Robert C. Vance

During his tenure as publisher, the elder Vance won a term in the U.S. Congress, and was later elected mayor of New Britain.

[15] When Vance’s son died in 1955, funeral attendees included both U.S. senators from Connecticut, Republicans Prescott Bush and William Purtell; local U.S.

[16],[17] Speaking at a dinner honoring Robert and his late brother Johnstone in 1953, Ribicoff’s predecessor, Republican John Davis Lodge wished “the Vance Family and to the staff of the Herald my friendly greetings and my good wishes for the continued growth of their fine newspaper and of its influence in the New Britain community.”[18] Vance, who “had been in poor health for some time”,[19] died on November 4, 1959.

[29] In 1967 the Connecticut Board of Trustees for the State Colleges resolved to name the planned industrial education building at Central Connecticut State College the “Robert C. Vance Industrial Arts Center.” At that time a separate science building was also planned.

[30] In 1983 the foundation established the Robert C. Vance Distinguished Lecture Series at Central Connecticut State University, and in 2000 the foundation donated $US 1.4 million to establish the Robert C. Vance Distinguished Professorship of Journalism and Mass Communications at the same institution.