Jonas Rice (1672–1753) was the first permanent settler of European descent in Worcester, Massachusetts, and was a founder and prominent citizen of the town.

He was elected as a judge to the Court of Common Pleas in Worcester County, Massachusetts and he served until his death.

His parents had both immigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony from England, and his grandfather Edmund Rice was a founder of both Sudbury and Marlborough.

[3] He returned at the end of hostilities on 14 Dec 1711, and he bought 60 acres of land in what is now in central Worcester.

[3] He was a signatory on petition dated 13 October 1713 presented to the Great and General Court expressing desire to reestablish Worcester as a town.