Caleb Rice
| Caleb Rice | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 1st Mayor of Springfield, Massachusetts | |
|
In office 1852–1853 | |
| Preceded by | Board of Selectmen |
| Succeeded by | Philos B. Tyler |
| 3rd[1] Sheriff of Hampden County, Massachusetts | |
|
In office 1831–1851 | |
| Preceded by | John Phelps[2] |
| Succeeded by | Patrick Boies[2] |
| Member of the Board of Selectmen of West Springfield, Massachusetts[3] | |
|
In office 1826[3] – 1830[3] | |
| 1st President of the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company[4] | |
|
In office June 1851 – March 1, 1873 | |
| Preceded by | None |
| Succeeded by | E. W. Bond[4] |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
April 4, 1792 Conway, Massachusetts |
| Died | March 1, 1873 (aged 80) |
| Spouse(s) | Marietta Parsons Rice (m. 1826) |
| Children | Joseph Rice (1828–1831); Benjamin Stebbins Rice (1829–1831); Elizabeth D. Rice (b. 1835) |
| Alma mater | Williams College |
| Profession | Attorney, businessman |
| Signature |
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Caleb Rice (1792–1873) was an American politician and businessman. He was the first Mayor of Springfield, Massachusetts when it became a city in 1852, and the first president of MassMutual Life Insurance Company, now a Fortune 100 company.[4]
Early years
Caleb Rice was born on April 4, 1792 in Conway, Massachusetts. He was the son of Joseph Rice and Betty (Dickerson) Rice. Rice married Marietta P. Parsons, daughter of Israel Parsons, in 1826.
Career
Rice served as the first Mayor of Springfield, Massachusetts when it became a city in 1852, and he was also the first president of MassMutual Life Insurance Company. Rice also served as the third Sheriff of Hampden County, Massachusetts and on the Board of Selectmen of West Springfield, Massachusetts,[3] Additionally, Rice served for five years in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from Springfield.[5] He died March 1, 1873.
Genealogy and family relations
Rice was a direct descendant of Edmund Rice an early immigrant to Massachusetts Bay Colony as follows:[6]
- Caleb Rice, son of
- Joseph Rice (1768-1823), son of
- Israel Rice (1742-1833), son of
- Joseph Rice (1712-1789), son of
- Phineas Rice (1682-1768), son of
- Joseph Rice (1638-1711), son of
- Edmund Rice (ca1594-1663)
References
- ↑ Cutter, William Richard (1916), Encyclopedia of Massachusetts, Biographical—Genealogical, Volume IV, New York, N. Y., Boston, Ma: American Historical Society (Inc.), p. 53.
- 1 2 Davis, William Thomas (1895), Bench and Bar of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Volume II, Boston, Ma: The Boston History Company, p. 169.
- 1 2 3 4 Copeland, Alfred Minott (1902), Our County and Its People: A History of Hampden County Massachusetts, Volume 3, Boston, Ma: The Century Memorial Publishing Company, p. 222.
- 1 2 3 Putnam, Henry H. (April 1903), The New England magazine, XXVIII, Boston, Ma: America Company, p. 209
- ↑ Ward, Andrew Henshaw. 1858. A genealogical History of the Rice Family: Descendants of Deacon Edmund Rice, Boston: C. Benjamin Richardson, Publisher. 379pp. Download PDF
- ↑ Edmund Rice (1638) Association, 2010. Descendants of Edmund Rice: The First Nine Generations. (CD-ROM)
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Board of Selectmen |
1st Mayor of Springfield, Massachusetts 1852–1853 |
Succeeded by Philos B. Tyler |
| Preceded by John Phelps |
3rd Sheriff of Hampden County, Massachusetts 1831–1851 |
Succeeded by Patrick Boies |
| Business positions | ||
| Preceded by None |
1st President of the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company June 1851 – March 1, 1873 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by |
President of the Springfield Aqueduct Company 1864 |
Succeeded by |