Ada Rice was born in Breckinridge, MO, on Dec. 21, 1869. Her family moved to Clifton, KS, in 1878. She attended Baker University for one year and taught school near Washington, KS, for two years. She entered Kansas State Agricultural College in 1889, then left to teach high school at Clifton, in her father's place in 1890, staying on as assistant principal at Clifton in 1891. Rice re-entered KSAC in 1893 and graduated in 1895. She taught in the grade school at Randolph, KS, 1896-1899, and was an assistant in the Preparatory Department of KSAC, 1899-1903. She received her Life Teacher's Certificate from Kansas in 1900, becoming a founding member of the local chapter of the American College Quill Club that same year. Rice became an assistant in English at KSAC in 1902, earning the title of instructor in English the following year. She attended the University of Chicago during the summer of 1902 and Harvard University during the summer of 1905. The summer of 1909 was spent on a grand tour of Europe. Rice received her Master's degree from KSAC in 1912. Her thesis was entitled: "The Art of Narrative Writing." She was Assistant Principal of the School of Agriculture, 1913-1918, and alumni editor of the Industrialist, 1918-1920. She took sabbatical leave at Kings College of London University, 1926-1927 and was granted professorship in 1927. Rice was elected president of the college chapter of Phi Kappa Phi in 1932, toured the Orient during the summer of 1937, and retired in 1946. She died on March 9, 1953.

Sources of information:

Vertical File. Rice, Ada
Alumni Record, 1914
Class of 1895
Reunion books: 1920, 1940, 1945