In box 24 of the Rice University Memorabilia collection, there are two “silver” trowels. Bricklayer’s trowels are used for working with building mortar. The first described is the trowel used to lay the corner stone of Lovett Hall.
With This Houston trowel the
Trustees of the William M. Rice
Institute laid the cornerstone of the
Administration Building of the
Institute, on the second day of
March, 1911.
J.A. Baker
W.M. Rice Jr.
J.E. McAshan
B.B. Rice
C. Lombardi
E. Raphael
E.O. Lovett
The second trowel is less ornate and the inscription less informative, but the date seems to correspond to the Library’s cornerstone.
Fondren Library
Rice Institute
December 21 1947
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/ricewrc/00730/rice-00730.html
