Coffee v. William Marsh Rice University

GREENHILL, Justice.

William Marsh Rice created a charitable trust resulting in the establishment of Rice University. Among other things, the trust instrument specified that the institution should be for white citizens and that it should be free of tuition for all students. Rice University and its trustees, hereinafter referred to as Rice, instituted this action for a construction of the trust instrument and for an application of the equitable doctrine of cy pres generally for the elimination of the above limitations. Rice named as defendant the Attorney General of Texas, pursuant to Article…