The Rice History Department’s Dec. 9 end-of-semester party featured a special celebration to honor Allen Matusow’s 50th year on the university’s faculty. Many members of the Rice community attended the celebration held at Brochstein Pavilion. Matusow, pictured second from right, is the W.G. Twyman Professor of History and associate director for academic programs at the Baker Institute for Public Policy. He was dean of humanities from 1981 to 1995 and 2009 to 2010. “A scholar of the U.S. presidency, U.S. foreign policy and the post-1945 era, he has been a pillar of Rice University and an inspiring teacher to thousands of Rice students over these years,” the department wrote in its invitation to the event. (Photo by Jeff Fitlow)