William North Rice
| William North Rice | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
November 21, 1845 Marblehead, Massachusetts |
| Died | November 13, 1928 (aged 82) Delaware, Ohio, United States |
| Residence | Middletown, Connecticut |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Wesleyan University, Yale University, Syracuse University |
| Known for | Early studies of geology in America; writings on science & religion |
| Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Wing Crowell (m. 1870) |
| Children | Edward Loranus Rice (b. 1871), Charles William Rice (b. 1879) |
William North Rice (1845–1928) was an American geologist, educator, and Methodist minister and theologian concerned with reconciliation of science and religious faith.
William North Rice was born November 21, 1845 in Marblehead, Massachusetts to William Rice and Caroline Laura (North) Rice. He prepared for college at Springfield High School in Springfield, Massachusetts, and graduated in 1865 with a bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, serving as class valedictorian. His interest in religious ministry began early with an invitation to preach at Grace Church in Boston shortly after his graduation in 1865. In 1867 after studies at the Sheffield Scientific School of Yale College, he earned the first PhD in the United States to be awarded in the field of Geology. Upon graduation from Yale, he was offered a faculty position at Wesleyan University, but he opted to undertake post-doctoral studies in Germany for a year at the renowned Institute of Natural History established by Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859) at the University of Berlin. Later in 1886, he earned a doctor of laws (LL.D.) degree at Syracuse University.
Rice served as professor of geology and natural history at Wesleyan beginning in 1868. Early in his career he was ordained as a minister, joining the New England Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. During the early 1870s, Rice undertook zoological research work with Spencer Baird at the newly established laboratory of the United States Fish Commission at Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Later in the winter 1876 to 1877, he was part of a major geological and zoological expedition to Bermuda, one of the first expeditions of its type undertaken by American scientists.
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