Edwin Wilbur Rice, Jr., was born in 1862, the son of Edwin Rice, a missionary of the American Sunday-School Union, who settled in Philadelphia in 1871 and became assistant director of missions and editor of the Unions publications. In Philadelphia, Edwin Rice, Jr. was a high school student of Elihu Thomsons. After high school he joined Thomson in his venture into the electrical industry, first at the American Electrical Company and then the reorganized Thomson-Houston Company, which moved to Lynn, Massachusetts in 1883. Rice was a capable technician who received nearly 100 patents in his lifetime, but his strength lay in management of manufacturing and engineering. At Thomson-Houston, Rice was made factory manager of the Lynn plant. Upon the formation of General Electric in 1892, he was named Technical Director for the company. In 1896 he became vice-president in charge of manufacturing and engineering. Rice made the suggestion to acquire Eickemeyer & Osterheld for both its railway motor patents and its young engineer, Charles Steinmetz in 1892. Upon Steinmetzs recommendation, Rice convinced GE President Charles Coffin to establish the GE Research Lab in 1900, to protect its valuable lamp business. Rice became company president in 1913 upon the retirement of Coffin, who remained chairman of the company. In 1917 Rice added to his achievements with his election as president of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE). He retired in 1922 as one of the elder statesmen of the electrical industry, and was interested in recording the history of the industry and its pioneers. Rices family was also highly involved in the company. Son Chester Rice, an engineer, was involved in the development of the loudspeaker, sonar, the sonic altimeter for airplanes, and the halogen leak detector. Edwins brother Martin P. managed GEs Publicity Department.