Rice University Martel College

In 1998, $15 million was donated by the Marian and Speros Martel Foundation, a long-standing benefactor of Rice. Earmarked to implement the Rice: The Next Century initiative, part of the donation was set aside to build a new residential college.

The Marian and Speros Martel Foundation was established in 1932 and has since supported a variety of philanthropic causes, including cancer research, the Houston Symphony, the Houston Holocaust Museum, and Project GRAD, a nonprofit organization that aims to increase the graduation and college attendance rates of inner-city students. With the building of Martel College, the Martels' dream of having a profound influence on the students of Rice University and the residents of Houston has become even more concrete.

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