J. Henry Roraback

John Henry Roraback
Born	Sheffield, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	19 May 1937(1937-05-19) (aged 67)
Occupation(s)	Attorney, entrepreneur, political boss
Known for	Chairman of the Connecticut Republican Party; president of Connecticut Light and Power Company

John Henry Roraback (April 5, 1870 – May 19, 1937) was an American attorney, entrepreneur, and a prominent Republican political boss in Connecticut. He played a significant role in Connecticut's political landscape during the early 1900s, exerting influence that extended beyond the state.

Early life

Roraback's parents, John C. and Maria, were farmers of German heritage originating from communities called "Rohrbach" in Lorraine. Around 1846, the family moved to Sheffield, Massachusetts. Born on April 5, 1870, Henry received his early education locally before attending high school in Great Barrington. At age nineteen, he relocated to North Canaan, where several of his siblings resided. While working as a teacher nearby, he pursued legal studies under the mentorship of his brother Alberto T. Roraback (1849-1923), who served as a county judge. He was admitted to the bar in 1892 and subsequently joined his brother’s thriving law firm.

Political career

Roraback initially led the Republican Town Committee in Canaan and played a key role in electing his brother to the state legislature in 1895. By 1898, he secured a seat on the Republican State Committee and supported George P. McLean’s gubernatorial campaign in 1900, successfully winning over the district backing his opponent. He managed several pivotal campaigns, including Ebenezer Hill’s unsuccessful 1909 US Senate run and McLean’s victorious 1910 Senate bid. In 1912, Roraback was appointed chairman of the Connecticut Republican Party, a position he maintained until his death.

During his tenure, Republicans held the governor’s office continuously from 1915 through 1931. His commitment to fiscal conservatism contributed to lowering the state’s debt burden. Elected to the Republican National Committee in 1920, he remained an active member until his passing. At the 1924 convention, he served as speaker and joined its executive committee; by 1932 he had become a vice-chairman. Identified with the party’s "Old Guard," Roraback opposed progressive reforms and President Roosevelt’s New Deal policies.

Business career

Beginning in 1901, Roraback acted as legal counsel for the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, effectively safeguarding its interests. By 1905, he had merged several small power providers serving Canaan and surrounding towns into the Berkshire Power Company, over which he presided as president. That same year, he obtained a charter for the Rocky River Power Company to develop hydroelectric facilities on the Housatonic River, which eventually led to the creation of the Connecticut Light and Power Company in 1917 with Roraback as its president. Under his guidance, Candlewood Lake was constructed between 1926 and 1928 to function as a reservoir for water storage and hydroelectric generation. He also led multiple affiliated utility enterprises and held board positions across diverse Connecticut firms.

Circa 1910, Roraback established the New England Lime Company by consolidating several local lime kiln operations.

Family and death

On April 29, 1896, Roraback married Mary L. Parsons. The couple had twins born in 1899; one child died during infancy while their son Lewis survived and later donated nearly two thousand acres in Harwinton to the state of Connecticut—now designated as the Roraback Wildlife Management Area.

Additionally, Roraback fathered an illegitimate son named John Anthony Craig with Mary Collins, his longtime assistant.

The economic hardships of the Great Depression diminished Republican dominance in Connecticut and increased scrutiny of Roraback’s political influence. After suffering from a throat infection in 1936 that left him debilitated, he took his own life on May 19, 1937, by shooting himself following a morning hunting excursion with his son. His obituary published in Time remarked:

What Ohio's Marcus Alonzo ("Mark") Hanna accomplished nationally during President McKinley’s era—uniting Big Business through tariffs and patronage—Boss Roraback realized within Connecticut over eight gubernatorial administrations by maintaining balanced budgets and enacting pro-industry laws.

Public dissatisfaction remained limited because although he wielded monopolistic power, he was honest rather than exploitative. His New Englander sensibility favored pay-as-you-go governance that resonated with Yankee values.