Still, the event was dazzling. For entertainment, the guests boarded a train to Galveston, staying overnight at the Hotel Galvez. Rice's first Ph.D. was awarded to Hubert E. Bray, a mathematics instructor. Graduate study and research would play an increasingly important role at Rice, especially after World War II, when universities looked to graduate programs to establish their reputations. During the '60s, under the leadership of President Kenneth Pitzer, graduate student enrollment doubled.
Rice now offers graduate programs in seven schools, all with a reputation for research excellence.
During the Great Depression, Rice's operating budget was cut substantially. In '42, county judge and Rice alum Roy Hofheinz convinced the trustees to purchase a part of the Rincon oil field, located in the Rio Grande Valley. Rice's library was originally in the Administration Building, now called Lovett Hall. By 1947, however, library books were scattered in nine buildings. A major addition and renovation of Fondren are also planned.