Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

firm. The name was changed to Sumner,
Goodman & Company, and for six years
a thriving business was enjoyed. In 1848
Mr. Goodman bought out the interests of
Mr. Sumner, continuing alone until 1852.
An advantageous opportunity presented
itself at that time to engage in the paper
business in New York, and Mr. Goodman
disposed of his Hartford interests to remove
there. He met with success, but
desiring to come to Hartford again, sold
the business about the year 1872. Mr.
Goodman was one of the original stock-
holders of the Phoenix Mutual Life Insur-
ance Company, and in 1875 became its
president, succeeding the Hon. Edson
Fessenden. Upon the reorganization of
the company in 1889, Mr. Goodman withdrew
entirely, and was practically retired
from business and public life from that
time. He was a member of the old fire
department ;
captain of the Hartford Light
Guard, on the staff of General Frank
Bacon. A member of Trinity Church of
Hartford, he was active in its good works.
Mr. Goodman married, April 10, 1857,
Annie M. Johnston, born in New York
City, a daughter of Robert Rhea and
Mary Sears (Hatch) Johnston. Their
children are : Emilie, wife of Rev. Richard
Wright, resides in Cambridge, Massa-
chusetts ;
in 1872
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Edward, whose death occurred
; Annie G., wife of Rev. John F.
Mary Plumb, of New Milford ;
lives at home ;
A., who
Richard Johnston, of fur-
ther mention.
(VII) Richard Johnston Goodman,
youngest child and only son of Aaron
Cossitt and Annie M. (Johnston) Goodman,
was born in the city of Hartford,
March 23, 1875. The public schools of
that city afforded him his elementary edu-
cation, and he prepared for college at the
Hartford Public High School, graduating
in 1892. Four years later he was gradu-
16
ated from Yale College, subsequently pursuing
a law course at the Yale Law
School, graduating in 1899. He was ad-
mitted to the bar in January, 1899, an d
during his last year in the college practiced
his profession in New Haven, Con-
necticut. In October of the same year,
Mr. Goodman opened offices in his native
city, and for six years was without a
partner. In 1905, in association with Les-
lie W. Newberry, he formed the law firm
of Newberry & Goodman, which for over
a dozen years was one of the leading law
firms of the city. Outside interests of
Mr. Goodman so pressed upon his legal
affairs that he was obliged to relinquish
his profession in order to give them the
proper attention.
In 1908 the Bush Manufacturing Com-
pany, manufacturers of automobile radiators,
was organized and at that time Mi
Goodman became its president. He has
continued to the present time in this office,
and a large amount of credit is due to
his management for the success of the
corporation.
Mr. Goodman has long been active in
military affairs. By his own force of will
he has risen up through the ranks to his
present colonelship, which commission he
received in July, 1914. He enlisted as a
private, September 6, 1899, in Company
K, First Infantry, Connecticut National
in November, 1902, he was com-
Guard ;
missioned second lieutenant; captain, in
December of that year; major in 1907;
lieutenant-colonel, in November, 1908;
colonel, in July, 1914. Colonel Goodman
served as an aide on the staff of Grand
Marshal Chaffee, at the inauguration of
the late President Theodore Roosevelt.
During the Mexican Border trouble in
1915-16, Colonel Goodman was stationed
at Nogales, Arizona, and served through-
out the campaign. In 1917, upon the en-