Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

came the secretary of the company, a
position he ably filled up to a few years
before his death. To this new field Mr.
Dennis brought those qualities gained in
his business career which tend so much to
the success of such an office, namely a
quick and active mind tempered with con-
servatism. "And here the reward of early
discipline, self sacrifice derived from his
early business training with no one to
rely upon but himself, became manifest.
* * * To him there was no difference
between the moral obligations of a man
and a corporation, and any seeming suc-
cess of either was an 'Apple of Sodom' if
not earned by the honest service and
based on the immutable laws of God."
His faculty for following all issues to
their successful fulfillment and method-
ical system enabled him at all times to
give a clear and concise logical presenta-
tion of the intricacies of his department.
His personality and high sense of honor
and duty gave him a popular place among
his associates and he was held in high
esteem by his business contemporaries.
In 1842 Mr. Dennis founded the Morgan
Street Mission School, which was one of
the first organizations of its kind in Con-
necticut, the purpose of which was to
care for and visit the poorer classes of the
city and give aid and help to their chil-
dren. While in Georgia, he founded a
similar institution there, and was super-
intendent and teacher of the Hartford
School for over twelve years. From the
founding in 1880 of the Connecticut Humane
Society, until his death, Mr. Dennis
served as its president, and he was also
one of its corporators. He had many in-
terests, among them being the following:
Auditor of the Connecticut Bible Society,
vice-president of the Young Men's Christian
Association, director of the Overman
Wheel Company and of the Connecticut
Fire Insurance Company, one of the three
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
41
American trustees of the Lion Fire In-
surance Company of London, trustee of
the Society for Savings, director of the
Hartford Trust Company, the Hartford
City Gas Light Company, the Hartford
Electric Light Company, the Farmington
Power Company, vice-president of the
American Humane Society, and of the
American Anti-Vivisection Society, chairman
of the board of managers of the
Hartford Retreat for the Insane, a trustee
of the Connecticut Industrial School for
Girls, chairman and trustee of the prudential
committee of the Hartford Theo-
logical Seminary, and trustee of the
American Missionary Association. Mr.
Dennis was also connected with many of
the interests of the Travelers Insurance
Company. He was a Republican in poli-
tics, and with his family a member of the
Center Congregational Church of Hart-
ford.
Mr. Dennis married, at Hartford, Con-
necticut, June 6, 1854, Clara Strong, a
daughter of William and Naomi (Terry)
Strong, of East Windsor, Connecticut,
and they were the parents of the follow-
ing children: William, died in infancy;
Grace, born April 6, 1855, at Albany, New
York, married Ralph W. Cutler, of Hart-
ford ; Charlotte, born May 7, i860, became
the wife of Thomas Little ; Bertha
Parker, born January 10, 1868, resides at
home; Rodney Strong, born January 12,
1870, married Cecile Meiller, died March
7, 1904.
CUTLER, Ralph William,
Banker, Man of Affairs.
Ralph William Cutler needs no introduction
to the readers of this work. For
years he was one of the leading bankers
of Connecticut's financial center, and his
ability had long been recognized in wider
banking circles.