Hershel and Hilda Rich honored for extraordinary service to university

Hershel and Hilda are native Houstonians, and they met at
Rice. Hershel earned dual degrees in electrical and mechanical
engineering, while Hilda graduated with distinction, majoring
in philosophy.

After finishing his studies, Hershel joined his father in
the Phil Rich Fan Manufacturing Company, which made Windmaker
Fans. In 1956, he became president of the company, which
he sold to Sunbeam in 1981. At Windmaker, Hershel demonstrated
his gifts for invention and design by earning a number of
U.S. patents.

After the sale, Hershel demonstrated his ongoing creativity
and indefatigable energy by starting both a computer software
company and the real estate development firms HR Land Company
and HMR Construction Inc. He is now director of Friedman
Industries, president of HMR Consultants and managing partner
of several family business ventures.

Hilda also was active in Phil Rich Fan Manufacturing Company
management. She owned and operated Rainbow Tours and Travel
and was director of Citizens Bank Houston.

But neither Hershel nor Hilda was content with achieving
personal success.

In 1984, Hershel took on the challenge of adult illiteracy
by founding the Houston READ Council (now the READ Commission),
which is the largest urban literacy coalition in the nation.
Hilda served on the boards of numerous Houston civic institutions,
such as Houston Metropolitan Ministries, and on the national
boards of organizations such as the Brandeis University
Women’s Division and the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society.
Twice she has served as chair of the Houston United Jewish
Campaign; she was national vice president of U.J.A. Woman’s
Division and three times served as a delegate to the Jewish
Agency for Israel. Hilda also is a member of the Houston
Philosophical Society.

For their services to the greater community, the couple
has been honored by the City of Houston, which has declared
“Hershel Rich Day” on four occasions.

Hershel and Hilda never forgot the role that Rice played
in their success. Through their Hilda and Hershel Rich Philanthropic
Fund, they established the Hershel Rich Best Invention Award
to encourage creativity and independence in students and
the Hilda Rich Scholarship Fund.

But their most notable contribution to their alma mater
came in the establishment of Leadership Rice, a program
designed to prepare students for lives of service. The Riches
took the program under their wings in its infancy, providing
seed money for its early, experimental stages. After Leadership
Rice had proven its viability, the Riches then pledged $1
million in endowment to assure its long-term success.
In recognition of the couple’s contribution, Rice named
Hershel Rich as a Distinguished Alumnus in 1994.

Hilda and Hershel have two children: Renie, a Wharton School
of Finance MBA, and Sharon, an E.E.D. graduate of Harvard
University, and five grandchildren. After the death of their
son, Morton ’73, in 1993, they established the Morty
Rich Service Award, given annually to Rice students who
have distinguished themselves in community service.