Residential Colleges of Rice University - Hanszen College

Harry Clay Hanszen College was named for a benefactor to the university and chairman of the Rice Board of Governors from 1946 to 1950. The original building of Hanszen College was built in the neo-gothic style as a part of the original campus construction plan by Boston architectural firm Cram, Goodhue & Ferguson. A new housing wing was built in 1957 in conjunction with the development of the residential college system at Rice in response to the expanding undergraduate enrollment.

Rice Radio, the University's student-run radio station, and the Rice Coffee Shop began at Hanszen College. Hanszen was the first residential college at Rice to use its own crest. Shortly after the founding of the residential college system, the students created the blue, black, and yellow crest that in time became the symbol of the college, setting a precedent for the other colleges.

Hanszen often hosts guest lecturers; recent visitors include College World Series champion Coach Wayne Graham, former Rice president and renowned economist S. Malcolm Gillis, and director of the Houston Area Survey Stephen Kleinberg. University courses recently offered by Hanszen College have included Analytics in Sports, Spirituality in Film, and The Culture of Philanthropy.

Hanszen College is administered by the Cabinet, a body consisting of the Executive Board and Class Representatives elected by members of the college on an annual basis. The Cabinet supervises an annual budget of nearly $60,000, regulates the use of public spaces within the college, and serves as an official liaison between the College membership and the university administration.