Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/96

 RICE

RICE

RICE, John Holt, clergyman, was burn at New London, Bedford county, Va., Nov. 28, 1777; son of Benjamin and Catharine (Holt) Rice; grandson of the Rev. David (College of New Jersey. 1761) and Mary (Blair) Rice, and a descendant of Thomas Rice, who emigrated from England and settled in Virginia at an early period. He received his early education under Parson Holt and the Rev. James Mitchel; attended Liberty Hall academy, Lexington, Va.; engaged in teacliiiig a private scliool; was a tutor in Hampden-Sidney college, Va., 17'JG-99 and 1800- 04; studied medicine one year; prepared for the ministry under the Rev. Arcliibald Alexander, and was licensed to preach by the presbytery of Hanover, Sept. 12, 1803. He was pastor at Cub Creek, Charlotte county, Va., 1804-13; of the first separate Presbyterian church, Richmond, Va., 1812-23; began the publication of The Christian Monitor in 1815: edited the Virginia Evangelical and Literary Magazine, 1818-29; de- clined the presidency of the College of New Jersey in 1822, and was professor in the Union Theological seminary at Hampden-Sidney col- lege, 1824-31. He was a member of the Virginia Bible society and a founder of the American Bible society in 1816; attended the general assemblies of the Presbyterian church in 1816, 1819, 1820. 1822 and 1827, serving as moderator in 1819, and visited the northern states in the interests of the seminary and on lecturing tours. He was mar- ried, July 9, 1802, to Anne Smith, daughter of Major Morton of Virginia. He received the honorary degree of D.D. from the College of New Jersey in 1819, and is the author of: Memoir of the Rev. James B. Taylor (1830); Historical and Philosophical Considerations on Religion addressed to James Madison (1832), and of nu- merous sermons and essays. William Maxwell published his memoir in 183"). He died in Hamp- den-Sidney. Va., Sept. 3, 1831.

RICE, John Hovey, representative, was born at Mount Vernon, Maine, Feb. 5, 1816; son of Nathaniel and Jane (Swasey) Rice. He received a common school education, and in 1832 was clerk in the registry of deeds at Augusta, Maine, where he subsequently engaged in mercantile business and studied law. He served as aide-de- camp to General Bachelor in the " Aroostook war " in 1838, growing out of the northeastern boundary dispute with Great Britain, and was deputy-sheriff of Kennebec county in 1840. He removed to Piscataquis county, Maine, in 1843, where he became interested in the mercantile and lumbering business. He was married in 1847 to Grace Elizabeth, daugliter of Dr. Gilman Moody and Dorah (Crosby) Burleigh of Dexter, Elaine; she died in Deceml^er, 1898, leaving three children. He was admitted to the bar in 1848,

and began practice, and was county attorney, 1852-60. He was a delegate to the first Republi- can national convention at Philadelphia, Pa., June 17, 1856; a Republican representative from the fourth Maine district in the 37th, 38th and 39th congresses, 1861-67, declining nomination to the 40th congress, and customs collector, by appointment of President Johnson, at the port of Bangor, Maine, 1867-71. He resumed the practice of law in Washington, D.C., with Ed- ward ♦Jordan, 1872-84, and in the latter year removed to New York city, where he was en- gaged in incorporation and law business, until he retired in 1899, and tiien took residence in Chicago, 111., where he was still living in 1903.

RICE, Luther, educationist, was born in Northborough, Mass., March 25, 1783; son of Amos and Sarah (Graves) Rice; grandson of Jacob and Hannah (Howe) Rice, and a descend- ant of Deacon Edmund Rice and of Edward, his son, who settled in Sudbuiy, 1638, and incorpor- ated Marlborough, 1656, having been born in Berkhampstead, Hertfordshire. His parents were members of the Congregational church. He spent six months in 1799 in Georgia, purchasing timber for shipbuilding; worked on his father's farm; prepared for college at Leicester academy, 1804- 07, and was graduated from Williams college, Mass., A.B., 1810, A.M., 1813, and from Andover Theological seminary in 1812. While in college, with Mills and Richards, he became interested in foreign missions, and while at the seminary he joined Judson, Nott, Mills, Newell and Richards in the prej)aration of a memorial to the General Association of Evangelical Ministers in Massa- chusetts, which resulted in the formation of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, and of kindred organizations in other churches. He was ordained, Feb. 6. 1812, at Salem, Mass.; served as foreign missionary to India, 1812-13, and with Mr. and Mrs. Adoniram Judson, his companions, he embraced the Baptist faith, and was baptized in Calcutta. Nov. 1, 1812. Returning to Boston in 1813, he was dismissed by the A. B.C. for F.M., and became agent to the Baptist Missionary convention, 1813-26, traveling over the United States in the cause of foreign missions. In 1817 he conceived the idea of founding a college in tiie city of Washington, D.C., for the education of "gospel ministers" for the Baptist church, and in connection with the school of theology, he projected schools of classical culture, science, philosophy and law. In 1819, in company with Obadiah B. Brown, Spencer H. Cone and Enoch Reynolds, he formed a literary association for the purpose of buying 46^ acres of land immediately adjoining the city of Washington, for winch they paid $7,000. The construction of Columbian coUe-re build ins: was