When Frank Abell walked into the Woodson Research Center at Rice University’s Fondren Library this summer, he wasn’t just stepping into an archive — he was stepping into his family’s history.
Abell, a rising senior at Tyler Legacy High School and a prospective college student, visited campus with his family and grandmother, Mary Anderson Abell, to explore the Benjamin M. Anderson Collection on the History of Aeronautics — a donation Frank’s great-grandfather made to Rice nearly four decades ago.
“I knew he had a collection, but I didn’t know really how big it was or the real impact it makes,” Frank said. “It’s really interesting to see just how passionate he was about aeronautics — he really loved airplanes. You can tell from everything in there.”
Benjamin Monroe Anderson, Mary’s father and Frank’s great-grandfather, was a Houston entrepreneur with a deep passion for aviation. Over more than 20 years, he built an extensive collection of books, photos, aircraft manuals and memorabilia through a London rare book dealer. In 1986, he and his wife, Mary Lois Greenwood Anderson, donated the materials to Rice, keeping them in the city where he founded his company and made his home.
“The Benjamin Monroe Anderson Collection on the History of Aeronautics at Fondren Library is an incredibly rich collection of nearly 3,000 books and journals featuring hot-air balloon flight, early airplane flight, wartime aviation and space flight,” said Amanda Focke, head of special collections at the Woodson Research Center. “The companion archival collection includes airplane models, brochures, manuals and photographs. These are very special collections representing the history of engineering and passion for flight — it’s an honor to provide research access to them.”
“This is where he started his company. And Houston was his home,” Mary said. “They both recognized the value that Rice and its education has had to the city of Houston. That’s why they directed not just the aeronautical collection here but other philanthropies as well.”
The multigenerational family visit to the Anderson Collection was more than just a nostalgic trip. It was also a chance for Frank to explore Rice as a potential future home. With a strong interest in engineering and a mechanical inclination he says mirrors that of his great-grandfather, Frank felt a natural connection to both the campus and the legacy housed in Fondren.
“I know they’ve got a great engineering program, and especially with my family history in aeronautics and airplanes, this collection means a lot to me,” he said. “I know that with aeronautical engineering, I’d be set up well coming to Rice as a student.”
The campus left a strong first impression, he said.
“Everything I’ve seen has been great. Everybody’s been kind. It seems like a very, very nice college,” Frank said. “I like the student life side — the rec center is really cool, and all the dining seems really good.”
For Mary, who brought along various members of her family for the occasion, the trip fulfilled a long-held desire to see her father’s collection in its new home.
“I thought, you know, I’m not getting younger. I haven’t seen it, and it was part of my dad’s office — on little shelves and things,” she said. “It’s kind of just out there on paper if you don’t go and see it. I didn’t want to get any older and not have done it.”
She said watching her family dive into the collection made the experience all the more meaningful.
“We walked in, and I wasn’t sure what they were going to do. In five minutes, they were all pulling books out and looking at things. It really kindled some excitement,” Mary said. “I don’t think it had to do with Daddy. I think it had to do with aeronautics. They were just curious about what was in these books.”
Still, the connection to Anderson’s life and passion resonated deeply.
“Dad was like a renaissance man,” Mary said. “He had a lot of hobbies. And if things involved anything that had to do with a motor, he wanted to know all about it. Aeronautics was his true passion.”
Frank echoed that sentiment, reflecting on how the visit had inspired him.
“I’ve heard that he was very mechanically inclined — my grandmother always tells me I’m like him in the way I can deal with things mechanically,” he said. “That sort of makes me want to pursue what he did. If I’m so much like him, I might as well try what he did.”
And while Mary made the visit to honor her father’s memory, she left proud of the future.
“Mother and Daddy were honored by Fondren years ago. … We’re proud of what they did,” she said. “I’m just glad we got to be part of it.”