Who Was Richard D. Hubbard?

The current Richard D. Hubbard School building was constructed and dedicated in 1965, with renovations and additions completed in 1993.  But who was Richard D. Hubbard and why is our school named after him?

Richard Dudley Hubbard (September 7, 1818 – February 28, 1884) was a United States Representative and the 48th Governor of Connecticut.  Born in Berlin, Connecticut on September 7, 1818, he attended school in East Hartford and graduated from Yale College in 1839.  He pursued a career in law and was admitted to the bar in 1842.  He worked as a lawyer in Hartford, Connecticut and later married Mary Juliana Morgan. Hubbard was the father of six children.

Attorney Hubbard was a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1842, 1855, and again in 1858.  He served as the prosecuting attorney for Hartford County for 22 years (1846-1868).  Hubbard was elected to the Fortieth Congress as a Democrat and held office from 1867 to 1869.  After his term, he resumed his law practice in Hartford.  

In November of 1876, Hubbard was elected Governor of Connecticut, the first to be elected to a two-year term. He championed legislation that ultimately made husband and wife equal in property rights.  Hubbard also authored a bill that formed the State Board of Health, developed a commission that managed Connecticut's dams and reservoirs, and changed regulations that benefited the insurance industry.  After his term as Governor of Connecticut, he returned to his law practice.  On February 28, 1884, Richard D. Hubbard died in Hartford, Connecticut. He is interred at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford.  A statue of Richard D. Hubbard is on the lawn of the Connecticut State Capitol building with a plaque that characterizes him as "Lawyer, Orator, Statesman."