The Papers of Jefferson Davis

Although The Papers of Jefferson Davis project is primarily a publishing concern, we do allow qualified researchers access to the estimated 100,000 Davis documents in our collection. Other resources include extensive reference files on Davis, his family, and all facets of his life and career, including antebellum Mississippi, the Mexican War, the Civil War, and the postwar South.

Location: The project offices are located in Room 519, Fondren Library, on the campus of Rice University in Houston, Texas. The campus address is 6100 Main Street. Visiting researchers arriving by car are encouraged to enter the campus through Gate 8 at the intersection of University and Stockton, stop by the campus police office (to your left at the entrance), and obtain a temporary permit in order to park in the stadium lot. Visitors may use the shuttle bus without charge. Ask the driver to take you to the library stop.

Directions: Rice University is centrally located and relatively easy to find using a city map. Here are a set of directions. Fondren Library is in the middle of campus facing the main quadrangle. This map shows the library in relation to visitor parking. Here is a full campus map.

Hours: The Papers of Jefferson Davis project is open 8:00-4:30, Monday through Friday. The office is closed on weekends, official holidays, and from December 24 through January 1. Our staff is small, and at certain times we are under deadlines with our publication schedule, so visiting researchers are strongly encouraged to call or write before coming to make sure the time of the visit is mutually convenient. The office phone number is (713) 348-4990. We may also be reached via e-mail at davis@rice.edu.

During the academic year Fondren Library is open 24 hours a day from Sunday noon through Friday at 10 p.m. and 9 a.m.-10 p.m. on Saturday. Only persons holding Rice IDs are admitted 10 p.m.-7 a.m. Hours are restricted during summer, fall and spring recesses, and Christmas holidays. All library visitors are required to show a photo ID and sign in at the front desk. The library has strong collections of books on the Civil War and the American South.
Research Policies: Researchers are allowed to make notes on almost everything in our files and may make photocopies of transcriptions. Photocoping of original documents is, however, restricted to materials located in the National Archives and the Library of Congress, and those owned by the project. Researchers may make notes on manuscripts owned by other repositories, but it is the responsibility of the researcher to contact each repository to secure permission to quote. All visiting researchers must sign a statement agreeing to abide by this policy.
Facilities: Our office is relatively small, but we usually have a desk available for use by visiting researchers. An electrical outlet is handy if researchers choose to bring a lap-top. Photocopies are 10 cents per page and prints from microfilm are 20 cents per page. Researchers are expected to make their own copies unless time is limited and/or they find a large body of materials to copy. In that case, arrangements can be made with one of our graduate assistants (paid by the hour, in addition to copying costs) to do the copying.; Coffee is available on the same floor as the Davis project. A student cafeteria serving breakfast and lunch and a franchise sandwich shop are located in the student center adjacent to the library. A few other eating places are within walking distance, and the Rice Village, which has many popular restaurants, is about a mile away.
Houston: Houston is the nation's fourth largest city, and Rice University is located near many of the major attractions. The Texas Medical Center, one of the world's largest, is literally right across the street, and the Astrodome and Reliant Stadium are about three miles away. The world champion Rockets play about five miles in the other direction at the Toyota Center, as do the WNBA-champion Comets. The Museum of Fine Arts and Contemporary Arts Museum are within a mile of campus, as are Hermann Park, site of the city zoo, a garden center, the Museum of Natural Science, other museums, and Miller Outdoor Theatre, which hosts many free plays and concerts during the spring and summer. The Astros play downtown at Minute Maid Park.; Traffic in the city is generally not too much of a problem except on the freeways during morning and afternoon rush hours. Visitors might wish to consult the four-day weather forecast and the Houston Chronicle, which contains a fine arts calendar. The weekly Houston Press has information on other happenings around town.

Contact Information

The Papers of Jefferson Davis
Rice University--MS 43
P.O. Box 1892
Houston, Texas 77251-1892
Phone: (713) 348-4990
Fax: 713-348-4383
E-mail: davis@rice.edu

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