Morgan Bulkeley

Morgan Gardner Bulkeley
Born	East Haddam, Connecticut, U.S.
Died	6 November 1922(1922-11-06) (aged 84)
Other names	"the Crowbar Governor"
Occupation(s)	Businessman, insurance executive, politician
Known for	First president of the National League (baseball), Governor of Connecticut, President of Aetna Life Insurance Company

Morgan Gardner Bulkeley (December 26, 1837 – November 6, 1922) was a prominent American businessman, insurance executive, and Republican political figure. In 1876, he was appointed as the inaugural president of baseball's National League and was posthumously inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937, a decision that has been subject to debate due to his short period in office.

Bulkeley was born in East Haddam, Connecticut, the son of Judge Eliphalet Adams Bulkeley, who served as the first president of the Aetna Life Insurance Company. After receiving his education in Hartford and spending some time working in Brooklyn, New York, he briefly participated in the American Civil War. Upon his father’s passing in 1872, he returned to Hartford where he assumed the presidency of a bank and joined Aetna’s board of directors, eventually becoming company president in 1879—a position he retained for life.

As the leader of the Hartford Dark Blues baseball club, Bulkeley was selected as National League president in 1876 despite having limited experience in baseball; much of the league’s day-to-day management was handled by Chicago White Stockings owner William Hulbert. In local politics, he served on Hartford’s Common Council before being elected mayor for four successive two-year terms beginning in 1880.

Bulkeley won election as Governor of Connecticut in 1889 and completed two terms. Following a legislative stalemate after the 1890 election, his governorship was extended; during this time, he gained notoriety for forcing open the State House with a crowbar, which earned him the nickname "the Crowbar Governor." He stepped down in 1893 and later represented Connecticut as a U.S. Senator from 1905 until 1911. Until his death, Bulkeley remained engaged in civic and charitable activities. Various Hartford landmarks, including Bulkeley Bridge and Bulkeley High School, are named in his honor.

Early life and career

Born on December 26, 1837, in East Haddam, Connecticut, Morgan Gardner Bulkeley descended from longstanding colonial lineage that included ancestor Peter Bulkley, founder of Concord, Massachusetts. He was the third child among six siblings and the second son. His father, Eliphalet Adams Bulkeley, commonly called "Judge Bulkeley," was a lawyer, businessman, public servant, and co-founder of both the Aetna Life Insurance Company and Connecticut’s Republican Party. His mother, Lydia Smith Morgan, had distant family ties to financier J. P. Morgan.

The family relocated to Hartford in 1847 seeking broader prospects. Unlike his brother Charles—who graduated from Yale—Morgan attended local schools but did not complete studies at Bacon Academy. Subsequently, he worked for nearly two decades at his uncle Henry Morgan’s dry goods business in Brooklyn, New York, eventually becoming a partner there. During this period, he also held a position on the Kings County Republican Committee.

During the American Civil War, Bulkeley briefly enlisted with the 13th Regiment of the New York Militia, serving primarily on home guard duty and undertaking a ninety-day deployment in Suffolk, Virginia. His elder brother Charles died while on service in 1864, leaving Morgan as the eldest surviving son responsible for family affairs. After the war, he actively participated in veterans’ organizations such as the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). Following Judge Bulkeley’s death in 1872, Morgan returned to Hartford to oversee his father’s estate and took a seat on Aetna’s board.

In Hartford, Bulkeley helped establish the United States Bank of Hartford and assumed its presidency. This role facilitated his entry into civic leadership and led to his election to the Hartford Common Council in 1874.

Baseball

The inaugural professional baseball league, known as the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (NA), commenced in 1871. Hartford entered the league in 1874 with the Hartford Dark Blues, where Bulkeley held roles as both shareholder and president. The team ranked seventh out of eight initially but improved to third place in 1875 under the leadership of player-manager Bob "Death to Flying Things" Ferguson and standout player Candy Cummings.

The owner of the Chicago White Stockings, William Hulbert, proposed establishing a new league comprising the strongest NA teams. On February 2, 1876, four presidents from the East, including Bulkeley, and four from the West, including Hulbert, agreed to form the National League. Bulkeley was chosen by lot to be one of five directors.

