Dr. Laban Lacy Rice (October 14, 1870 – February 13, 1973) was an educator, author, and president of

Cumberland University Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1842. The oldest campus buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896. History 1842–1861 The university was founded by the Cumberl ...

. He was an international authority on relativity.

Early life

He was born in

Dixon, Kentucky Dixon is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Webster County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 933 at the 2020 census. Dixon is located at the junction of US 41A and KY 132. It was established with a courthouse and post ...

, to Laban Marchbanks Rice, a

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

veteran and prominent tobacco merchant, and his wife, Martha Lacy. He was the older brother of the poet Cale Young Rice. Lacy Rice grew up with his family in

Evansville, Indiana Evansville is a city in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 118,414 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is Indiana's List of cities in Indiana, third-most populous city after India ...

, and

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

. He received his BA, MA, and

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

degrees from

. While a student at Cumberland, he was one of five men to found the Theta chapter of

Kappa Sigma Kappa Sigma (), commonly known as Kappa Sig or KSig, is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at the University of Virginia in 1869. Kappa Sigma is one of the five largest international Fraternities and sororities in North America, fr ...

fraternity on October 7, 1887. Rice married Blanche Alexander Buchanan in

Lebanon, Tennessee Lebanon ( ) is the county seat of Wilson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 38,431 at the 2020 census. Lebanon is located in Middle Tennessee, approximately east of downtown Nashville. Lebanon is part of the Nashville Metro ...

, and was the father of two daughters, Katherine and Anne. After his retirement, he made his home in

Warwick, Virginia Warwick is an extinct independent city which was located in the state of Virginia in the United States from 1952 until 1958. Formed by a political conversion of the former Warwick County (1634–1952), it is now part of the independent city ...

Career

He served as a professor of English at Cumberland University, as headmaster at

Castle Heights Military Academy Castle Heights Military Academy was a private military academy in Lebanon, Tennessee, United States. It opened in 1902 and became a military school in 1918. The school closed in 1986. Its former campus was placed on the National Register of His ...

, and as associate editor of the '' Cumberland Presbyterian'' prior to being elected as president of

. He also founded a private girls' camp called ''Camp Nakanawa'' and was an amateur astronomer. The Rice Observatory on the Cumberland University campus is named after him. In 1902 he along with Edward E. Weir, PhD (who also taught with him at Cumberland University) were on faculty at the Lebanon College for Young Ladies. His birthplace in

Webster County, Kentucky Webster County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,017. Its county seat is Dixon and its largest city is Providence. It is the southernmost county in the Evansville, IN–KY Com ...

, is designated by Historic Marker #1508, which reads:

Death

He died in

St. Petersburg, Florida St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the List of municipalities in Florida, fifth-most populous city in Florida and the most populous city in the sta ...

, in 1973, at the age of 102, and was buried at the Cedar Grove Cemetery in Lebanon, Tennessee.

References

External links

Rice family pageRice family home on Dixon, KY site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rice, Laban 1870 births 1973 deaths Heads of universities and colleges in the United States People from Webster County, Kentucky Writers from Evansville, Indiana Writers from Louisville, Kentucky American men centenarians