Alexander H. Rice

Alexander Hamilton Rice (born August 30, 1818 in Newton , Massachusetts , † July 22, 1895 in Melrose , Massachusetts) was an American politician and governor of the state of Massachusetts from 1876 to 1879 . Between 1859 and 1867 he represented his state in the US House of Representatives .

Early years and political advancement

Alexander Rice attended the public schools of his homeland and then until 1840 the Union College in Schenectady . Then he worked in the paper industry. Rice played an important role in founding the Republican Party in Massachusetts. From 1853 he sat on the Boston City Council ; between 1856 and 1857 he was mayor of that city, succeeding Jerome Smith .

Congressman and Governor

Between March 4, 1859 and March 3, 1867, Rice represented his state as a member of Congress . There he was chairman of the naval committee. After his time in the federal capital, Rice resumed business in Massachusetts. In May 1868 he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in Chicago , where Ulysses S. Grant was nominated as the party's presidential candidate.

On November 2, 1875, Rice was elected the new governor of his state, winning with 48:45 percent of the vote against the Democratic incumbent William Gaston . After he was confirmed in each of the following two years, he was able to exercise this office between January 6, 1876 and January 1, 1879. During this time two new sanatoriums for the mentally ill were opened. A prohibition law at the local level could not be politically enforced. Some social welfare programs were also proposed during his tenure. In 1878 Rice declined to run again.

Another résumé

After the end of his governorship, Rice withdrew from politics. But he was still in the paper business. He has also served on several boards in the financial and education sectors. Alexander Rice died in July 1895 and was buried in Newton. He was married twice and had four children in total.

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personal data
SURNAME	Rice, Alexander H.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Rice, Alexander Hamilton (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	August 30, 1818
PLACE OF BIRTH	Newton , Massachusetts
DATE OF DEATH	July 22, 1895
Place of death	Melrose , Massachusetts