Entry No. 14 — the Houston file — filed under: campus grave

William Marsh Rice's Grave (Founder's Memorial Statue)

The seated bronze statue of William Marsh Rice in the university's Academic Quad isn't just a monument — his ashes are buried beneath it. Rice was murdered in his New York apartment in 1900 with a chloroform-soaked sponge by his own valet, in a forged-will conspiracy that a misspelled check accidentally exposed within 24 hours.

The move: Find the statue (relocated within the Quad during 2023 renovations, still facing Lovett Hall) and stand over the buried ashes while you work through the whole murder plot — the poisoning attempts, the forged check, the trial — that funded the campus around you.

• 📍 Rice University, Museum District
• 💸 $$
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Indoors

Where: Academic Quad, Rice University, 6100 Main St, Houston, TX 77005

Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: Wikipedia · Official site · kathymslaughter.com

last checked: 2026-07-19