William Marsh Rice
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| William Marsh Rice | |
 Engraving of William Marsh Rice
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| Born | March 14, 1816 Springfield, MA |
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| Died | September 23, 1900 (aged 84) New York, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Spouse | (1st) Margaret Bremond (2nd) Julia Elizabeth Baldwin Brown |
| Children | None |
William Marsh Rice (March 14, 1816 – September 23, 1900) was an American businessman whose fortune founded Rice University.
Rice was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. He made his fortune in Texas by trading cotton, and investing in land and railroads. He left the bulk of his estate to the founding of a free institute of higher education in Houston, Texas. Opening 1912 as William Marsh Rice Institute for the Advancement of Literature, Art, and Science, it is known today as Rice University.
[edit] Death
Rice was the victim of one of the earliest sensational crimes of the 1900s. On September 23, 1900, Rice was found dead by his valet; he was presumed to have died in his sleep. Shortly thereafter, a bank teller noticed a suspiciously large check bearing the late Rice's signature and made out to Rice's lawyer, Albert T. Patrick, but with his name misspelled. Soon, Patrick made an announcement that Rice had changed his will right before his death, leaving the bulk of his fortune to Patrick rather than to his Institute. A subsequent investigation led by the District Attorney of New York resulted in the arrests of Patrick and of Rice's butler/valet Charles Jones, who had been persuaded to administer chloroform to Rice while he slept.
