He was elected to
Atlanta City Council in 1870 and served until 1874, and again 1886–1888. Rice was instrumental in the establishment of the
Atlanta public school system. He served for nine years on the Board of Health, and served on the citizen's committee in favor of moving the state capital to Atlanta. From 1880 to 1884 he served as a representative in the
Georgia General Assembly. In 1888 he was elected to the
Georgia State Senate. Rice ran for mayor in 1901 and lost. He was elected a commissioner on the Board of Water in 1902. Rice owned "a large amount of central and well-improved real estate" in Atlanta. Rice died in 1923. ==External links==