Luther Rice regarded himself first and foremost as a missionary, and his work in education grew out of his commitment to advancing missions. After returning to the United States from India, he confronted two educational needs among American Baptists: the lack of a school to train missionary candidates and the lack of mission awareness among poorly educated ministers. To overcome these obstacles, he persistently urged Baptist leaders to establish a seminary or college to train missionaries and other ministers. Largely through his insistence, the Triennial Convention amended its constitution in 1817 to establish a classical and theological seminary, and in 1820 the Convention decided to found Columbian College, a national Baptist school in Washington. Rice served as the Convention’s agent to raise funds for both the college and for missions. Although Columbian College, now George Washington University, soon encountered financial difficulties and was eventually lost from Baptist control, Baptists were awakened during this period to the importance of Christian education, and the beginnings of many Baptist colleges in the South can be traced to the educational interest he stimulated.