Rice Fight Never Dies!
The storied tradition of the Rice Owls Family battle cry.
Rice Institute first opened its doors in the fall of 1912 and almost immediately it was decided a football team was needed and is essential to creating an identity for the new school. As several years rolled on thereafter, Louis Girard '41 and his classmate Nealie Ross '41 were among Rice yell leaders and alumni who began to synthesize the institutes fight song and alma mater.
| Rice Fight Song Fight for Rice, Rice fight on, loyal sons arise. The Blue and Gray for Rice today, comes breaking through skies. Fight, fight, fight! Stand and cheer, Vict'ry's near, Sammy leads the way. Onward go! to crush the foe, we'll fight for Blue and Gray. (Rice Fight Never Dies! Stand & Cheer / Vict'ry's near - Let's Go Rice!) |
Alma Mater: Rice's Honor All for Rice's Honor, we will fight on. We will be fighting when this day is done. And when the dawn comes breaking, We'll be fighting on, Rice, for the Gray and Blue. We will be loyal, to Rice be true. |
There are many stories that date back to those days to provide depth and detail to how RFND became the yell for all those who cheered for the Blue and Gray. And, there are many captured images from band members drums, the taking over of Texas A&M's Kyle Field, a servery pep rally banner, news articles, musical cards, and more.
In 1939, a Thresher article provided insight to the origin of "Rice Fight Never Dies" being placed into the fight song. It stated that during a Rally Club meeting to birth the song, as the band plays through a second time, the accompanying chant was something that Dr. Girard grinned saying, "That I thought up one morning as I was driving to school."
Rice Fight Song Piano Recording Dr. Girard and his classmate Dr. Ross
More powerful was an article in the Thresher by Gus Kranz, charging the campus to get behind the team March 4, 1927. Kranz referred to RFND as, "the slogan that began when Rice began, that will live on as long as Rice lives."
Decades later, the slogan may have been loss in translation among modern day Rice Alumni. Tony Martino, the legendary gardener and revered speaker at Rice pep rallies whom had a booming Italian accent came to the United States in 1908. The way Tony yelled out was that Rice was certainly going to win because “Rice-a-fite-a-nevadieh(s).” This was always followed by the loudest cheer of the evening and the pep rally ended on that note. Tony was a treasure. He was most certainly one of a kind and to those of the 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s he shall never be forgotten.
As Kranz penned so many years ago, coining the gladiator mantra - it stands now that, "The eyes of many an outsider are upon us. They are waiting to see whether or not we will continue to support that team. Well bunch, let's show them that win or lose - Rice Fight Never Dies!"
🗣 Rice Fight
— Rice Football (@RiceFootball) July 26, 2019
🗣 Never Dies
🗣 Rice Fight
🗣 Never Dies
🗣 Riiiice Fighttttt
🗣 𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑. 𝐃𝐈𝐄𝐒.#GoOwls👐 x #FlexFriday pic.twitter.com/mP1gSvp2d5