FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 10, 2007
Contact: Anika Mitchell Perkins
(662) 329-7124

Rices establish scholarship to benefit music majors
  
COLUMBUS, Miss. – David and Martha Bailey Rice’s hope to keep classical music alive has been put into motion by establishing the Martha Margaret Bailey Rice Music Scholarship Fund at Mississippi University for Women to be awarded in the fall 2007.
   
The scholarship will benefit a junior or senior music major, according to the Rices, who “hope more students will graduate in classical music. It’s fading away.”
   
In 1997, the Rices established a charitable remainder trust, a plan that would provide income for life. In 2006, David Rice made the decision to give up the income and terminate the trust early. “I wanted Martha to see students benefit from the gift during our lifetime.”
   
“I knew what I wanted to do,” he said. “I didn’t tell Martha.”
   
Immediately after, David Rice terminated their charitable remainder trust and the proceeds from the trust were used to establish the Martha Margaret Bailey Rice Music Scholarship Fund to honor his wife, a retired music educator.
   
The Rices are excited about being able to assist students financially.
   
“This is something that you can do that keeps on lasting,” he said.
   
Martha Rice, class of 1948, had a double major in music. She said, “It (MSCW) taught me everything I knew.” Her mother, Keety Herring, also attended MUW.
   
She went on to teach in Charleston and shared her talents, including choral music, voice, organ and piano.
   
“I enjoyed high school choral music and the little children,” Martha Rice said. “You never learn it all and you never get bored. It’s a great thing.”
   
She also shared her musical gifts while in Saudi Arabia almost three years as part of David Rice’s service to the Corps of Engineers.
   
He graduated from Mississippi State University and earned a degree in industrial engineering. David Rice also worked a little over 31 years as a civilian employee for the Department of Defense.
   
The Rices have been married almost 57 years and reside in Tanner, Ala. They have one son, David Rice III, a dentist who lives and practices in Laurel and two daughters, Beth Rice, an education administrator who lives and works in Sacramento, Calif., and Amy Rice Henry a chemical engineer who resides in Mobile, Ala. The Rices have five grandchildren.