Bill Rice was a scholar and man of letters, whose commitment to the humanities was passionate and articulate. His untimely death on June 20 at the age of 61 is a loss to his family, to his friends, and to the liberal arts. At the time of his death, he was serving as Director of Education Programs at the National Endowment for the Humanities, a position he had held for the last nine years. Prior to that time, his career included the presidency of Shimer College and teaching in Harvard’s Expository Writing program. Bill was the author of Public Discourse & Academic Inquiry and many articles and reviews. Bill was a friend to ACTA who helped the What Will They Learn?™ project understand best practices in expository writing, and we regularly enjoyed his participation in ACTA events, to which he brought his unerringly erudite and thoughtful insights. We will remember him for his contributions to the life of the mind and to exacting standards in higher education. Rest in peace, my friend. We mourn your departure.
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