As an honored member for almost forty years of New Haven's fraternity of lawyers, as a leader in every good work of law or civics or religion, as a state official whose commanding ability makes him independent of the limitations of party, as a churchman high in the councils of his denomination in city, state and nation, Burton Mansfield has an enviable place in the respect and love of the New Haven community. He was born in Hamden, Connecticut, on the 4th of April, 1856. His father, Jesse Merrick Mansfield, a direct descendant of one of the first settlers of New Haven, was born in Hamden, July 11, 1801. The elder Mansfield's mother was a niece of President Stiles of Vale, and he was married in 1850 to Catharine Betsey Warner of Hamden. They established their home in New Haven in 1861, five years after Burton Mansfield was born. There they passed away, the father in March, 1878, and the mother in September, 1889.

Burton Mansfield received his early education in the public schools of New Haven, and prepared for college at the Rectory school in Hamden and the Hopkins grammar school of New Haven. He entered Sheffield Scientific School in 1872, and was graduated with the class of 1875. Then taking the law course, he received his degree of LL. B. from Yale in 1878. Admitted to the bar the same year, he opened an office in the old Law Chambers at 179 Church street, New Haven, where he remained for thirty-four years, removing in 1912 to 42 Church street. His natural force and ability, and his thoroughness of training, gave him almost from the start a commanding position in his profession. He is known as a master in the handling of intricate and difficult cases, and has had a wide experience in practice of the higher class. But with all his natural ability he attributes his success above all things to hard work, maintaining that "there is no excellence without labor." He depends on facts well presented, on the justice of his cause, not on eloquence or clever argument or the confusion of adverse witnesses, for the winning of his cause. A great measure of his practice, however, is outside the courts, and there are few lawyers of New Haven who bear a greater weight of important trusts imposed by clients who seek management and counsel, not litigation. As counselor in the fine old sense, Mr. Mansfield represents the ideal of his honored profession.

So exacting a private practice would be expected to leave a man little time for public office, but public office of an important character has sought Mr. Mansfield. It was in recognition of his thoroughness and broad ability that Governor Luzon 15. Morris in 1893 appointed him insurance commissioner of Connecticut. He filled that position so well that in 1911 Governor Simeon E. Baldwin, who had exceptional opportunity for knowing of the value of his work, called him to the position again. Mr. Mansfield is a democrat, and Governor Marcus H. Holcomb, who had the position to fill in 1915, is a republican. The leaders of the governor's party naturally, in conformity with Connecticut custom, expected the disposal of the important position of insurance commissioner. Governor Holcomb's answer was, "I shall appoint Burton Mansfield," and there was nothing to say. It was one of the finest examples in recent Connecticut politics of the mastery of merit.

It is a question whether Mr. Mansfield loves most his profession or his church. He has from early youth been identified with the Church of England, and both he and his wife, whom as Miss Anna Rosalie Mix, daughter of Elihu L. Mix of New Haven, he married in 1900, have long been prominent in the membership and work of St. Thomas Episcopal church. There Mr. Mansfield is a vestryman and has held various other offices in the parish and in the diocese of Connecticut. Seven times has he been chosen a deputy from Connecticut to the triennial general convention of the Episcopal church, and he is now a member of its general board of missions and of several other church boards at large. His activities in religious work have not been confined to his own denomination, for Mr. Mansfield is thoroughly catholic in spirit and possesses in an eminent degree the sense of church brotherhood. Many times he has been called to leadership in a work that engaged the laymen of all the churches of New Haven, and his leading has been cheerfully followed.

Mr. Mansfield is a member of Connecticut's state commission of sculpture and is known as the author of several valuable pamphlets. He also holds a prominent position in club life, belonging to all the principal New Haven clubs, to the Yale Alumni Association of New Haven, of which he was president for two years, and to the Century and Lotos Clubs of New York city.