Ada Rice
Introduction
Ada L. Rice (1898 – April 1977) was an American businessperson, thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder, and philanthropist.
Life, career, philanthropy
Rice was born in 1898 in Danville, Illinois. She was married to Daniel F. Rice (1896–1975), a Chicago-native businessman who successfully bred and raced thoroughbred horses from the 1940s to the 1970s.
In 1929, Ada and Daniel purchased a 152-acre estate a few miles south of Wheaton, Illinois, and named it "Danada Farm"—Danada is the literal combination of their first names (Dan+Ada). Their house was located across from the farm and later was named "Danada House" which now is a museum and a place for social functions.
In 1943, they established Ada L. Rice Racing Stable with eight horses. In 1947, they purchased an additional farm for horse breeding in Lexington, Kentucky.
Ada and Daniel contributed to many charities and organizations and created the Rice Foundation in 1947, which is still functioning today. The Foundation gives contributions to places that the Rices believed in such as programs to prevent child abuse and for many research areas such as plant development and preservation, medical advancement, and animal conservation. Additionally, the Foundation supports the arts such as the Chicago History Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and other museums. In 1996, the foundation partnered with the village of Skokie, Illinois, to construct the North Shore Center for Performing Arts.
In 1965, Ada's horse "Lucky Debonair" won the Kentucky Derby.
The Rices were widely respected for their philanthropies in the Chicago area and a number of places are named in their honor in the region. The combination of their first names, "Danada," appears in many places in Wheaton, Illinois.
The Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois, built the Dan and Ada Rice Center, which is used for indoor athletic events. Other Chicago-area institutions assisted by the Rice Foundation include the Chicago Botanic Garden, the Chicago History Museum, the Children's Home and Aid Society of Illinois, Brookfield Zoo, the Field Museum, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, the John G. Shedd Aquarium, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Rice enjoyed painting and was an outstanding skeet shooter; she won several medals for her shooting ability including the Illinois Amateur Championship.
After the death of her husband in 1975, Ada auctioned off the horses for a reported $5.5 million.
Death
Rice died in April 1977 in Wheaton, Illinois, at the age of 79.