Vincent B. Hurlbut

Vincent B. Hurlbut

Vincent B. Hurlbut (April 7, 1901 - March 14, 1971) was the West Hartford police chief from 1960 to 1966. A graduate of Hall High School, he was a member of the Connecticut State Chapter of the National Academy Associations; the Tri-State Identification Association; the New England Association of Chiefs of Police; the Connecticut State Association of Chiefs of Police; a 32nd degree Mason; a member of the Sphinx Alhambra Shrine Club; the Sphinx Temple Guards; and the Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.

Life and Death

Vincent B. Hurlbut was born in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1901 to Albert M. Hurlbut and Genevieve Fanyou. When he was three years old, his family moved to West Hartford. In 1920, he graduated from William H. Hall High School in West Hartford and served in the Navy four years before joining the police department. In 1926, he signed up as a supernumerary policeman. In November of that year, he became a regular officer. In October 1939, he was promoted to sergeant and then to captain in charge of the Detective Bureau in June 1941. He graduated from the National Police Academy in Washington, D.C. and as early as that year, he was assigned as department instructor in revolver, riot gun, and sub-machine gun firing.

Hurlbut (second from left) helps hand out gold badges to new officers, Nov. 1958

In November 1935, nearly every policeman in the West Hartford Department was ready to come to the assistance of Joan Hurlbut, his 5-year-old daughter, who underwent several blood transfusions to fight a streptococcus infection. Unfortunately, despite the police aid in the fight for her life, she died on November 30, 1935.

In April 1955, Hurlbut was named to the newly-created position of deputy chief and was finally appointed chief on June 1, 1960. He was elected president of the International Association of Identification in 1961. The following year, he was elected president of the International Association of FBI Academy Graduates. He retired in 196 boasting that in the 40 years he was on the force, no one ever broke into a business establishment on his beat.

On March 14, 1971, having lived at 27 Fairfield Road in West Hartford, Hurlbut died. He was survived by his wife until her death in 1994.

Family

Hurlbut married Bernice Cook.

• Vincent B. Hurlbut, Jr. - m. Marian Zaugg
• Althea Hurlbut - m. Carl F. Johannesen, Jr.
• Ina Hurlbut - m. (1) Doyle (2) Dan Zawerton, Jr.
• Joan Betsy Hurlbut - died young.