Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/260

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RICE
RICE

rians of Kentucky." warning them against the errors of the day (1808); also "A Kentucky Pro- test against Slavery" (New York. 1812). David's grandson. John Holt, clergyman, b. in New Lon- don, Va.. 28 Nov.. 1777: il. in Hampden Sidney, Prince Edward co., Va., 3 Sept., 1831. He was educated at Liberty Hall academy, near Lexing- ton, began the study of medicine in 1799, afterward Mud led theology, was tutor in Hampden Sidney college in 1801, was licensed to preach on 12 Sept., 1803, and on 29 Sept., 1804, was installed as pastor of a Presbyterian church at Cub Creek, Char- lotte en.. Va. On 17 Oct.. 1812. he was in- stalled as pastor of the first separate Presby- terian church in Rich- mond, the Pn-liUi 1 - rians having previous- ly worshipped in a buildingwiththe Epis. copalians. In July, 1815, he began the

publication of the

"Christian Monitor," a religious periodical, which he conducted for several years. Prom 1818 till 1829 he edited a similar publication called the " Virginia Evangelical and Literary Magazine." He was moderator of the general assembly at Phila- delphia in 1819. He was called to the presidency of Princeton in 1822. and a few week* later to the professorship of theology in the Union theological seminary at llampden Sidney college, which latter post he accepted. He received the degree of D. D. from Princeton in 1819. Dr. Rice was known as a powerful and fervent preacher, not alone in Vir- ginia, but in the northern states, which he often visited, chiefly for the purpose of obtaining an en- dowment for his seminary. Besides review articles, controversial pamphlets, memoirs of friends, and numerous sermons, his only published work was a small volume entitled " Historical and Philosophi- cal Considerations on Religion " (1832), consisting of letters addressed to James Madison, originally published anonymously in 1830 in the " Southern Religious Telegraph," in which he endeavored to show that the propagation of the Christian religion ought to be fostered by statesmen in the interest of national prosperity. See his " Memoir " by Vil Ham Maxwell ( Philadelphia, 1835). John Holt's brother, Benjamin Holt, clergyman, b. in New London, Va., 29 Nov., 1782 ; d. in Hampden Sidney college, i educated under In- ln'l tier's instruction, taught at New Berne and Raleigh, N. C., was licensed to preach while at Raleigh, 28 Sept., 1810, and was sent as a missionary to the seaboard counties of North Carolina. He removed to Peters- burg, Va., in 1812, and organized a church in that place, of which he was installed pastor in 1814, and with which he remained for the following seventeen years. He was moderator of the Pres- byterian general assembly in 1829, and in 1832 received from Princeton the degree of D. D. He was pastor of the church in Princeton, N. J., from 15 Aug., 1833, till 26 April, 1847, and thence- forth of the Hampden Sidney college church till his death. His wife was a sister of Rev. Dr. Archi-' bald Alexander. See " Discourse on the Death of Dr. Benjamin H. Rice," by the Rev. William E. Schenck (Philadelphia, 1856).


RICE. Edwin Wilbur, clergyman, b. in Kings- borough, N. Y., 24 July, 1831. He was graduated at Union college in 1854. studied law for one year, and then theology in Union theological seminary. New York city, taught in 1857-'8, and became a missionary of the American Sunday-school union in 1859. receiving ordination as a Congregational minister in 1860. In 1864 he was made superin- tendent of the society's missions at Milwaukee, Vis., and in 1871 he became assistant secretary of missions and assistant editor of the periodicals of the union in Philadelphia. Since 1879 he has been editor of its periodicals and publications. The degree of D. D. was conferred on him by Union college in 1884. Dr. Rice conceived the idea of the series of lesson-papers that have been issued regu- larly since 1872, and edited all of these papers. He has also prepared since 1874 the " Scholar's Handbooks on the International Lessons," of which twenty-seven volumes have appeared down to 1888, and several have been translated into Dutch, Italian. Greek, and other languages. He has since 1871 edited the " Sunday-School World " and the " Youth's World," and since 1875 the " Union Companion " and " Quarterly." He con- tributed the geographical and topographical ar- ticles to Philip Schaffs "Bible Dictionary " (Phila- delphia, 1880), and edited Kennedy's "four Gos- pels" (1881) and Paxton Hood's "Great Revival of the Eighteenth Century " (1882). His independ- ent publications are " Pictorial Commentary on Mark" (1881); "Historical Sketch of Sunday- Schools " (1886) ; "People's Commentary on M.it- thew " (1887): "People's Lesson-Book on Mat- thew"; and "Stories of Great Painters" (1888).


RICE. George Edward, poet. b. in Boston, Mass., 10 July. 1822; d. in Roxbury, Mass., 10 Aug., 1861. He was graduated at Harvard in 1842. studied in the Harvard law-school, was ad- mitted to the bar, and practised his profession in KoMou until, near the close of his life, he became insane, lie contributed to the " North American Review " and other periodicals. Some of his poems, with others by John Howard Wainwright, were pub- lished anonymously in a volume called " Ephem- era" ilio-t.m, 1*.V-|. A fanciful adaptation of "Hamlet," under the title of "A New Play in an Old Garb," was published with illustrations (1852), and was acted with applause, as were two other plays that were published subsequently, entitled "Myrtilla." a fairy piece (1853), and " Blondel. a Historic Fancy " (1854). He was also the author of " Nugamenta," a book of poems (185!)).


RICE, Harvey, poet, b. in Con way, Mass., 11 June, 1800: d. in Boston. 18 Jan., 1891. He was graduated at Williams, and removed to Ohio, where he opened a classical school, at the same time studying law. He was admitted to the bar and began practice in 1816. In 1828 he purchased aDemocratic newspaper, which was called the "Independent News-Letter," and which has since been known as the Cleveland " Plaindealer." He was its editor in 1829, and in 1830 was the first Democrat that was elected to the legislature from Cleveland. In the same year he was appointed agent at Millersburg for the sale of school lands in the Western Reserve. He was appointed clerk of the court of common pleas at Cleveland in ISJJS. and in 1834 and i^'.i! va-, the unsuccessful Democratic candidate for congress. In 1851 he was elected to the Mate sen- ate, and was the author of the bill for the reorganization of the common-school system of Ohio, placing the schools under a state commissioner, and recognizing the expediency of school libraries. He received the degree of LL. D. from Williams in