John Ashley Rice (March 17, 1832August 18, 1906) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

, Democratic politician, and

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

pioneer. He served six years in the

Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...

, representing

Waukesha County Waukesha County () is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 406,978, making it the third-most populous county in Wisconsin. Its county seat and largest city is Waukesha. Waukesha Co ...

. He was also a witness at the trial of

Charles J. Guiteau Charles Julius Guiteau ( ; September 8, 1841June 30, 1882) was an American man who assassinated James A. Garfield, president of the United States, on July 2, 1881. Guiteau falsely believed he had played a major role in Garfield's election vic ...

for the

assassination Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...

of U.S. President

James A. Garfield James Abram Garfield (November 19, 1831 – September 19, 1881) was the 20th president of the United States, serving from March 4, 1881 until his death six months latertwo months after he was shot by an assassin. A lawyer and Civil War gene ...

Biography

Rice was born on March 17, 1832, in

Ticonderoga, New York Ticonderoga (, moh, Tekaniataró:ken) is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 5,042 at the 2010 census. The name comes from the Mohawk ''tekontaró:ken'', meaning "it is at the junction of two waterways". The Tow ...

. As a young man, he studied medicine with Dr. Harris, in

Fleming County, Kentucky Fleming County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,082. Its county seat is Flemingsburg. The county was formed in 1798 and named for Colonel John Fleming, an Indian fighter and early ...

. He then attended Western Reserve Medical College, of

Hudson, Ohio Hudson is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 23,110 at the 2020 census. It is a suburban community in the Akron metropolitan statistical area and the larger Cleveland–Akron–Canton Combined Statistical Area, th ...

, where he graduated in 1852. That same year, he moved to the town of

Merton, Wisconsin Merton is a town in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States; before Wisconsin statehood, it was called Warren. The population was 7,988 at the 2000 census. The town surrounds the villages of Chenequa and Merton. The unincorporated communities ...

, in

, where he started a medical practice. Rice's medical practice flourished, and within a decade he was considered one of the foremost physicians in the state. He also became active in politics as a member of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

. He was elected to three non-consecutive terms in the

, representing Waukesha County in the 1870, 1871,

1874 Events January–March * January 1 – New York City annexes The Bronx. * January 2 – Ignacio María González becomes head of state of the Dominican Republic for the first time. * January 3 – Third Carlist War &ndas ...

1875 Events January–March * January 1 – The Midland Railway of England abolishes the Second Class passenger category, leaving First Class and Third Class. Other British railway companies follow Midland's lead during the rest of the ...

1878 Events January–March * January 5 – Russo-Turkish War – Battle of Shipka Pass IV: Russian and Bulgarian forces defeat the Ottoman Empire. * January 9 – Umberto I becomes King of Italy. * January 17 – Battle o ...

, and 1879 sessions. He was the Democratic nominee for

Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin The lieutenant governor of Wisconsin is the first person in the line of succession of Wisconsin's executive branch, thus serving as governor in the event of the death, resignation, removal, impeachment, absence from the state, or incapacity due to ...

in the 1871 election, but was defeated by

Milton Pettit Milton Howard Pettit (October 22, 1835 – March 23, 1873) was an American businessman, Republican politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was the 11th lieutenant governor of Wisconsin, during the governorship of Cadwallader C. Washburn, and ...

. In addition to his medical career, Rice became a celebrated archaeologist in his later years. In the 1870s, he participated in an industrial expedition to Mexico and formed a friendly relationship with Mexican President

Porfirio Díaz José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori ( or ; ; 15 September 1830 – 2 July 1915), known as Porfirio Díaz, was a Mexican general and politician who served seven terms as President of Mexico, a total of 31 years, from 28 November 1876 to 6 Decem ...

. Díaz furnished him with a personal military guard which accompanied him around the country, visiting various sites of interest. At the end of his side, he was inducted into the

Sociedad Mexicana de Geografía y Estadística Sociedad Mexicana de Geografía y Estadística (Mexican Society for Geography and Statistics) is a national organization founded on 18 April 1833 to promote the mapping and boundary demarcation of the newly independent Mexican state. The aim of it ...

(Mexican Society for Geography and Statistics) the oldest such society in the Americas. He received national notoriety when he testified as a defense witness at the trial of

for the

of U.S. President

. Guiteau's defense counsel was attempting to argue that he had been insane at the time of the murder. Dr. Rice had examined Guiteau five years earlier—in 1876—to consider his sanity. Rice pronounced him insane at that time, but Guiteau fled the county to avoid being committed to an institution. In his testimony in 1881, Dr. Rice went on to explain the behaviors he observed in Guiteau that led to that insanity diagnosis, including religious delusions. Rice died at his home on Lake Keesus in the town of Merton on August 18, 1906.

Personal life and family

Rice married Caroline Caswell in 1852. They had four children before her death in 1864. Rice was survived by only one child, his daughter May.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Senate (1869)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 2, 1869

Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor (1871)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 7, 1871

Wisconsin Senate (1873)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 4, 1873

Wisconsin Senate (1877)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 4, 1877

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rice, John A. 1832 births 1906 deaths People from Ticonderoga, New York People from Merton, Wisconsin School superintendents in Wisconsin Democratic Party Wisconsin state senators Physicians from Wisconsin Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine alumni Educators from New York (state) Wisconsin pioneers