Born in the John Ross House in Rossville, Georgia, Charles Rice lived most of his boyhood at the foot of Missionary Ridge on the Tennessee-Georgia state line. (For two years during World War II, he lived in the then-secret town of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where his father was employed as a laborer at the Y-12 nuclear plant.) He served as both an ordained Methodist minister (1951-1958) and Episcopal Priest (1959-1986) during his storied career as a clergyman, theologian, writer, and teacher. His academic trail includes degrees from the University of Chattanooga, Emory University, Drew University, and the University of the South. The author of The View from My Ridge, he has had numerous essays, articles and photographs published in regional and national publications.