A big square building. That’s Herman Brown Hall. It’s not exactly what you’d call beautiful. Yet it holds a fascinating story.
Herman Brown Hall for Mathematical Sciences opened in 1968. The Brown Foundation and the NSF provided the funding. It was part of a larger project called the Systems Grant. This grant’s history is tied to Rice University itself. The building’s design is simple. It was meant to offer plenty of office space and a few classrooms.
Over the years many departments have called Herman Brown Hall home. Music and education were just two of them. The list is long and possibly incomplete. The building sits somewhat awkwardly on its site. This was a time when Rice’s original campus plan had been largely abandoned. A new plan hadn’t replaced it yet.
One unique feature is a covered open-air walkway on the west side. Its purpose is unclear. It might be a nod to the cloisters of older buildings on campus. Through this walkway once stood a view of a house. Today the view is different. You see the Mudd Building instead. It’s home to Rice’s IT department.
But if you go to the other side of the Mudd Building there’s a surprise. That same house is still there. It seems unchanged except for the plants. The perspective changes but the house remains. The perspective changes but the house remains. It’s a testament to the passage of time. A reminder that while buildings change views can remain. Herman Brown Hall remains a silent witness. It’s a sturdy square structure. It quietly keeps its secrets. A key part of Rice’s history unfolds within those walls.