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Lawyer Politicians in Connecticut, Q-R

  Michael J. Quinn (born c.1884) — of New Haven, New Haven County, Conn. Born in Heckscherville, Schuylkill County, Pa., about 1884. Democrat. Lawyer; member of Connecticut state senate 10th District, 1913-14. Burial location unknown.
  Ernest T. Racicot — of Hartford, Hartford County, Conn. Democrat. Lawyer; member of Connecticut state house of representatives from Hartford, 1937-38, 1941-42. Burial location unknown.
  James Lee Rankin (1907-1996) — also known as J. Lee Rankin — of Lincoln, Lancaster County, Neb.; Manhattan, New York County, N.Y.; Weston, Fairfield County, Conn.; Los Gatos, Santa Clara County, Calif. Born in Hartington, Cedar County, Neb., July 6, 1907. Republican. Lawyer; U.S. Solicitor General, 1956-61; general counsel for the Warren Commission; New York City Corporation Counsel, 1966-72; candidate for delegate to New York state constitutional convention at-large, 1966. Congregationalist. Member, American Bar Association; American Judicature Society; Phi Delta Phi. Died, following a series of strokes, in Batterson's Convalescent Home at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, Calif., June 26, 1996 (age 88 years, 356 days). Interment at Santa Cruz Memorial Park, Santa Cruz, Calif.
  Relatives: Son of Herman Primm Rankin and Lois Cornelia (Gable) Rankin; married 1931 to Gertrude Louise Carpenter.
  See also Wikipedia article — NNDB dossier — Find-A-Grave memorial
  William Richard Ratchford (1934-2011) — also known as William R. Ratchford — of Danbury, Fairfield County, Conn. Born in Danbury, Fairfield County, Conn., May 24, 1934. Democrat. Lawyer; member of Connecticut state house of representatives, 1962-74; Speaker of the Connecticut State House of Representatives, 1969-73; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Connecticut, 1972, 1984; U.S. Representative from Connecticut 5th District, 1979-85; defeated, 1974, 1984. Member, Chi Phi. Died, from Parkinson's disease, Arlington, Arlington County, Va., January 2, 2011 (age 76 years, 223 days). Burial location unknown.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — Wikipedia article — NNDB dossier — Find-A-Grave memorial
  Heman J. Redfield (1788-1877) — of Le Roy, Genesee County, N.Y.; Batavia, Genesee County, N.Y.; New York, New York County, N.Y. Born in Suffield, Hartford County, Conn., December 27, 1788. Served in the U.S. Army during the War of 1812; lawyer; Genesee County District Attorney, 1821; member of New York state senate 8th District, 1823-25; postmaster at Le Roy, N.Y., 1836; U.S. Collector of Customs, 1853-57. Died in Batavia, Genesee County, N.Y., July 22, 1877 (age 88 years, 207 days). Interment at Batavia Cemetery, Batavia, N.Y.
  Relatives: Son of Peleg Redfield and Mary (Judd) Redfield; married, January 27, 1817, to Abigail N. Gould; married, April 14, 1846, to Constances C. Bolles.
  See also Wikipedia article
  Tapping Reeve (1744-1823) — Born in Brookhaven, Suffolk County, Long Island, N.Y., October 1, 1744. Lawyer; member of Connecticut council of assistants, 1792; superior court judge in Connecticut, 1798-1815. Founder of the Litchfield Law School, the first law school in the U.S. Died in Litchfield, Litchfield County, Conn., December 13, 1823 (age 79 years, 73 days). Interment at East Cemetery, Litchfield, Conn.
  Relatives: Son of Abner Reeve and Deborah (Topping) Reeve; married to Sarah Burr (sister of Aaron Burr) and Elizabeth Thompson.
  Political families: Kellogg-Adams-Seymour-Chapin family of Connecticut and New York; Tallmadge-Floyd family of New York; Burr-Alston-Wilson-Ballard family of Charleston, South Carolina; Edwards-Davenport-Thompson-Hooker family of Connecticut; Cornell-Schilplin-Washburn-Burr family of New York; Berrien-Burr-Bartow-Biddle family of Pennsylvania; Hamlin-Bemis family of Bangor, Maine (subsets of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  Joseph H. Reid — of Waterbury, New Haven County, Conn. Born in Waterbury, New Haven County, Conn. Republican. Lawyer; candidate for Connecticut state senate 16th District, 1906. Burial location unknown.
  Relatives: Son of Bernard F. Reid.
  Harry W. Reynolds (born c.1882) — of East Haddam, Middlesex County, Conn. Born in East Haddam, Middlesex County, Conn., about 1882. Republican. Lawyer; member of Connecticut state house of representatives from East Haddam, 1911-12; member of Connecticut state senate 34th District, 1913-14. Burial location unknown.
Abraham Ribicoff Abraham Alexander Ribicoff (1910-1998) — also known as Abraham A. Ribicoff — of Hartford, Hartford County, Conn. Born in New Britain, Hartford County, Conn., April 9, 1910. Democrat. Lawyer; member of Connecticut state house of representatives from Hartford, 1939-42; state court judge in Connecticut, 1941-43, 1945-47; U.S. Representative from Connecticut 1st District, 1949-53; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Connecticut, 1952, 1956, 1960; Governor of Connecticut, 1955-61; U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, 1961-62; U.S. Senator from Connecticut, 1963-81; defeated, 1952. Jewish. Member, Americans for Democratic Action. Died February 22, 1998 (age 87 years, 319 days). Interment at Cornwall Cemetery, Cornwall, Conn.
  Cross-reference: Richard Blumenthal
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — National Governors Association biography — Wikipedia article — NNDB dossier
  Image source: Connecticut Register and Manual 1950
  Anthony Joseph Rich (born c.1904) — also known as Anthony J. Rich — of Bristol, Hartford County, Conn. Born in Bristol, Hartford County, Conn., about 1904. Republican. Lawyer; member of Connecticut state house of representatives from Bristol, 1929-34; defeated, 1934; member of Connecticut state senate 5th District, 1937-40; delegate to Republican National Convention from Connecticut, 1940 (member, Credentials Committee). Burial location unknown.
  Leon RisCassi (b. 1908) — of Hartford, Hartford County, Conn. Born in Olivebridge, Ulster County, N.Y., April 29, 1908. Democrat. Lawyer; member of Connecticut state senate 3rd District, 1941-46. Burial location unknown.
  Relatives: Son of Louis RisCassi and Adeline RisCassi.
  Samuel H. Ritt — of Moodus, East Haddam, Middlesex County, Conn. Republican. Lawyer; member of Connecticut state house of representatives from East Haddam, 1937-40. Presumed deceased. Burial location unknown.
  Asher Robbins (1761-1845) — of Newport, Newport County, R.I. Born in Wethersfield, Hartford County, Conn., October 26, 1761. Whig. Lawyer; U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island, 1812-20; member of Rhode Island state house of representatives, 1818-25; U.S. Senator from Rhode Island, 1825-39; postmaster at Newport, R.I., 1841-45. Died February 25, 1845 (age 83 years, 122 days). Interment at Common Burying Ground, Newport, R.I.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page
  J. Howard Roberts (born c.1892) — of Thomaston, Litchfield County, Conn. Born in Watertown, Litchfield County, Conn., about 1892. Republican. Lawyer; member of Connecticut state house of representatives from Thomaston, 1925-28; member of Connecticut state senate 32nd District, 1939-40. Burial location unknown.
  John Arnold Rockwell (1803-1861) — also known as John A. Rockwell — of Norwich, New London County, Conn. Born in Norwich, New London County, Conn., August 27, 1803. Lawyer; member of Connecticut state senate 8th District, 1839; U.S. Representative from Connecticut 3rd District, 1845-49. Died in Washington, D.C., February 10, 1861 (age 57 years, 167 days). Interment at Yantic Cemetery, Norwich, Conn.
  Relatives: Son of Charles Rockwell and Sally (Arnold) Rockwell; married to Mary Watkinson Perkins; third cousin once removed of Elijah Abel, Joseph Churchill Strong, Ebenezer Strong and Bela Edgerton; third cousin twice removed of Josiah Cowles; third cousin thrice removed of Matthew Griswold, Erastus Wolcott and Oliver Wolcott Sr.; fourth cousin of Alfred Peck Edgerton and Joseph Ketchum Edgerton; fourth cousin once removed of John Davenport, James Davenport, John Taintor, Daniel Chapin, Henry Huntington, Roger Taintor, Gurdon Huntington, Augustus Seymour Porter, Solomon Taintor, Peter Buell Porter, Calvin Fillmore, Orsamus Cook Merrill, Abel Huntington, Timothy Merrill, Daniel Upson, Phineas Lyman Tracy, Albert Haller Tracy, Asa H. Otis, Theodore Sill, Oliver Morgan Hungerford, Julius Levi Strong and Luther S. Pitkin.
  Political families: Kellogg-Adams-Seymour-Chapin family of Connecticut and New York; Conger-Hungerford family of Connecticut and New York; Bolton-Whitney-Brainard-Wolcott family of Ohio and New York; Wolcott-Griswold-Packwood-Brandegee family of Connecticut (subsets of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — Wikipedia article — Find-A-Grave memorial
  Charles G. Root (b. 1855) — of Waterbury, New Haven County, Conn. Born in Naugatuck, New Haven County, Conn., August 13, 1855. Democrat. Lawyer; member of Connecticut state house of representatives, 1891-92; member of Connecticut state senate 5th District, 1893-94. Burial location unknown.
  Relatives: Son of Reuben H. Root and Laura E. Root; married 1881 to Carrie M. Chapin.
