For Peter Rowe ’71, giving is a way of life. His recent bequest to the Rice School of Architecture (RSA) reflects both his deep gratitude for the education that shaped his career and the importance of supporting future generations. When talking about his gift, he offered a simple yet profound mantra: “It’s time to give back.”
Peter’s generous $1.6 million bequest will fund the Peter G. Rowe and Bethany E. Johnson Graduate Fellowship Support Fund in Architecture, which provides essential resources for graduate students, covering tuition, fees, living expenses and more. This fellowship, which benefits international and minority students with demonstrated need, mirrors one that allowed Peter to come from Australia to the United States and join Rice’s first urban design graduate program.
“Without my fellowship,” he said, “I couldn’t afford to study in the States. They paid all my fees and gave me $1,000 each month to live in a garage apartment. That’s what I want to replicate for someone else — an opportunity for them to come to a good school and make something of themselves.”
Peter credited his wife for inspiring the fellowship. “We were considering the idea of funding the welcome center in the renovated MD Anderson Hall, and she said, ‘What about a scholarship?’ And I said, ‘Of course, let’s do that too.’ Because the biggest impact we can have on students is in programming.”
Peter Rowe and Layla Johnson
“By alleviating financial burdens, Peter’s fellowship ensures that our talented and driven students can embrace the full breadth of educational opportunities offered by the Rice School of Architecture as one of the premier programs in the world,” said Igor Marjanović, William Ward Watkin dean of architecture. “In turn, these scholars bring their passion, innovation and fresh perspectives to our academic community and shape the future of their fields. We’re incredibly grateful to Peter and Bethany for this forward-thinking gift.”
The gift is part of a greater legacy for Peter, whose contributions to Rice include building Valhalla with classmates during his graduate student days, leading the Rice Center, an off-campus research center affiliated with RSA, and serving as the director of RSA for five years, during which he focused on pushing research forward.
“Rice always had, and still does have, a very strong professional architectural degree program,” he began. “But I was very interested in research and certain research topics, particularly in environmental studies. I felt the school needed to move more in that direction, so I co-taught a research-oriented proseminar for graduate students and included them in research projects that were funded by the university. I also created a doctoral program and chaired the committee of its first graduates.”
Peter is now the Raymond Garbe Professor of Architecture and Urban Design and Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, where he also served as dean between 1992 and 2004. He remains passionate about supporting his alma mater and the program that shaped his own life.
“I love the place,” he said. “I always refer to it as Mother Rice, because there’s nothing they won’t do to look after you.”
