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.
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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, Additionally, Rice served for five years in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from Springfield. 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:
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 (circa 1594–1663)