John Campbell Rice


John Campbell Rice was an associate justice of the Idaho Supreme Court who served as chief justice of the court from 1922 to 1923.

Early life and education

John Campbell Rice was born January 27, 1864, in Cass County, Illinois, to parents Elbert G. and Mary Ann Rice. The 8th child in a family of 11 children, Rice attended public school in Cass County. He later attended Illinois College in Jacksonville, receiving an A.B. degree in 1885. He taught mathematics at the college in 1886, and in 1888 he received an A.M. degree from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. In 1890 Rice received an LL.B. degree from Cornell University.

Family

Rice married Maude M. Beshears in Caldwell, Idaho, in 1895. The family included five children.

Career

By 1891 Rice had moved to Caldwell, Idaho, and entered into law practice with a Cornell University classmate, John T. Morrison. In 1892 Rice helped to organize the College of Idaho, teaching classes and serving as a trustee. Rice helped to organize the Caldwell Commercial Bank in 1894, and he served as bank president. He served in the Idaho Legislature for one two-year term, 1897 to 1899, and Rice was elected mayor of Caldwell for a one-year term in 1901.
Rice was elected to a six-year term on the Idaho Supreme Court in 1917. He served as chief justice 1922–1923. In 1931 Rice became a judge in Idaho's 7th Judicial District and continued in that office until his death in 1937.

Death

Rice died of a heart attack while walking home from church on November 7, 1937. He was survived by his five children.