Rice, Ren H., 1872-1957

Ren H. Rice arrived in Spokane in 1897 to accept a position as a reporter with the Spokesman-Review . He became Chief of Police in 1907 and, as part of mayor Herbert Moore’s reform administration, Rice strictly enforced anti-prostitution measures, prohibited the sale of liquor where women were present, and clamped down on speeding automobile drivers. He resigned in 1909 to become secretary for the National Apple Show held in Spokane. He also helped to organize the National Irrigation Congress, which met in Spokane in 1909, and later became an active promoter of the Columbia Basin Project. In 1926 Rice established the Dina-Mite Cereal Company, which produced an all-natural cereal. Throughout his life, Rice maintained an active interest in acting and theatre, and he wrote plays and short stories.

From the guide to the Ren H. Rice Papers, 1895-1955, (Eastern Washington State Historical Society/Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture Joel E. Ferris Research Library and Archives)