Frank Rice

Frank Aydelotte Rice, son of John Rice, founder of the college, arrived at Black Mountain College with his family in 1933. He was a student there from 1934 to 1937.

Born in Chicago, Rice grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska; Winter Park, Florida, and London. He earned his B.A. from the University of North Carolina in 1938 and his A.B.L.S. (library science) degree from the University of Michigan in 1943. He also did graduate study in linguistics there and at Columbia University.

In 1938-40 Rice taught German to refugees while working with the American Friends Service Committee in Cuba. He also taught German at the College of Charleston in South Carolina for a year (1946-47).

He joined the faculty at Black Mountain to teach German in the fall of 1947 and remained for two years. Besides teaching German, Rice was the music librarian, and helped in the print shop.

During the 1950s, Rice taught Arabic to employees of the Arabian American Oil Co. (Aramco) in Saudi Arabia. With Majid Sa’id, he co-authored Eastern Arabic (Georgetown University Press, 1956)

He also is author of The Classical Arabic Writing System (Harvard University Press, 1959). Until his retirement in 1971, he worked for the Center for Applied Linguistics in Washington, DC. In 1940

Rice married Ann Craig Sutton in Haverfold, Pennsylvania. They had three children, John Andrew Rice III, Frances Sutton Rice and William Craig Rice. Rice died in Falls Church, Virginia in 2007.

Biography written by Mary Emma Harris for the Black Mountain College Project.

Relationships

Parent: Nell Rice

Parent: John Andrew Rice

Sister: Mary Aydelotte Rice