Temporary record

Victor Rice was an active figure in the fields of edcucation, politics, business and journalism. Rice, and his partner, P.R. Spencer, were the originators of a distinctive system of chirography -- the Spencer system -- that catapulted the two into prominence. Rice went on in his career to serve as superintendant of the Buffalo (N.Y.) schools (1852), was president of the New York State Teachers; Association (1853), and was selected as head of the newly created State Department of Public Education in 1854. It was during Rice's tenure in the Department of Public Education that free schools were first established in New York, and he was instrumental in the establishment of state colleges at Oswego, Cortland, Brockport, Potsdam, Geneseo, Fredonia, and Buffalo, and in the establishment of Cornell University. Rice and Spencer were both active in politics, Rice having served one term in the state legislature, and were important in establishing the Republican Party in New York. They remained important proponents of the Party throughout the 1860's.

Scope and contents:

The Rice Papers consist primarily of in-coming correspondence to Victor Rice, and includes approximately 100 letters relating to the business dealings of the Spencer & Rice System of Business Penmanship, approximately 200 letters relating to Rice's career in education -- mostly bureaucratic correspondence, letters of transmittal, etc -- and approximately 100 letters from Rice family members.

M-2597

Subjects

Education--New York (State)
Family--New York (State)
Greeley, Horace, 1811-1872
Holly, James Theodore, 1829-1911
Indians of North America--Education--New York (State)
New York (State)--Politics and government--1861-1865
New York (State)--Politics and government--1857-1861
Penmanship
Spencer, Platt Rogers, 1800-1864

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