Bulkeley was appointed as president. Albert Spalding noted that Bulkeley initially hesitated but was convinced by Hulbert, who argued that it honored baseball’s Eastern origins. Bulkeley consented to serve for one year, while Hulbert managed most operational duties during this period.

Bulkeley’s selection was driven more by political considerations than by baseball expertise. Irv Goldfarb observed that appointing an Easterner was a strategic political decision for early professional baseball. David Krell highlighted that Bulkeley provided legitimacy to the fledgling league. David L. Fleitz asserted that Hulbert required Eastern backing, making Bulkeley’s presidency crucial to the National League’s establishment. The Hall of Fame biography credits Bulkeley’s integrity and character as key factors in his appointment.

As head of Hartford’s franchise, Bulkeley opposed live score updates from games—a stance criticized by the Chicago Tribune. As league president, he focused on combating illegal gambling, alcohol consumption, and unruly fan behavior but possessed limited knowledge of baseball itself; his business ventures and harness racing interests occupied much of his attention. After 1876, he resigned and Hulbert assumed the presidency. The Hartford franchise remained in the National League for two seasons; due to poor attendance, Bulkeley sold his stake before 1877.

In 1905, Bulkeley participated in the Mills Commission, established by Spalding to endorse the contested claim that Abner Doubleday invented baseball. Goldfarb described this commission as producing conclusions that continue to be debated.

Hartford municipal official

Bulkeley’s brief tenure as a baseball executive coincided with the onset of his political career. From 1875 to 1876, he served on Hartford's Common Council and was elected alderman in 1876, holding that office for two years. Following Thomas O. Enders's resignation as Aetna president in 1879, Bulkeley became the company’s third president, a role he maintained for forty-three years while serving nearly five decades as director. Under his guidance, Aetna’s assets expanded from $25 million in 1880 to more than $200 million by 1922, with insurance coverage increasing eighteenfold. His investment approach included loans to frontier farmers and later municipal bonds issued by emerging Western towns. Additionally, Aetna diversified into accident, liability, health, and automobile insurance during his leadership.

In 1878, Bulkeley ran unsuccessfully for Hartford mayor as a Republican. He bolstered his support by organizing illuminations for the Connecticut State Capitol opening in 1879. By the 1880 election, he secured votes from Irish immigrants residing in city wards along the Connecticut River—areas that had previously contributed to his defeats—likely through vote-buying involving provisions at a local grocery store. This strategy enabled him to carry all eight wards in 1880 but resulted in some loss of Republican backing, which he recovered by reducing such practices in later campaigns. Although he initially won heavily Democratic wards decisively, his margins varied in subsequent elections.

During his mayoralty, Bulkeley personally funded an annual outing for impoverished children to Fenwick by chartering a train for several hundred youngsters—an initiative that enhanced his popularity among poorer neighborhoods. This excursion ceased after 1884 when Bulkeley traveled abroad.

Historian Charles W. Burpee characterized Bulkeley’s time as mayor as "most businesslike and efficient," highlighting his advocacy for significant municipal projects and his personal contributions to assist the city’s poor beyond his official salary.

Governor of Connecticut

In 1886, Bulkeley pursued the Republican gubernatorial nomination in Connecticut but was bested by Phineas Lounsbury. Following the convention and inauguration, Bulkeley hosted events for Lounsbury, signaling solidarity within the party. Adhering to the custom of rotation in office, Lounsbury chose not to run for a second term, enabling Bulkeley to secure the Republican nomination in 1888. Although Democrat Luzon Morris garnered more votes, he failed to achieve an outright majority. Consequently, the Republican-dominated Connecticut General Assembly appointed Bulkeley as governor.

During his governorship, Bulkeley managed responsibilities alongside his role as Aetna president, utilizing his office to advance company interests, including advocating for legislation that increased taxes on insurance companies based outside Connecticut. He also performed ceremonial functions such as attending Republican President Benjamin Harrison's inauguration and taking part in the centennial celebration of George Washington's presidency. In 1889, legislation he proposed led to the removal of tolls on the bridge connecting Hartford and East Hartford.

