Treat Clark Hull (June 14, 1921 – July 25, 1996) was an American politician and lawyer who was the 99th Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut from 1971 to 1973 and a judge for 23 years from 1973. Hull had the rare distinction of serving at the top levels of all three branches of state government (executive, legislative and judicial).

Early life

T. Clark Hull was born in

Danbury Danbury is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2022 was 87,642. It is the seventh largest city in Connecticut. Danbury is nicknamed the "Hat City ...

, Fairfield County, Connecticut, on June 14, 1921. He went to school in the

Phillips Exeter Academy (not for oneself) la, Finis Origine Pendet (The End Depends Upon the Beginning) gr, Χάριτι Θεοῦ (By the Grace of God) , location = 20 Main Street , city = Exeter, New Hampshire , zipcode ...

in New Hampshire, then he went to Yale University, where he got a B.A. in 1942Memorials of Connecticut Judges and Attorneys
, as Printed in the Connecticut Reports, volume 238, page 909, The Honorable T. Clark Hull. He served in the United States Air Force from 1942 to 1946, then earned a law degree from

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

in 1948 and practiced law in Danbury from 1948 to 1973.

Political career

Hull served as a Republican member of the

Connecticut State Senate The Connecticut State Senate is the upper house of the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The state senate comprises 36 members, each representing a district with around 99,280 inhabitants. Sena ...

for the 24th district from 1963 to 1971. At the Republican state convention in 1970, he was given the job of entertaining the delegates while the party leaders chose a candidate for lieutenant governor, and did so well that, upon the return of the party leaders, the delegates chanted that they wanted him. He won the nomination and won the election on the ticket with gubernatorial candidate

Thomas J. Meskill Thomas Joseph Meskill Jr. (January 30, 1928 – October 29, 2007) was a longtime United States federal judge, United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He previously served as the List of Governor ...

Judge

In 1973, Hull was appointed as a judge of the Connecticut Superior Court. He was elevated to the Appellate Court in 1983 as one of its original members. He was subsequently appointed to the Connecticut Supreme Court in 1987. After mandatory retirement from the Supreme Court in 1991, due to his age, he continued hearing civil cases as a state referee. He was succeeded by Robert I. Berdon. He died on July 25, 1996, after complications from heart surgery a week earlier.

Legacy

Hull was known for his sharp wit, charm, and zest for public service. Former Democratic Senator Chris Dodd described Hull as "one of the few politicians who managed to be well-liked on both sides of the aisle. Throughout his illustrious career, he maintained an optimistic activism that continually propelled the interests of Connecticut and its people forward. Justice Hull was a dedicated public servant who had an enthusiasm for public office that was contagious. Although he was small in stature, T. Clark Hull's charming personality and exuberance for serving the public made him a giant in the eyes of others."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hull, T Clark 1921 births 1996 deaths Politicians from Danbury, Connecticut Phillips Exeter Academy alumni Yale University alumni Harvard Law School alumni Republican Party Connecticut state senators Lieutenant Governors of Connecticut Justices of the Connecticut Supreme Court 20th-century American judges 20th-century American politicians United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II