Rice W. Means
Encyclopedia
Rice William Means was a Republican
United States Senator from Colorado
. Born in St. Joseph, Missouri, he moved with his parents to Yuma County, Colorado
in 1887. He settled in Denver in 1889, and attended the public schools and Sacred Heart College of Denver, CO (now called Regis University
). During the Spanish-American War
, he commanded a company
of in the Philippine
campaign of 1889. In 1901, he graduated from the law department of the University of Michigan
at Ann Arbor, and was admitted to the bar
and commenced practice in Denver. From 1902 to 1904, he was county judge of Adams County
, and in 1908 was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the Sixty-first United States Congress.
Means served during the First World War as a lieutenant colonel
and commandant
of the Fortieth Division School of Arms, and was commander in chief of the Army of the Philippines in 1913 and of the Veterans of Foreign Wars
in 1914. He was attorney for the City and County of Denver
in 1923 and 1924. Means was elected as a Republican
to the United States Senate on November 4, 1924, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Samuel D. Nicholson
and served from December 1, 1924, to March 3, 1927. While in the Senate he was chairman of the Committee on Claims (Sixty-ninth Congress). In 1926 he was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection, as he was defeated by Charles W. Waterman
in the Republican primary.
In 1926 and 1927, Means was commander in chief of the United Spanish War Veterans, and president of the National Tribune Corporation and publisher of the National Tribune
and Stars and Stripes at Washington, D.C.
from 1927 to 1937, when he retired. Means died in Denver on January 30, 1949 and was interred in Denver's Fairmount Cemetery
.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
United States Senator from Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. Born in St. Joseph, Missouri, he moved with his parents to Yuma County, Colorado
Yuma County, Colorado
Yuma County is the 14th most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 9,841 at U.S. Census 2000...
in 1887. He settled in Denver in 1889, and attended the public schools and Sacred Heart College of Denver, CO (now called Regis University
Regis University
Regis University is a private, co-educational Roman Catholic, Jesuit university in the United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1877, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
). During the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, he commanded a company
Company
A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
of in the Philippine
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
campaign of 1889. In 1901, he graduated from the law department of the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
at Ann Arbor, and was admitted to the bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
and commenced practice in Denver. From 1902 to 1904, he was county judge of Adams County
Adams County, Colorado
Adams County is the fifth most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the county population was 441,603 in 2010 census, a 21.4% increase since 2000 census. Adams County is named for Alva Adams, Governor of the...
, and in 1908 was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the Sixty-first United States Congress.
Means served during the First World War as a lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
and commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
of the Fortieth Division School of Arms, and was commander in chief of the Army of the Philippines in 1913 and of the Veterans of Foreign Wars
Veterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a congressionally chartered war veterans organization in the United States. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, VFW currently has 1.5 million members belonging to 7,644 posts, and is the largest American organization of combat...
in 1914. He was attorney for the City and County of Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
in 1923 and 1924. Means was elected as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to the United States Senate on November 4, 1924, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Samuel D. Nicholson
Samuel D. Nicholson
Samuel Danford Nicholson was a United States Senator from Colorado. Born in Springfield, Prince Edward Island, Canada, he attended the public schools there and moved to Michigan and then to Nebraska and later, in 1881, to Leadville, Colorado.Nicholson became interested in mining, and advanced from...
and served from December 1, 1924, to March 3, 1927. While in the Senate he was chairman of the Committee on Claims (Sixty-ninth Congress). In 1926 he was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection, as he was defeated by Charles W. Waterman
Charles W. Waterman
Charles Winfield Waterman was a United States Senator from Colorado. Born in Waitsfield, Washington County, Vermont, he attended the rural schools and St. Johnsbury Academy. He graduated from the University of Vermont at Burlington in 1885, and taught school in Connecticut and also at Fort Dodge,...
in the Republican primary.
In 1926 and 1927, Means was commander in chief of the United Spanish War Veterans, and president of the National Tribune Corporation and publisher of the National Tribune
National Tribune
National Tribune was an independent newspaper and publishing company owned by National Tribune Company, formed in 1877 in Washington, D.C.-Scope of the paper and the company :...
and Stars and Stripes at Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
from 1927 to 1937, when he retired. Means died in Denver on January 30, 1949 and was interred in Denver's Fairmount Cemetery
Fairmount Cemetery (Denver, Colorado)
Fairmount Cemetery in Denver, Colorado was founded in 1890 and is Denver's second oldest operating cemetery after Riverside Cemetery. It was designed by German landscape architect Reinhard Schuetze...
.