Irving F. Rice (October 17, 1867 – March 8, 1936) was an American farmer and politician from New York.
Rice was born on October 17, 1867, in Truxton, New York. His great-grandfather, Moses Rice, was one of the first settlers in Cortland County.[1]
Rice initially worked as a mechanic in Cortland. After two years of poor health, he decided to live in the country instead. In around 1896, he bought a 16-acre farm a mile and a half away from Cortland and began raising poultry. He became known as one of the most successful single-comb white leghorn breeders in the country and an expert on poultry issues. He frequently served as a judge for prominent poultry shows, including the Madison Square Garden Poultry Show and the New York State Fair.[2] He was one of two New York men to be in the Jury of Awards at the Panama–Pacific International Exposition. He was also a lecturer for the Farmers' Institute, president of the Farm Bureau's Organization, and a Master in his local and county Grange.[1]
In 1918, Rice was elected to the New York State Assembly as a Republican, representing Cortland County. He served in the Assembly in 1919,[1] 1920,[3] 1921,[4] 1922,[5] 1923,[6] 1924,[7] 1925,[8] 1926,[9] 1927,[10] 1928,[11] 1929, 1930, 1931,[12] 1932,[13] and 1933.[14]
Rice died at home on March 8, 1936.[15] He was buried in Cortland Rural Cemetery.