Background
He was born May 10, 1821 in Springfield, Master of Arts to William Rice and Jerusha Warriner. His father was a respected businessman and public servant who began a long tradition of Methodism in the Rice family.
He was born May 10, 1821 in Springfield, Master of Arts to William Rice and Jerusha Warriner. His father was a respected businessman and public servant who began a long tradition of Methodism in the Rice family.
The younger William studied in Springfield public schools and at Wilbraham Wesleyan Academy, graduating in 1840.
The house where they lived was on land that once belonged to an ancestor of Jerusha Warriner. He was a seventh generation descendent of Edmund Rice, an early settler in Massachusetts. He received a Master of Arts from Wesleyan University in 1853, and a Doctor of Divinity in 1876.
He served as pastor at North Meldon (Melrose, Massachusetts), Saugus, Massachusetts, Marblehead, Massachusetts, North Russell Street (Grace Church (Boston)), South Street in Lynn, Massachusetts, Park Street (Walnut street) in Chelsea, Massachusetts, Chicopee, Massachusetts, Bromfield Street in Boston, and Park Street in Chelsea again.
He also served as chaplain in the Hamden County House of Correction. He was a vocal advocate against slavery beginning early in his life.
He organized an Anstislavery Society at Wesleyan Academy, and was disciplined. In 1856, he was a delegate to the General Conference of the church, representing the antislavery sentiment of the New England Conference.
He also played an integral role in creating a new hymnal for the church.
He published two books, mainly for ministers: "Moral and Religious Quotations from the Poets" (Methodist Book Concern, 1860) and "Pastor"s Manuel" (Roderick Burt, Springfield, 1863). The Reverend Rice began to suffer from chronic laryngitis, which made preaching every week very difficult. In 1861, he became librarian of the Springfield City Library.
The library was very small at first, but grew tremendously under Rice"s care.
In 1871, the library moved to a new building named the William Rice Building. lieutenant became a free public library in 1885, and Rice died two years later.
Today, the Springfield Museums on the Quadrangle have a "Society of William Rice," which honors major gifts. When he died, the library had more than 99,000 volumes.
He worked especially hard on the normal school in Westfield.
He also served on the Springfield School Committee from 1865-1882. He was a trustee at Wesleyan University from 1875 through his death. William Rice was a direct descendant of Edmund Rice, an English immigrant to Massachusetts Bay Colony, as follows: William Rice, son of William Rice (1788–1863), son of Nathan Rice (1760–1838), son of John Rice (1704–1771), son of Ephraim Rice (1665–1732), son of Thomas Rice (1625–1681), son of Edmund Rice (1594–1663).
In 1863, he was appointed a member of the Massachusetts Board of Education, which he remained for 18 years. He was a member of the board of Wilbraham Wesleyan Academy starting in 1858, served as secretary from 1860-1882, and president of the board from 1882 to his death.
He was very passionate about education.