurnished for its first six weeks. In the early days, the culture was quite conservative since the college was all female. Women were expected to maintain ladylike manners, and the college’s house mothers enforced strict rules during visits by men from the south colleges. In 2001, an addition connecting Jones North and Jones South on four levels was added, creating a new Jones Commons. A new kitchen and servery now serve Jones, Brown and Martel.
L o vett
C o l l ege
Named for: Edgar Odell Lovett, founding president of the Rice Institute (1908–46) Established: 1969 First masters: Robert Curl (chemistry) and Jonel Curl Traditions: Originally housed men. Coed conversion: 1980, integrating with then all-female Jones College. The Casino Party is an annual event featuring an elaborate themed outdoor facade. Residents play traditional casino games with fake money that is converted to raffle tickets and prizes. Lovett residents like to show their spirit by bleaching their hair yellow-orange during Willy Week and spray painting it blue and yellow for Beer Bike. Famous for: Designed in the 1960s during the time of riots, Lovett has a brick-and-wire grating enclosing the outside hallways. It is rumored that the architects took the country’s political climate into account in creating the design, and Lovett is considered “riot proof.” Residents affectionately call the building “The Toaster” due to the unusual exterior.
Fall ’07
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