Smalley received the Nobel Prize (along with chemist Robert Curl) in 1996 for the discovery buckminsterfullerene, an allotrope of carbon commonly referred to as "buckyballs".
The four founding departments of Rice (Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics) are still a part of the Wiess School, which has historically been known for its strength in the sciences.
[1] The land on which the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center was built was donated by Rice University.
Following this, President John F. Kennedy made a speech at Rice Stadium calling on the United States of America to develop its space program further.
The premedical students in particular benefit from the nearby Texas Medical Center which offers many opportunities for research.