Edwin W. Rice
Encyclopedia
Edwin Wilbur Rice, Jr. was a president and considered one of the three fathers of General Electric
(along with Elihu Thomson
and Charles A. Coffin
).
He attended the Boys' Central High School in Philadelphia and was a student of Elihu Thomson
. Rice graduated in 1880 and considered going to Yale but decided to join Thomson in New Britain
, Connecticut
, at the American Electric Company as Thomson's assistant at $30 a month.
In 1883 he continued with Thomson, and moved from New Britain to Lynn, Massachusetts
to work for the newly formed Thomson-Houston Electric Company
. There he worked on converting Thomson's inventions into manufactured products. In 1885 he became the factory superindent when John Meech moved to Europe to head up Thomson-Houston International. Under Rice the Lynn factory grew from almost nothing in 1883 to an enterprise with $10 million dollars in sales and 4,000 employees in 1892. Primary products included arc light systems, electrical generators, dynamos, meters, transformers, and electric motors. By 1892 the primary products were electric trolley car systems and the company had built over 2700 electric trolley cars and 870 electric generator stations. The entire factory reported to Rice and in 1890 supervisors who reported to him included D.M Barton - Production Manager, I.F.Baker - Mechanical Superintendent, G.E.Emmons - Factory Auditor, W.H.Knight - Chef Electrical Engineer, and A.I.Rohrer - Chef Assistant.
In 1892 General Electric Company was created after a merger with Edison General Electric. Rice was originally its technical director. He became, in 1896, vice president in charge of manufacturing and engineering, and eventually senior vice president. In 1913 he was chosen president of the company replacing Charles A. Coffin
who moved on to be the Chairman of the Board of GE. When Rice retired in 1922 was made honorary chairman of the board.
Rice was elected president in 1917 of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers
(AIEE).
In 1931 the AIEE awarded him the Edison Medal For his contributions to the development of electrical systems and his encouragement of scientific research in industry.
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
(along with Elihu Thomson
Elihu Thomson
Elihu Thomson was an American engineer and inventor who was instrumental in the founding of major electrical companies in the United States, the United Kingdom and France.-Early life:...
and Charles A. Coffin
Charles A. Coffin
Charles Albert Coffin was the cofounder and first President of General Electric corporation. He was born in Somerset, Massachusetts to Albert Coffin and his wife Anstrus Varney. He married Caroline Russell of Holbrook, Massachusetts and had three children.He moved to join his uncle Charles E...
).
He attended the Boys' Central High School in Philadelphia and was a student of Elihu Thomson
Elihu Thomson
Elihu Thomson was an American engineer and inventor who was instrumental in the founding of major electrical companies in the United States, the United Kingdom and France.-Early life:...
. Rice graduated in 1880 and considered going to Yale but decided to join Thomson in New Britain
New Britain
New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, at the American Electric Company as Thomson's assistant at $30 a month.
In 1883 he continued with Thomson, and moved from New Britain to Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 89,050 at the 2000 census. An old industrial center, Lynn is home to Lynn Beach and Lynn Heritage State Park and is about north of downtown Boston.-17th century:...
to work for the newly formed Thomson-Houston Electric Company
Thomson-Houston Electric Company
The Thomson-Houston Electric Company was a manufacturing company which was one of the precursors of the General Electric Company.The Thomson-Houston Electric Company was formed in 1883 in the United States when a group of Lynn, Massachusetts investors led by Charles A...
. There he worked on converting Thomson's inventions into manufactured products. In 1885 he became the factory superindent when John Meech moved to Europe to head up Thomson-Houston International. Under Rice the Lynn factory grew from almost nothing in 1883 to an enterprise with $10 million dollars in sales and 4,000 employees in 1892. Primary products included arc light systems, electrical generators, dynamos, meters, transformers, and electric motors. By 1892 the primary products were electric trolley car systems and the company had built over 2700 electric trolley cars and 870 electric generator stations. The entire factory reported to Rice and in 1890 supervisors who reported to him included D.M Barton - Production Manager, I.F.Baker - Mechanical Superintendent, G.E.Emmons - Factory Auditor, W.H.Knight - Chef Electrical Engineer, and A.I.Rohrer - Chef Assistant.
In 1892 General Electric Company was created after a merger with Edison General Electric. Rice was originally its technical director. He became, in 1896, vice president in charge of manufacturing and engineering, and eventually senior vice president. In 1913 he was chosen president of the company replacing Charles A. Coffin
Charles A. Coffin
Charles Albert Coffin was the cofounder and first President of General Electric corporation. He was born in Somerset, Massachusetts to Albert Coffin and his wife Anstrus Varney. He married Caroline Russell of Holbrook, Massachusetts and had three children.He moved to join his uncle Charles E...
who moved on to be the Chairman of the Board of GE. When Rice retired in 1922 was made honorary chairman of the board.
Rice was elected president in 1917 of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers
American Institute of Electrical Engineers
The American Institute of Electrical Engineers was a United States based organization of electrical engineers that existed between 1884 and 1963, when it merged with the Institute of Radio Engineers to form the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers .- History :The 1884 founders of the...
(AIEE).
In 1931 the AIEE awarded him the Edison Medal For his contributions to the development of electrical systems and his encouragement of scientific research in industry.