The University of Southern Indiana Board of Trustees and President Ronald S. Rochon announce with sadness the death of the University’s founding and first president, Dr. David L. Rice.
Dr. Rice, 90, died peacefully at his residence in York, Pennsylvania, at 7:10 p.m. (EST) Wednesday, January 15, 2020.”While we are saddened by his death, we want to celebrate the legacy Dr. Rice has left,” said Dr. Ronald S. Rochon, USI president. “Our story is one of community, of linking arms, minds and resources to overcome adversity. More than a half-century ago, an institution of public higher education in Southwestern Indiana was only a dream.
It took the perseverance of Dr. Rice and those around him to make this dream a reality. Never underestimate the power of an idea, how it can transform lives, and how it can propel a community. Dr. Rice knew this-and we celebrate and embody these tenants each and every day in all that we do.”
The visitation and funeral will be held on the USI campus. Arrangements are pending and will be updated when available on the USI website and the Browning Funeral Home website, www.browningfuneral.com/. Additional information, as well as a tribute to Dr. Rice’s legacy, can be found at USI.edu/Rice.
