John E. Rice, Shelbyville, TN., then Caddo Parish, Louisiana Submitted by Mike Miller Date: 1999-2000 ************************************************************************************************* Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************* John E. Rice. Through a period of forty years John E. Rice has been identified with mercantile business, at first in his native state of Tennessee and latterly at Shreveport. He is the executive in charge of one of the old established concerns at Shreveport, and is also well known in civic and social affairs. Mr. Rice was born at Shelbyville, Tennessee, in 1865, and was reared and educated there, his people representing one of the old and respected families of Middle Tennessee. The employment of his youthful years after he completed a public school education was in a store at Shelbyville, and from there in 1888 he moved to Memphis. At Memphis he was one of a firm of high standing in business circles, merchants in the clothing and men's furnishing goods trade. After his successful experience in Memphis Mr. Rice in 1918 came to Shreveport to become associated with the Jordan & Booth Company, Limited, one of the oldest and most prominent clothing houses in the city. The firm was founded in 1888 by Mr. J. H. Jordan and the late J. J. Booth. It is a mercantile institution of the highest character. Mr. Booth, the surviving original partner, now devotes most of his time to the First National Bank, of which he is active vice president. The executive in charge of the store is Mr. Rice, who is secretary and manager of the Jordan and Booth Company. Mr. R. F. Morris is treasurer , having lived in Shreveport for a number of years. He also is a Tennessian, and stands very high in this community. Outside of his business Mr. Rice's greatest social interest is in the Kiwanis Club of Shreveport, of which he is one of the most prominent and active members. That part of the Kiwanis program making provisions for under privileged children has aroused the greatest enthusiasm in Mr. Rice. The club, composed of one hundred and ten forceful and public spirited citizens, has put itself behind a number of other organized movements for community benefits. Mr. Rice is also a Scottish Rite Mason and Shriner. He married Miss Willie Dunlap, daughter of James Dunlap, of Paris, Tennessee. Her father at one time served as state comptroller of Tennessee. The two children of Mr. and Mrs. Rice are Devereaux Dunlap Rice and Mrs. Martha Fulton. A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), p. 40, by Henry E. Chambers. Published by The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, 1925.