J. Henry Roraback

John Henry Roraback (April 5, 1870 – May 19, 1937) was an American lawyer, businessman, and Republican political boss in the state of Connecticut.

Living with a sister there, he taught school nearby and studied law with his brother Alberto T. Roraback (1849-1923), a lawyer then serving as a county judge.

Roraback became the chairman of the Republican Town Committee in Canaan and promoted his brother's successful candidacy for the state House of Representatives in 1895.

The couple had twins in 1899, but one child died an infant; his son Lewis survived and on his death in the early 1980s donated 1,976 acres of land in Harwinton to the state of Connecticut, now the Roraback Wildlife Management Area.

[3] The Depression caused the Republicans to lose power in Connecticut, and Roraback's control of the party came under increased scrutiny and criticism.

A throat infection in 1936 left Roraback in poor health, and he committed suicide on May 19, 1937,[4] shooting himself in the head after a morning hunt with his son.

His obituary in Time magazine said, What Ohio's Marcus Alonzo ("Mark") Hanna did with the Republican Party nationally during the single Presidential generation of William McKinley, whipping Big Business to the Party treasury with fear of Bryan's silver money, cajoling it with protective tariffs and other favors, Boss Roraback did with controlled budgets, legislation favorable to industry, in Connecticut during eight gubernatorial terms.