Dr. William Masterson at his desk

Black and white photograph of William Masterson sitting at his desk and talking on the phoneDr. William H. Masterson was a graduate of Rice Institute who had joined the faculty in the Department of History in 1951 and served later as Dean of Humanities before leaving Rice in 1966 to serve as President of the University of Chattanooga. A five-day controversy rose on the campus of Rice University in February 1969 following the appointment of Dr. Masterson by the Board of Trustees as the university's new President to succeed Kenneth Pitzer, who had resigned in August 1968. Members of the faculty and student body protested in particular the method by which Masterson had been appointed, which was perceived as a unilateral decision by the Board without sufficient consultation with the committee of faculty and students appointed earlier by the Board to assist in suggesting and screening candidates' names