Otis K. Rice

Noted historian Otis K. Rice (1919–2003) is one of the most recognized scholars in the field of West Virginia history. His many contributions to the scholarly study of West Virginia received formal recognition in 2003 when Dr. Rice became the state's first Historian Laureate. Dr. Rice is the author or coauthor of several published works, including West Virginia: A History, The Mountain State: An Introduction to West Virginia, and Frontier Kentucky. A former professor, Dr. Rice served at the West Virginia University Institute of Technology for many years. He chaired the history department from 1962 to 1984 and served as dean of the School of Humanities and Sciences from 1984 to 1997.