Feature 2 Article Those Who Served: Wisconsin Legislators 1848 2007 (Kathleen Sitter, LRB) 100 WISCONSIN BLUE BOOK 2007 – 2008 Those Who served: Wisconsin LegisLaTors 1848-2007 By Michael J. Keane Legislative Reference Bureau Graphics and Design by Kathleen Sitter and Crystal Smith, LRB WISCONSIN LEGISLATORS SENATE 101 caLLing The roLL of Wisconsin LegisLaTors The lawmaking, or legislative, function is the most fundamental in a republic. This is why the Wisconsin Constitution, as well as the United States Constitution, accords the legislative power the honor of first placement over the other two branches of government. Legislative power is also shared to a far greater extent. Only 43 individuals have served as governor in Wisconsin history, and fewer than 80 have served on the supreme court since its creation in 1853. In contrast, since 1848, the roster of civic-minded Wisconsinites who have filled the legislative role has reached over 1,000 in the senate and nearly 5,000 in the assembly. Over 400 have served in both houses. A common question is, “How many people have served in the legislature?” For several reasons, we don’t know for sure. There are a number of difficulties inherent in arriving at an accurate count. Individuals who served only part of a session are particularly elusive. Also, many legislators have served nonconsecutive terms and have served in both houses. A number of names appearing on the list twice may or may not be the same person. However, our best estimate is that 5,517 individuals have served in the Wisconsin Legislature since statehood. A list of names alone sheds little light on those who served, or on the legislature as an institution. We have included a number of photographs, anecdotes, quotes, and statistical infor- mation. Some of this material is humorous, some not. We hope all will be interesting and bring some life to this list by illuminating the men and women who made our laws. Names of members are listed by house (senate first on lavender pages; assembly on light blue pages) and includes name, party, district, and session served. Prior to 1973, assembly dis- tricts were not assigned unique numbers, but were identified by the county or counties in which they were located. Where a member has represented one or more multicounty districts, we have listed all the counties represented over their entire service in alphabetical order. name (ParTy) disTrict Session name (ParTy) disTrict Session Bacon, Orrin (R) 12 1872-73* Bailey, Dana R. (R) 24 1878-79 a Baker, Robert H. (R) 5 1873, Abert, George A. (D) 7 1877-78* 1875-76 Abrams, William J. (D) 2 1868-69* Baldwin, George (D) 22 1870-71* Ackley, Edward F. (R) 28 1913-15 Barber, Joseph L. (R) 25 1923-25* Ackley, Henry M. (D) 10 1882-83 Barber, J. Allen (R) 16 1856-57 Adams, Henry (U/R) 24 1866-69* Barden, Levi W. (R) 27 1875-76, Adams, John (D) 26 1882-83* 1878* Adams, John Q. (D/R) 25 1854-56* Barker, H.W. (R) 31 1907-09 Adelman, Lynn S. (D) 28 1977-97 Barker, James A. (R) 30 1925-31* Alban, James S. (W) 2 1852-53 Barlow, Stephen Steele (R) 14 1868-69* Albers, W.W. (D) 25 1911-17 Barnes, S.W. (D) 14 1856-57 Allen, Benjamin (D) 19 1853-54 Barney, John A. (D) 13 1875-76* Altpeter, Oscar (D) 6 1893-95 Barnum, George S. (U) 21 1865-66* Anderson, Al. C. (R) 29 1917-21 Barrett, Thomas M. (D) 5 1989-91* Anderson, John A. (R/P) 29 1931-37 Barron, Henry D. (R) 24 1874-76* Anderson, Matthew (D) 26 1878-81* Bartlett, M.D. (R) 32 1862-63 Andrea, Joseph F. (D) 22 1985-95* Bartlett, Oscar F. (R) 12 1860-61* Andrews, Abraham D. (R) 30 1878-79 Barwig, Byron (D) 13 1915-17 Anson, Frank A. (R) 5 1899-1901* Bashford, Coles (W/R) 21 1853-55 Apple, Adam (D) 3 1891-93* Bashford, Robert M. (D) 26 1893-95 Arnold, Alexander A. (R) 29 1877-78* Baumgart, James R. (D) 9 1999-2001* Arnold, Louis A. (SD) 7 1915-21 Baxter, Charles H. (R) 16 1893-99 Austin, William H. (R) 5 1895-97* Baxter, Fred A. (R) 11 1915-17 Avery, Frank (R) 14 1889-91* Beach, Zadoc P. (R) 23 1903-05 Bean, Samuel C. (R) 23, 11 1857-58, 1861-62 Bear, Peter D. (D) 13 1979* B Bechtner, Paul (R) 5 1891-93 Bablitch, William A. (D) 24 1973-83 Belden, Philo (R) 7 1871-72* * also served in the assembly 102 WISCONSIN BLUE BOOK 2007 – 2008 name (ParTy) disTricT Session Billings, Henry M. (D) 5 1848* