▁her ▁mother , ▁the ▁former ▁L ena ▁Schiff , ▁was ▁a ▁hom em aker . ▁Both ▁were ▁imm igr ants ▁from ▁Poland . ▁R ais ed ▁in ▁Brook lyn , ▁she ▁attended ▁Brook lyn ▁College ▁for ▁a ▁year ▁and ▁a ▁half . ▁She ▁took ▁up ▁an ▁offer ▁from ▁her ▁brother ▁to ▁finish ▁her ▁colleg iate ▁work ▁in ▁Wisconsin ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Wisconsin – Mad ison , ▁something ▁she ▁cred ited ▁with ▁changing ▁her ▁life , ▁after ▁he ▁received ▁a ▁$ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁fellow ship ▁that ▁could ▁support ▁the ▁both ▁of ▁them . ▁While ▁there , ▁she ▁major ed ▁in ▁labor ▁econom ics . ▁ ▁Career ▁After ▁gradu ating , ▁R ice ▁did ▁not ▁attend ▁gradu ate ▁school . ▁Instead , ▁she ▁was ▁determined ▁to ▁work ▁for ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁in ▁Washington , ▁D . C .. ▁R ice ▁obtained ▁employ ment ▁at ▁the ▁Rail road ▁Ret irement ▁Board ▁and ▁quickly ▁moved ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Labor , ▁as ▁an ▁assistant ▁statistical ▁cl erk , ▁and ▁the ▁War ▁Production ▁Board . ▁R ice ▁married ▁Jim ▁R ice ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁and ▁left ▁her ▁job ▁to ▁be ▁with ▁him ▁in ▁Camp ▁Grant , ▁Illinois . ▁Need ing ▁a ▁job , ▁she ▁started ▁assemb ling ▁parts ▁at ▁a ▁combined ▁pl umb ing ▁and ▁m un itions ▁factory . ▁It ▁took ▁a ▁friend ' s ▁word ▁to ▁get ▁her ▁husband ▁transferred ▁to ▁Washington ▁D . C ., ▁where ▁he ▁worked ▁at ▁Walter ▁Re ed ▁General ▁Hospital ; ▁she ▁applied