Solomon Dieffenbaugh Dice, the popular superintendent of the public schools of Council Grove, was born June 11, 1873, near Strawsburg, Franklin county, Pennsylvania, in the same house where his father was born June 4, 1842. Solomon was the first son of Franklin and Susan (Wineman) Dice. The father was descended from Scotch and German ancestors. He had an academic education, being a graduate of Chambersburg Academy, Chambersburg, Pa. After leaving school he became a farmer and country school teacher and followed that profession for sixteen years in Franklin county. Early in his life he held the office of assessor and was township trustee for ten years. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity and a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. On Feb. 22, 1871, he married Susan Wineman, the daughter of Matthew and Elizabeth Wineman, who owned a farm in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, near Shippensburg. Three children were born to this union: Solomon D., the subject of this sketch; Barbara, born July 25, 1874, married Rev. N. J. Adams, in June, 1904, at Lenexa, Kan., and now resides at Birmingham, Kan., where he is the pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church; Jeremiah Wineman Dice, born Jan. 29, 1877, now president of the Merchants' State Bank, at Wichita, Kan., who married Maybelle Hall of Wichita in October, 1904. Mrs. Dice died on March 30, 1883, in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, only seven miles from the farm where she was born. She was a member of the Methodist church and an active worker for its interests all her life. In 1884 the father came to Kansas with his three children and located near the present town of Manchester, Dickinson county, on a farm which Mr. Dice still owns. After the death of his wife he took the place of both parents, kept his family together, mended clothes and took care of the home until the children were able to care for themselves. He is a remarkable man, seemingly able to cope with every emergency that arises. In 1900 he married Emma Bryson, the daughter of a Dickinson county farmer.

Solomon acquired his early education in the public schools of Franklin county, Pennsylvania, and of Kansas. He then entered Baker University at Baldwin, Kan., where he graduated with the normal class of 1899. While in college he taught school a part of the time to pay his expenses and after receiving his degree again took up that profession. In 1902 he became superintendent of the schools of Alma, Kan., holding the position for three years. Following that he was three years at Valley Falls in the same capacity, and in 1905 became superintendent of the schools at Council Grove, where he has charge of the high school and the two ward schools. Since coming to Council Grove he has been able to effect a reorganization of the grades and materially to increase the efficiency of the departments under his control. Mr. Dice is progressive in his ideas and popular alike with the scholars and the public.

On May 27, 1903, he married Laura A., daughter of Charles W. and Sarah Jane Reynolds, who live near Council Grove, Wabaunsee county. Mrs. Dice was born in Douglas county, Kan., Dec. 17, 1875. She attended Baker University, graduating with the class of 1901. Her parents were natives of Pennsylvania and came to Kansas when it was still sparsely settled. Two children have been born to Solomon and Laura Dice—Dorothea Maybelle, born Sept. 19, 1905; and Paul Reynolds, born Feb. 5, 1908. Mrs. Dice died in Council Grove on Sept. 28, 1911, aged thirty-six. Mr. Dice is a Royal Arch Mason and a member of the official board of the Methodist church. He is a member of the Kansas State Teachers' Association and has not failed to attend the annual meetings in seventeen years.