Although rotation was customary, Bulkeley sought renomination in 1890 but was defeated by Samuel E. Merwin. In that year's election, Democrat Morris won the popular vote; however, a legislative stalemate ensued: the Democratic Senate declared Morris victorious, while the Republican House disputed this outcome. As a result, Republican incumbents including Bulkeley remained in office.

The dispute intensified when Democratic Comptroller Nicholas Staub locked the executive offices; Bulkeley responded by forcefully reopening them using a crowbar, earning him the moniker "the Crowbar Governor." This deadlock continued until November 1892. Throughout this period, Bulkeley financed state government operations with loans from Aetna amid ongoing legislative gridlock. New York Governor David B. Hill declined to honor extradition requests endorsed by Bulkeley. After a Connecticut Supreme Court decision confirmed Bulkeley's governorship in January 1892, Staub consented to pay certain state expenses. Morris secured election with a clear majority in November 1892, concluding Bulkeley's term in January 1893. The legislature subsequently reimbursed Aetna in full for its loans. In 1901, Connecticut revised its constitution to permit election by plurality rather than requiring an absolute majority.

Seeking a Senate seat

Upon leaving office in January 1893, Bulkeley aimed for a U.S. Senate position. At that time, Connecticut’s Senate seats were occupied by prominent Republicans Orville Platt and Joseph R. Hawley, both repeatedly re-elected by the General Assembly (which selected senators until 1913). In 1893 and again in 1899, Bulkeley attempted to block Hawley's renomination but ultimately backed him to prevent rival Samuel Fessenden from securing the seat. At the 1896 Republican National Convention, Bulkeley was Connecticut’s favorite son candidate for vice president, finishing third behind William McKinley’s eventual running mate, Garret Hobart.

Following the destruction of the Connecticut River bridge between Hartford and East Hartford in 1895, the legislature appointed Bulkeley as chairman of a commission charged with overseeing its reconstruction. The new structure, initially named the Hartford Bridge, was renamed the Bulkeley Bridge after his death in 1922 and was opened to traffic in 1908.

By 1904, resistance to Bulkeley’s Senate ambitions had largely faded. Hawley was gravely ill and would pass away shortly after his term expired in 1905; meanwhile, Fessenden’s political reputation suffered due to controversies over excessive legal fees related to federal funds owed to Connecticut since the Civil War. In November 1904, Republican legislators overwhelmingly endorsed Bulkeley over Fessenden (248 to 42), and in January 1905, the General Assembly elected Bulkeley over Democrat A. Heaton Robertson to fill the Senate seat.

Senator (1905–1911)

Bulkeley took the oath of office as a senator on March 4, 1905, during a special session of the Senate convened by President Theodore Roosevelt. Soon afterward, he became Connecticut’s senior senator following the passing of Senator Hawley. He was part of the so-called "Millionaire's Senate," serving alongside affluent individuals such as Henry A. du Pont, Chauncey Depew, and Nelson Aldrich. In 1906, Cosmopolitan identified him as one of fifty senators closely associated with influential financial interests.

A staunch conservative Republican, Bulkeley frequently resisted Roosevelt’s progressive policies, particularly opposing federal expenditures on initiatives like national parks and the Panama Canal. He challenged Roosevelt’s expansion of federal power, notably preventing efforts to impose federal regulation on the insurance sector, concerned that New York-based companies would dominate. Additionally, Bulkeley opposed lowering tariffs on imports from the U.S.-controlled Philippine Islands to protect Connecticut’s tobacco farmers.

Bulkeley found himself at odds with Roosevelt over the Brownsville affair, involving African-American soldiers dishonorably discharged amid allegations of violence. Although a Senate committee supported Roosevelt’s decision, Bulkeley and Senator Joseph B. Foraker submitted a dissenting report affirming the soldiers’ innocence. He believed that Roosevelt and Secretary of War William Howard Taft had treated the soldiers unjustly and advocated for their back pay, which was never granted. The dishonorable discharges were eventually overturned posthumously by the Nixon administration in 1972.

