George Wendell Tapley (1835-1912)

He was born and educated in Lowell, Massachusetts, and then for three years was a clerk in various stores. From the ages of 18 to 21, he was apprenticed in the bookbinding trade with his brother's firm in Springfield. Over the next few years he worked in Salem then Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois and Rhode Island before returning to Springfield in 1860. He then became foreman in the bindery of Samuel Bowles & Company before becoming a partner in Brigham & Tapley, Manufacturers of cardboard and linen finish collar papers. Tapley continued as the sole partner until 1882 when he joined with V.M. Taylor and the company became known as the Taylor & Tapley Manufacturing Company. In 1885, they merged with the United Manufacturing Company and Tapley became its President. He is also known as having helped his great friend, Milton Bradley (1836-1911), come up with his first idea for a board game (The Game of Life) and in 1878 Tapley became President of the Milton Bradley Company (MB Games). He was also President of the Baptist Mutual Relief Association and a director of both the Springfield National Bank and the Fiberloid Company of Indian Orchard, Massachusetts. He had just one son by his first wife who was a direct descendant of Stephen Hopkins (1707-1785), Governor of Rhode Island and Signer of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.