  Erastus Root (1773-1846) — of Delhi, Delaware County, N.Y. Born in Hebron, Windham County (now Tolland County), Conn., March 16, 1773. Democrat. Lawyer; member of New York state assembly from Delaware County, 1798-99, 1800-02, 1817-21, 1826-28, 1830; Speaker of the New York State Assembly, 1827-28, 1830; U.S. Representative from New York, 1803-05, 1809-11, 1815-17, 1831-33 (14th District 1803-05, 12th District 1809-11, 8th District 1815-17, 11th District 1831-33); defeated, 1838; member of New York state senate, 1811-15, 1840-43 (Middle District 1811-15, 3rd District 1840-43); delegate to New York state constitutional convention, 1821; Lieutenant Governor of New York, 1823-24; defeated, 1824. Died in New York, New York County, N.Y., December 24, 1846 (age 73 years, 283 days). Original interment at Old Cemetery, Delhi, N.Y.; reinterment at Woodland Cemetery, Delhi, N.Y.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — Wikipedia article
  Andrew W. Roraback (b. 1960) — of Goshen, Litchfield County, Conn. Born in Torrington, Litchfield County, Conn., March 29, 1960. Republican. Lawyer; member of Connecticut state house of representatives 64th District, 1995-2000; member of Connecticut state senate 30th District, 2001-12; candidate for U.S. Representative from Connecticut 5th District, 2012; superior court judge in Connecticut, 2013-. Still living as of 2014.
  Relatives: Son of Charles Roraback; great-grandson of Willard Andrew Roraback; first cousin thrice removed of Alberto T. Roraback and John Henry Roraback.
  Political family: Roraback family of Connecticut.
  See also Wikipedia article — Ballotpedia article
J. Henry Roraback John Henry Roraback (1870-1937) — also known as J. Henry Roraback — of North Canaan, Litchfield County, Conn. Born in Sheffield, Berkshire County, Mass., April 5, 1870. Republican. Lawyer; member of Connecticut Republican State Central Committee, 1901; delegate to Republican National Convention from Connecticut, 1908, 1912, 1916, 1920, 1924 (speaker), 1928, 1932, 1936 (member, Arrangements Committee); Connecticut Republican state chair, 1912-37; member of Republican National Committee from Connecticut, 1920-32; president, Connecticut Light and Power Co., 1925-37; Vice-Chair of Republican National Committee, 1932-36. With his health compromised and activities limited by a severe streptococcus infection, he killed himself by gunshot, while sitting in his car near his hunting lodge, in Harwinton, Litchfield County, Conn., May 19, 1937 (age 67 years, 44 days). Interment at Mountain View Cemetery, North Canaan, Conn.
  Relatives: Son of John Christian Roraback and Maria L. (Hoysdradt) Roraback; brother of Alberto T. Roraback; married 1896 to Mary Louise Parsons; first cousin of Willard Andrew Roraback; first cousin thrice removed of Andrew W. Roraback; fourth cousin once removed of Emory Rasmussen Roraback.
  Political family: Roraback family of Connecticut.
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  Image source: Official Report of the 21st Republican National Convention (1936)
  Willard Andrew Roraback (1860-1928) — of Torrington, Litchfield County, Conn. Born in Sheffield, Berkshire County, Mass., March 12, 1860. Lawyer; member of Connecticut state house of representatives from Torrington; elected 1894. Died in Torrington, Litchfield County, Conn., January 26, 1928 (age 67 years, 320 days). Burial location unknown.
  Relatives: Son of James A. Roraback and Martha E. (Bartholomew) Roraback; married 1893 to Emma E. Pierson; great-grandfather of Andrew W. Roraback; first cousin of Alberto T. Roraback and John Henry Roraback; fourth cousin once removed of Emory Rasmussen Roraback.
  Political family: Roraback family of Connecticut.
  Louis B. Rosenfeld (born c.1897) — of Hartford, Hartford County, Conn. Born in Hartford, Hartford County, Conn., about 1897. Republican. Lawyer; member of Connecticut state senate 3rd District, 1921-22; defeated, 1922. Burial location unknown.
  Benjamin Ruggles (1783-1857) — also known as "Wheel-Horse of the Senate" — of St. Clairsville, Belmont County, Ohio. Born in Abington, Pomfret, Windham County, Conn., February 21, 1783. School teacher; lawyer; farmer; U.S. Senator from Ohio, 1815-33; candidate for Presidential Elector for Ohio. Died September 2, 1857 (age 74 years, 193 days). Interment at Union Cemetery, St. Clairsville, Ohio.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page
  Joseph Francis Ryter (1914-1978) — also known as Joseph F. Ryter — of Hartford, Hartford County, Conn. Born in Hartford, Hartford County, Conn., February 4, 1914. Democrat. Lawyer; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Connecticut, 1940; U.S. Representative from Connecticut at-large, 1945-47; defeated, 1946. Died in West Hartford, Hartford County, Conn., February 5, 1978 (age 64 years, 1 days). Interment at Mt. St. Benedict Cemetery, Bloomfield, Conn.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — Wikipedia article — Find-A-Grave memorial
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