Humanities Building tower is a lasting memorial to alumnus’ parents

Humanities Building tower is a lasting memorial to alumnus’ parents

BY DAVID
KAPLAN
Rice News Staff

H. Russell Pitman ’58 comes on campus regularly to work out at the Rice
gymnasium. He began following the construction of the new
Humanities Building, and in late spring was struck by the
beauty of the building’s tower soon after its scaffolding
came down.

The timing of
the tower’s completion was fortuitous. Pitman had been
thinking of making a donation to Rice University but had
not decided where his gift should go.

In July, when
Eric Johnson, vice president for resource development, and
Ann Jungmeyer, assistant vice president for development,
met with Pitman and suggested that he give to the Humanities
Building fund, it did not take him long to agree.

The new Humanities
Building tower is named Pitman Tower in memory of his parents,
Morris R. and Mavis C. Pitman.

Pitman says he
feels lucky to be able to honor his parents’ memory
with such a beautiful and prominent campus structure. The
tower is the visual focal point of the quadrangle’s
southwest corner.

Pitman has given
$1.5 million to the university. Half of that amount has
gone to the new Humanities Building endowment fund. The
remainder of his gift will endow 15 fellowships, prizes
and awards.

The Humanities
Building is one of Pitman’s favorite campus buildings.
“I can’t believe what a superb job they did,” he says.

As for the tower,
Pitman says, “It is wonderful. I particularly like
the owl on it. It’s a nice whimsy.” A black metal
owl, perched on the tower’s northeast corner ledge,
can be best seen from the northwest corner of Rayzor Hall.

Pitman says
that for most of his life Rice University has felt like
home. He graduated from Rice with a bachelor of arts in
business administration and economics. Two years later he
became Rice’s chief accountant. From ’69 to ’76
he was assistant to the president, and from ’76 to
’80 he was manager of campus business affairs.

Pitman says
of the university, “It is a special place.”