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 byPosition established
Personal details
Born(1892-05-25)May 25, 1892
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
DiedOctober 15, 1971(1971-10-15) (aged 79)
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
RelationsSheldon Whitehouse (grandson)
Tobias Mealey (grandfather)
Charles S. Whitehouse (son-in-law)
Alma materWilliams College

Biography

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Rand 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

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  1. ^ "Rufus Randall Rand". geni_family_tree. 2022-07-27. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  2. ^ "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.
  3. ^ madeline (2023-05-31). "Still a Memory". Lake Minnetonka Magazine. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  4. ^ "An urban adventure with a historic aviation link". www.aopa.org. 2022-05-20. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  5. ^ "Rufus R. Rand". Minnesota Aviation Hall Of Fame. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  6. ^ "About Our Minneapolis Hotel | Rand Tower Hotel | Marriott". Rand Tower Hotel, Minneapolis, a Marriott Tribute Portfolio Hotel. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  7. ^ McLernon, Lianna Matt (2020-08-26). "Cargill Decides to Demolish the Still Pond Mansion". Midwest Home. Retrieved 2024-09-02.