John A. Rice (politician)

John Ashley Rice (March 17, 1832 – August 18, 1906) was an American physician, Democratic politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He served six years in the Wisconsin State Senate, representing Waukesha County. He was also a witness at the trial of Charles J. Guiteau for the assassination of U.S. President James A. Garfield.

For others of the same name, see John Rice.
John A. Rice
From The History of Waukesha County, Wisconsin (1880)
Member of the Wisconsin Senate
from the 10th district
In office
January 7, 1878 – January 5, 1880
Preceded byWilliam Blair
Succeeded byRichard Weaver
In office
January 5, 1874 – January 3, 1876
Preceded byWilliam Blair
Succeeded byWilliam Blair
In office
January 3, 1870 – January 1, 1872
Preceded byCurtis Mann
Succeeded byWilliam Blair
Personal details
Born(1832-03-17)March 17, 1832
Ticonderoga, New York, U.S.
DiedAugust 18, 1906(1906-08-18) (aged 74)
Merton, Wisconsin, U.S.
Resting placeVillage of Hartland Cemetery, Hartland, Wisconsin
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Caroline J. Caswell
​
​
(m. 1853; died 1865)​
Children
  • May (Cowie)
  • (b. 1863; died 1955)
Alma materWestern Reserve Medical College
ProfessionPhysician

Biography

Rice was born on March 17, 1832, in Ticonderoga, New York.[1] As a young man, he studied medicine with Dr. Harris, in Fleming County, Kentucky. He then attended Western Reserve Medical College, of Hudson, Ohio, where he graduated in 1852.[2] That same year, he moved to the town of Merton, Wisconsin, in Waukesha County, where he started a medical practice.[2]

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. He was elected to three non-consecutive terms in the Wisconsin State Senate, representing Waukesha County in the 1870, 1871, 1874, 1875, 1878, and 1879 sessions. He was the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin in the 1871 election, but was defeated by Milton Pettit.[3]

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. 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 (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 Charles J. Guiteau for the assassination of U.S. President James A. Garfield.[4] 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.[5]

Rice died at his home on Lake Keesus in the town of Merton on August 18, 1906.[4]

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.[4]

Electoral history

Wisconsin Senate (1869)
Wisconsin Senate, 10th District Election, 1869[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 2, 1869
Democratic John A. Rice 2,671 55.32%
Republican Vernon Tichener 2,157 44.68%
Plurality 514 10.65%
Total votes 4,828 100.0%
Democratic hold

Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor (1871)
Wisconsin Lieutenant Gubernatorial Election, 1871[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 7, 1871
Republican Milton Pettit 77,751 53.05% -0.80%
Democratic John A. Rice 68,807 46.95%
Plurality 8,944 6.10% -1.60%
Total votes 146,558 100.0% +13.24%
Republican hold

Wisconsin Senate (1873)
Wisconsin Senate, 10th District Election, 1873[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 4, 1873
Democratic John A. Rice 2,541 53.74% +6.18%
Republican William Blair (incumbent) 2,187 46.26%
Plurality 354 7.49%
Total votes 4,728 100.0% -4.10%
Democratic gain from Republican

Wisconsin Senate (1877)
Wisconsin Senate, 10th District Election, 1877[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 4, 1877
Democratic John A. Rice 2,499 50.33% +3.79%
Republican John C. Schuette 2,466 49.67%
Plurality 33 0.66%
Total votes 4,965 100.0% -0.92%
Democratic gain from Republican

References
  1. "Official Directory". The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. 1871. p. 366. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  2. "Town of Merton". The History of Waukesha County, Wisconsin. Western Historical Company. 1880. p. 953. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  3. "Official Directory". The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. 1872. p. 433. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  4. "Dr. John A. Rice Dead". The Benton Advocate. August 24, 1906. p. 6. Retrieved July 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "The Great Murder Trial". The Washington Star. November 23, 1881. p. 1. Retrieved July 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Official Directory". The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. 1874. p. 450. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  7. "Official Directory". The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. 1878. p. 457. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
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