The late, great John Rice

The first and only time I ever saw one of the celebrated Rice brothers was at Little People of America‘s 2004 national conference, in the suburbs of San Francisco. One of the brothers — I have no idea which one — was cruising about the hotel lobby on a Segway.

At any LPA gathering, you’ll find a sea of electric scooters, which take up a lot of space and don’t always fit into the nooks and crannies of buildings designed for people who are more mobile. Thus the Segway seemed like a brilliant solution — and the panache with which Mr. Rice carried it off only added to its allure.

I bring this up because John Rice died recently. Abby Goodnough of the New York Times has a wonderful story today about Mr. Rice and his brother, Greg. At 2 feet 11 inches tall, they were believed to be the shortest twins in the world, as well as a major force for good in their hometown of West Palm Beach, Fla.