- MERRILL, Willard, was born in Rome, New York, January 16,
1831. For thirty-seven years
- he has in some capacity been connected with the Northwestern
Mutual Life Insurance company. He is a college-bred man, having
graduated from Amherst College in 1854. He taught in the academy
at Bridgewater, Mass., for a time after graduating. In the spring
of 1856 Mr. MERRILL was admitted to practice in the supreme court
of New York. Immediately thereafter he came to Wisconsin. At
that time the railroad was being pushed from Milwaukee to Prairie
du Chien, and it was expected that this river town would become
a great city. He located there and remained in Prairie du Chien
until 1860, when he went to Janesville, pursuing the practice
of his profession, and for several years prior to removing to
Milwaukee he has the law partner of the Hon. J. B. CASSODAY,
who is now chief justice of the supreme court of Wisconsin. It
was in Janesville that Mr. MERRILL became interested in the insurance
business and became connected with the insurance company of which
he has so long been an official. He was found of the study of
insurance law and was induced to accept the offer of the insurance
company to become its secretary. He therefore abandoned the practice
of law and came to Milwaukee in January, 1873, and assumed the
duties of his new position. On December 19th, 1881, he was made
superintendent of agencies, and was soon after made second vice-president
of the company, and July 18, 1894, he was elected vice-president.
Mr. MERRILL has always been a Republican, and in the Wisconsin
legislature of 1871 he was the member of the assembly from the
Janesville district. After his election and before the meeting
of the legislature, Gov. Fairchild appointed him upon the visiting
committee, whose duty it was to examine and report upon the condition
of the penal and charitable institutions of the state. Subsequently,
and at the organization of the board, he was made a member of
the state board of charities and reforms, the members of which
received no compensation and were charged with the duty of visiting
and supervising the penal and charitable institutions of the
state and also the county jails and poorhouses. Upon coming to
Milwaukee Mr. MERRILL's official duties did not permit him to
give the time necessary for the work of this board and he resigned.
Mr. MERRILL has been a thorough student of life insurance in
its various aspects, and it was he who at a recent banquet of
the Wisconsin underwriters suggested the creation of a chair
of insurance at the University of Wisconsin. Mr. MERRILL lives
at 95 Prospect avenue.
-
- [Taken from "Men of Progress: Wisconsin" (c)1897
The Evening Wisconsin Company, Milwaukee, p. 439]
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