Rufus Randall Rand Jr. (May 25, 1892 – October 15, 1971)[1] was an American businessman, military officer and politician who served as the first mayor of Wayzata, Minnesota, beginning in 1929. He was the maternal grandfather of Sheldon Whitehouse, a United States Senator from Rhode Island.[2]
Rufus Rand | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 1st mayor of Wayzata, Minnesota | |
| In office 1929–? | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 25, 1892 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Died | October 15, 1971 (aged 79) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Relations | Sheldon Whitehouse (grandson) Tobias Mealey (grandfather) Charles S. Whitehouse (son-in-law) |
| Alma mater | Williams College |
Biography
editRand was born in Minneapolis to Rufus Rand Sr, founder of the Minneapolis Gas Light Company (Minnegasco; now owned by CenterPoint Energy) and Susan Mealey Rand. The family had built Rand House as a summer estate in 1884, 8 years before his birth.
His two grandfathers were State Senator Tobias Mealey and Mayor Arthur Rand, of Minneapolis.[3]
He attended Williams College, where he pursued an interest in aviation.[4] He served as an aviator during World War I, flying for Lafayette Escadrille.[5]
He was the President of the Minneapolis Gas Company. During the 1920s he entered politics and served as mayor of Wayzata and built Rand Tower, which is now a Marriot hotel.[6]
He also built the Rufus R. Rand House at Still Pond, a 25000 square foot, 63-room mansion, in 1931 for US$400,000 (equivalent to $8,014,004 in 2023) and sold it to Cargill in 1944.[7]
References
edit- ^ "Rufus Randall Rand". geni_family_tree. 2022-07-27. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- ^ "Rufus R. Rand, the Last Member Of Lafayette Escadrille, Is Dead". The New York Times. 1971-10-19. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- ^ madeline (2023-05-31). "Still a Memory". Lake Minnetonka Magazine. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- ^ "An urban adventure with a historic aviation link". www.aopa.org. 2022-05-20. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
- ^ "Rufus R. Rand". Minnesota Aviation Hall Of Fame. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- ^ "About Our Minneapolis Hotel | Rand Tower Hotel | Marriott". Rand Tower Hotel, Minneapolis, a Marriott Tribute Portfolio Hotel. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- ^ McLernon, Lianna Matt (2020-08-26). "Cargill Decides to Demolish the Still Pond Mansion". Midwest Home. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
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