Alum, former trustee Al Jensen dies

Alum,
former trustee Al Jensen dies

Rice alumnus
and former trustee Al Jensen died Feb. 17 after a battle
with cancer. He was 73.

His nearly 50-year
career in Houston’s construction industry began in
1950 at Rice when he worked as a carpenter’s helper
for Brown and Root on the construction of Rice Stadium.

Jensen received
his bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees in
civil engineering from Rice in 1952 and 1953, respectively.
Following graduation, he began work for the construction
company Farnsworth and Chambers, and in 1957 became one
of the founders of H.A. Lott Inc., the firm that built,
among other things, the Astrodome, Compaq Center and San
Antonio’s Riverwalk.

Jensen served
on the Rice Board of Governors from 1992 to 1994, during
which he served on three committees: academic affairs, external
affairs and building and grounds. He resigned from the board
to avoid a possible conflict of interest when his construction
company, the Lott Group Inc., was awarded the contract to
build Anne and Charles Duncan Hall.

In 1996, Jensen
and his wife, Bridget ’53, received Rice’s Gold
Medal, the highest honor a person can receive for rendering
extraordinary service to the university and for promoting
the ideals of William Marsh Rice.

In recent years,
he served as a consultant to Rice’s Project Management
and Planning Department, which last year issued him an Award
of Excellence.

Kent Anderson,
trustee and current chair of the Building and Grounds Committee,
said, “After a successful career in construction, leading
one of Houston’s most prestigious companies, Al Jensen
generously participated in Rice’s aggressive building
program during the last five years. On each project he leaves
behind a legacy of design and construction excellence through
his unerring leadership, wise counsel and his deep love
of Rice.”