John S. Rice

John Rice
John S Rice (1964)
50th United States Ambassador to the Netherlands
In office May 6, 1961 – May 27, 1964
President	John F. Kennedy Lyndon Johnson
Preceded by	Philip Young
Succeeded by	William Tyler
Chairman of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party
In office July 23, 1959[1] – May 6, 1961
Preceded by	Joe Barr
Succeeded by	Otis Morse
Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
In office June 10, 1958[2] – May 6, 1961
Governor	George Leader David Lawrence
Preceded by	James Finnegan
Succeeded by	James Trimarchi, Jr.
Pennsylvania Secretary of the Department of Property and Supplies
In office December 31, 1955[3] – July 18, 1957[4]
Governor	George Leader
Preceded by	William Thomas
Succeeded by	Kenneth Haldeman
Member of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board
In office February 8, 1955 – December 31, 1955
Appointed by	George Leader
Preceded by	New Appointment
Succeeded by	A.D. Cohn
President pro tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate
In office January 3, 1939 – November 30, 1940
Preceded by	Harvey Huffman^[a]
Succeeded by	Frederick Gelder
Democratic Leader of the Pennsylvania Senate
In office April 14, 1937[5][6] – November 30, 1938
Preceded by	Warren Roberts
Succeeded by	John Dent
Member of the Pennsylvania Senate from the 33rd district
In office January 3, 1933[7] – November 30, 1940
Preceded by	Charles Clippinger
Succeeded by	Paul Crider
Personal details
Born	January 28, 1899[8] Brysonia, Pennsylvania
Died	August 2, 1985 (aged 86) Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Luene Rogers Rice
Children	Ellen Rice
Alma mater	Gettysburg College
Occupation	Politician, farmer, businessman
Religion	Lutheran
a.^ Huffman died on the day his term was set to expire, November 30, 1938. Rice immediately succeeded him as Acting President Pro Tempore until he was formally elected to the position when the Senate reconvened the following January.

John Stanley Rice (January 28, 1899 – August 2, 1985) was a Democratic politician, farmer and businessman from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Rice served in a variety of appointed and elected political roles over the course of a three-decade political career.^[8]

Background

A native of Brysonia, a small town several miles north of Gettysburg, Rice graduated from Gettysburg College. He became a successful apple grower, and went on to manufacture packaged apple products. He often returned to this business between political appointments.

Political career

Rice was elected to the State Senate in 1932.^[9] He was elected Democratic floor leader in 1937, following the resignation of Warren Roberts, who took office as State Auditor General.^[6] He was elected the Senate's President pro tempore in 1939.

In 1946, he was the Democratic nominee for Governor, but lost to Republican State Attorney General James Duff in a landslide.

Gubernatorial appointments

In 1955, Governor George Leader named Rice to the first round of appointments to the overhauled Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. He resigned from the board later that year, when Leader appointed him Secretary of the Department of Property and Supplies (now the Department of General Services).

After resigning from the cabinet in 1957, he returned to his apple farm and packaging business.^[4] However, in 1958, Leader again appointed Rice to a position in his cabinet, having him succeed the deceased James Finnegan as Secretary of the Commonwealth.^[2] Rice was also elected chair of the State Democratic Party in 1959.

In 1961, Rice received his final political appointment, when President Kennedy named him U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands. He stepped-down from the position three years later.

Death and legacy

Rice died in Fort Lauderdale in August 1985.^[8]

Rice Hall, on the campus of Gettysburg College, is named in his honor.^[10] He had served as a trustee of the college from 1939 until 1972, when he retired to Fort Lauderdale.^[8]

References

1. "Mention Rice For Barr Post". The Gettysburg Times. July 9, 1959. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
2. "Rice Returns To Place In State Cabinet". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 9, 1958. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
3. "Cohn Succeeds Rice On Liquor Control Board". The Gettysburg Times. December 28, 1955. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
4. "Head of State Agency Resigns". The Washington Reporter. August 1, 1957. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
5. Cox, Harold (2004). "Pennsylvania Senate - 1937-1938" (PDF). Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University.
6. "Threat Seen To Milk Bill". The Reading Eagle. April 26, 1937. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
7. Sharon Trostle, ed. (2009). The Pennsylvania Manual (PDF). 119. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Department of General Services. ISBN 0-8182-0334-X.
8. "John S. Rice, A Former Envoy". The New York Times. August 4, 1985. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
9. Cox, Harold. "Senate Members R". Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University.
10. "Housing Details: Rice Hall". Gettysburg College Residence Life. Gettysburg College. Retrieved January 12, 2012.