Sedgwick County KS Archives Biographies.....Hatfield, Rodolph 1854 - 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ks/ksfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com March 24, 2007, 1:21 am

Author: O. H. Bentley (1910)

   Hon. Rodolph Hatfield, attorney at law, of Wichita, Kan., is a native of the
Buckeye state, having been born at London, Madison county, Ohio, October 6,
1854. He is a son of Renssalaer R. and Eliza Ann (Coultas) Hatfield, and the
eldest of the family of six living sons and two living daughters. His father was
a native of Indiana and his mother a native of Ohio.

   The parents were married in Ohio in 1852, and in 1859 set their faces
westward for life's betterment, and settled in Logan county, Illinois, where
they purchased a farm and engaged in Agriculture, remaining there till 1877,
when they again took the pioneer fever and removed to a farm which they
purchased in Grant township, Sedgwick county, Kansas. They resided upon said
farm till about 1893, when they sold out and moved to Wichita and there
continued to reside till the death of the father, April 13, 1903. The mother
still survives (1910) and enjoys a reasonably healthy and happy time in her
declining years. The subject of this sketch received his education in the common
schools of Logan county, Illinois, completing same in Lincoln University, from
which he graduated with degree of Ph. B. in June, 1876.

   The circumstances of his entering college are interesting. When a lad of
fourteen, he was called as a witness to testify in a case of assault and battery
against his teacher for whipping a grown-up pupil. The court proceedings greatly
interested young Hatfield and he then and there determined to become a lawyer,
and on his way home from the trial so announced to his father, who had already
planned that he should be a farmer. However, when the father saw with what
avidity his son acquired knowledge from the meager stores and sources of a farm
home, making the most of every opportunity to fit himself for his chosen
calling, he promised to send him to college, if he accomplished an assigned task
of farm work in raising crops and mastered his teacher in mathematics the
ensuing winter. By studying hard during the summer, when the farm help was
asleep, on rainy days and at every spare moment in a busy time of the work on
the farm, he succeeded, as foreman of the farm, in raising the crops, and by
dint of closely applied study, soon had a statement from his teacher that he had
led him in arithmetic as far as he could. He has often declared the time he
received his longed-for and hard-earned permission to attend college, when his
tasks were performed on the farm and in the country school, the proudest
achievement of his life.

   Soon after entering college, he became aggressive and audacious in debate,
quickly discerning the weak places in his opponent's arguments, studying public
questions with enthusiasm, and recognized by his associates as a fit
representative of his college in the literary contests of his school, in which
he came off victor and bearing the honors always, with one exception. His
eloquence and force of expression were then, and are now, directed to men's
understanding, rather than their imagination or passions, though he possesses
much imaginative power and vividly portrays, divining the thoughts and purposes
of his hearers.

   Mr. Hatfield's characteristic strenuous efforts to enter college and acquire
an education have marked his entire life, so that whatever is undertaken by him
is given vigorous and intelligent attention. In appearance, he is prepossessing,
with an unusually musical and vibrant voice which attracts and holds the
attention of an audience. In conversation, he is brilliant and versatile, his
range of reading being very wide and comprehensive, and his mind concerns itself
with an almost infinite variety of topics, as he possesses one of the best
selected private libraries in the Southwest and is never more at home than when
consulting it. In disposition, Mr. Hatfield is noble and generous, with an
exuberance of vitality. His presence is distinguished, his manners winning and
affable, impressing those with whom he comes in contact as possessing a kindly
individual interest and sympathy, which insure him a general welcome and render
him, recognizedly in Wichita, as the most ready and available emergency speaker
for all classes of occasions, calling for discussion of political issues,
educational addresses, convention welcoming addresses, or banquet responses and
toasts.

   Mr. Hatfield began the study of the law first in the Wesleyan University, of
Bloomington, Ill., law department, completing same in the law offices of Hoblit
and Foley, of Lincoln, Ill., and receiving admission to the bar before the
Supreme Court of Illinois in June, 1878.