In 1911, at age 73, Bulkeley faced opposition for re-election from Republican leader J. Henry Roraback, who endorsed former governor George P. McLean. After McLean secured support in local caucuses and Bulkeley made several political errors, he was defeated by a vote of 113 to 64 in the Republican legislative caucus. Bulkeley accepted defeat but intended to return to Hartford to concentrate on his business pursuits once his term concluded on March 3.

Later years, death and funeral

Following his Senate career, Bulkeley continued serving as president of Aetna. In September 1911, he had dinner with President Taft during a visit to Hartford. When the Hartford YMCA required a new facility, Bulkeley financed it by increasing employee wages and encouraging contributions. He also spearheaded fundraising efforts to preserve Hartford’s Old State House. In 1916, he was recognized at the National League’s 40th anniversary banquet, where Taft delivered a speech. By 1919, Bulkeley chaired a committee tasked with selecting a new location for Hartford’s main post office.

During World War I, both of Bulkeley’s sons along with three nephews served in France. Under Bulkeley’s encouragement, Aetna employees purchased nearly $24 million in Liberty Loan bonds as part of generous war support.

Bulkeley remained in good health until October 1922 when he became ill and was confined to bed by November 2. He passed away on November 6 at age 84. His funeral held at his Hartford residence featured honorary pallbearers including Senator Brandegee and Governor Everett J. Lake. National League president John Heydler was present, Aetna closed its offices the following day, and Hartford paused business activities for fifteen minutes as a mark of respect.

Family, interests and memorials

In 1885, Bulkeley wed Fannie Briggs Houghton, and together they had three children. Their eldest son, Morgan Jr., suffered from gas exposure during World War I and passed away at age 40 in 1926, survived by three offspring. Their daughter Elinor died in 1964 leaving four children, while the youngest son, Houghton, died in 1966 with three descendants. Following Bulkeley’s tenure, his nephew Morgan B. Brainard took over as Aetna’s president, holding the position for 35 years and maintaining family leadership for nearly the entire first century of the company.

The Hartford Bridge spanning the Connecticut River was renamed the Bulkeley Bridge in 1922 to honor him; today it carries Interstate 84. Additionally, Bulkeley High School in Hartford is named after him. Clarkin Field was rechristened Morgan G. Bulkeley Stadium in 1928 but was torn down in 1960. Other local tributes include Bulkeley Avenue and a former Bulkeley Park located near the bridge.

Outside of baseball, Bulkeley served as president of the United States Trotting Association for more than thirty years. Although he never owned racehorses, he frequently attended racetracks and held leadership roles—both as director and president of owners—at Charter Oak Park, which was connected to the Connecticut Stock Breeders' Association.

He also led as commander of the Connecticut Department of the Grand Army of the Republic in 1903 and presided over Connecticut’s Sons of the Revolution chapter for twenty years.

Evaluation and historical perspective

Murphy, Bulkeley’s biographer, portrayed him as a man who "fully dominated his environment" through bravery and political acumen, achieving significant business accomplishments alongside substantial political power. He described Bulkeley as "one of Connecticut’s most influential politicians." Under his leadership, Aetna grew to become the largest life insurance company nationwide.

Bulkeley’s induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937—fifteen years posthumously—remains a subject of debate due to his limited engagement with the sport. Selected by the Centennial Commission along with American League founder Ban Johnson, their inclusion emphasized "pioneering inspiration" rather than athletic performance. Critics contend that Bulkeley ranks among the least justified inductees; Krell noted that his election was met with "considerable dismay among 19th-century baseball aficionados." Goldfarb characterized it as a "political" choice aimed at balancing league representation. Krell further argued that Bulkeley’s presidency was vital to preserving the National League’s viability.

Jeff Jacobs from the Hartford Courant recognized Bulkeley as a prominent sports figure during the newspaper’s early years. A 1939 Courant article referred to him as "one of Connecticut’s most distinguished natives," highlighting his renowned generosity.

Murphy summed up Bulkeley as "astute, pragmatic, occasionally vindictive—but also courteous, loyal, and kind," noting his remarkable achievements despite lacking formal education. He remains a distinctive and complex figure in Connecticut’s political history.