Shepherd School of Music

The Shepherd School of Music was formally opened at Rice University in 1975. It was funded by an endowment of approximately $8 million from Sallie Shepherd Perkins in honor of her grandfather, Benjamin A. Shepherd. She wanted to establish a music school of the highest excellence.

The first Dean of the School was Samuel Jones, a distinguished American conductor and composer. School began in the fall with a gifted freshman class of 23 students, a faculty of 16 both full and part-time, and an innovative curriculum developed by Dean Jones and the Rice Faculty. It stressed coordination between theoretical and practical musicianship. One major emphasis was and is orchestral studies. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate programs of study. The school is a 5-year institution, with bachelor's and master's degrees awarded simultaneously on graduation.

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