Ratchford, William R. (William Richard), 1934-2011

A native of Danbury, Connecticut, Ratchford attended the University of Connecticut and Georgetown University Law Center. He practiced law and was active in state Democratic politics, serving six terms in the State House of Representatives before going to become Congressman for Connecticut's 5th Congressional District.

From the description of William R. Ratchford papers, 1961-1986. (University of Connecticut). WorldCat record id: 421126030

Lawyer, state legislator, and U.S. representative, of Danbury, Conn.

From the description of Congressional papers, 1978-1986 (bulk 1979-1983). (University of Connecticut). WorldCat record id: 28420297

Born in Danbury, Connecticut, on 24 May 1934, Bill was the son of a hatter. He attended public schools and graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1956. Ratchford was editor of the student newspaper and involved in many student activities, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. His interest in the world outside the classroom continued at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C.

After receiving his law degree in 1959, he practiced law in Danbury and became active in Democratic politics. In his first campaign, he was elected to the State House of Representatives, where he served six concecutive terms, from 1963 through 1974. After just two terms, he assumed his first leadership position, Assistant Majority Leader, to be followed in the next term by a successful bid for the Office of Speaker of the House.

As speaker, Ratchford also followed state legislative issues nationwide, and in the 1973-1974 served as President of the National Legislative Conference . Following an unsuccessful bid for Congress in 1974, he was appointed by Governor Ella Grasso to chair a Blue Ribbon Committee to investigate the Nursing Home Industry in Connecticut (1975-1976), focusing public and legislative attention on the problems confronting the state's elderly. The Governor named him Commissioner on Aging in 1977. He resigned in 1978 to begin a successful campaign for the Fifth Congressional District seat.

Ratchford's first-term Democratic colleagues in the House elected him Chairman of the 96th Congress New Members Caucus in 1980. In March 1981, the bi-partisan New England Congressional Caucus elected him co-chairman of its Transportation Task Force. His committee assignments include the Elementary, Secondary and Vocational Education, and Labor Standards subcommittees of the Committee on Education and Labor; the Accounts, and Personnel and Police subcommittees of the Committee on House Administration; and the Health and Long-Term Care, and Human Services subcommittee of the Select Committee on Aging. He represented Connecticut in the House of Representatives from 1979 until January 1985, having been defeated in the 1984 by John Rowland .

From 1993-2001, Ratchford was assistant administrator of the General Services Administration for congressional affairs. William Ratchford died January 2, 2011.

[Based on information found in the Ratchford for Congress Committee's Congressman Bill Ratchford: A Life in Public Service (1981) and the Congressional Biographical Directory .]

From the guide to the William R. Ratchford Papers, undated, 1961-1986., (Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, University of Connecticut Libraries)