Friends of Fondren Library at Rice University kicked off its 75th anniversary year with its annual Membership Celebration and Dinner at Cohen House Sept. 17.
During the event, retired Rice Centennial Historian Melissa Kean ’96, ’00 gave a history of Fondren Library and the Friends of Fondren Library’s organization and programs in a special presentation titled “75 Years of Friends of Fondren Library: A Look Back.”
“It was great celebrating 75 years of contributions by the Friends of Fondren,” said Sara Lowman, vice provost and university librarian. “This group has been invaluable in supporting library programs, collections and spaces over the years. Catherine James and Laura Turley did an outstanding job planning the event.”
Rice’s library was initially housed in Lovett Hall in the university’s early days, before Fondren’s current building was built in 1949. The very next year, Friends of Fondren was established when some 30 friends met on the evening of May 30, 1950.
“Friends of Fondren library is among the oldest friends organizations for academic libraries, founded before the trend took off later that decade,” said Mary Lowery, executive director of the Friends of Fondren Library. “If you look at the people who were on the steering committee for that first meeting, it’s kind of a ‘Who’s who?’ of Rice at that period of time, including Katherine Tsanoff Brown, Margaret Dudley Cashman, David Hannah Jr., William Hudspeth and James Whitcomb” Lowery said. “We are spending this academic year celebrating their vision and the organization’s successes, culminating in our gala in March of 2025.”
The library is named for Walter W. Fondren, a co-founder of the Humble Oil & Refining Company, whose family donated $1 million in 1946 for construction of the library.
The Friends of Fondren Library is dedicated to stimulating growth in library resources and facilities for the 21st century. The organization seeks to heighten community and alumni interest in Fondren Library and to support academic programs at Rice by funding library collections and facilities.
