Angelena Rice

Angelena Ray Rice (born July 21, 1924 in Birmingham; died August 1985) was a teacher at Fairfield Industrial High School and Ullman High School, and the mother of Condoleezza Rice.

She was one of five children born to Albert Robinson Ray III and his wife Mattie Lula Parham and learned to play piano from her mother at their home at 3708 4th Street West in Hooper City. She graduated from Miles College and became a science and music teacher at Fairfield Industrial High School, where both Richard Arrington, Jr and Willie Mays were students.

While there she met fellow teacher and basketball coach John Rice, Jr. They married in 1954 and moved to Titusville where he succeeded his father as pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church. They both found jobs at Ullman HIgh School and took pains to raise their daughter, Condoleezza, to rise above the disadvantages of segregation, home schooling her before she was old enough to attend public schools.

In 1969, Angelena Rice was diagnosed with breast cancer. She died in 1985.

References

• "Angelena Rice" (April 24, 2010) Wikipedia - accessed June 5, 2010