   In July, 1878, Mr. Hatfield went to Trinidad, Col., where he first swung his
law sign to the breeze and began the practice of his chosen profession. Having
been reared in an agricultural country, and in the midst of Republican
associates, he was not pleased with the barrenness and Democratic majorities of
southern Colorado, and removed from there to Wichita in September, 1879, opening
his law offices in Wichita January 20, 1880, where he has since resided. While
Mr. Hatfield has engaged in the general practice of the law, he has specialized
in corporation practice, in which he is considered an accepted authority.

   Mr. Hatfield's first law co-partnership in Wichita was with Noah Allen, now
United States attorney for Southern District of Texas, but did not continue the
said partnership for more than a few months, dissolving same and remaining alone
till November 20, 1884, when he formed a co-partnership with Hon. O. H. Bentley,
which still continues, and is said to be the oldest continuous law
co-partnership now in the state of Kansas.

   Mr. Hatfield has always been a student of public questions and has held many
positions of honor and trust in Kansas, being returned to some of them many
times, showing popular confidence in his ability and integrity. In November,
1884, he was elected to the Kansas house of representatives, and re-elected to
same position in 1886. In the session of 1887, he lacked only five or six votes
of being elected to the speakership of the house, and failed only because he
steadfastly refused to yield to the political demands of the railroad companies,
then dominant in Kansas politics. In 1889 he was appointed by Governor Humphrey
a regent to the Kansas State Normal School, at Emporia, serving-as the president
of the regency for his full term of four years. Though not an avowed candidate,
nor making any personal effort, the press of Kansas, in 1892-93, very generally
mentioned and advocated the election of Mr. Hatfield to the United States
senate. In 1898, he was elected a member of the board of education of the city
of Wichita, serving thereon for five consecutive terms of two years each, being
elected by said board as its president for five consecutive terms of one year
each, and until his retirement therefrom.

   On June 17, 1878, Mr. Hatfield was united in marriage with Hattie E. Harts,
who was an associate graduate with him in the university, born near Reading,
Pa., March 23, 1855, a daughter of John and Rachael (Minsker) Harts, both
natives of Pennsylvania. By this marriage six children were born: Rodolph H., of
Chicago; Merle E., of Denver; Herbert H., of Wichita; Paul C., of Chicago;
Rachel N., of Wichita, and Kenneth E., of Wichita. Mrs. Hatfield, the mother of
said children, departed this life January 19, 1906.

   January 4, 1910, Mr. Hatfield was united in marriage to Mrs. Allie M.
Morehead, who was born at Marion, Linn county, Iowa, September 29, 1867, a
daughter and eldest child of John and Charlotte (Miller) Fitch, the former a
native of Pennsylvania and the latter a native of Iowa. Both are living, and in
health, though the father served his country in the War of the Rebellion as a
member of an Iowa regiment.

   Mrs. Hatfield has been a respected resident and efficient educator of the
city of Wichita since 1887; is the mother of an only child and son, Howard L.
Morehead, residing at Wichita, by her first marriage. Mrs. Hatfield is very well
and favorably known in Wichita, having been principal of one of the public
schools of the city for several years prior to her marriage to Mr. Hatfield.

   Fraternally Mr. Hatfield is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows
and has filled all the chairs of the subordinate lodge of that order. Also of
the Modern Woodmen of America, having likewise filled all the chairs of the
local camp of that order. Also of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and of the
Knights and Ladies of Security. He is a member of the First Presbyterian church
of Wichita, is an elder of said denomination, has served some thirty years as
superintendent of Sabbath schools in said denomination, and was a commissioner
to the general assembly of the church at Saratoga, N. Y., in 1896. In politics
Mr. Hatfield is and always has been a Republican. By reason of his active
participation in the state campaigns and in delivering many educational
lectures, he has a very wide acquaintance in Kansas.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from 

History of Wichita and Sedgwick County: past and present, including an account
of the cities, towns and villages of the county

Editor in chief: O. H. Bentley
Chicago: C.F. Cooper & Co. (1910)


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ks/sedgwick/bios/hatfield314gbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ksfiles/

File size: 9.8 Kb