[1] As a boy, he attended the Lutheran Seminary in Canton for one and one half years, when that school moved to Columbus, Ohio and became Capital University.

[1] He was elected to represent the 28th district in the Ohio Senate in 1851, and served in the 50th General Assembly in 1852 and 1853.

[2] In 1859 and 1861, he was again elected Prosecuting Attorney of Wayne County, and appointed to fill a vacancy in that position in 1864.

[3] On September 11, 1874, Governor Allen appointed Rex to the Ohio Supreme Court, to fill a vacancy when Walter F. Stone resigned.

[1] He ran for the remainder of the term that autumn, and defeated Republican William Wartenbee Johnson.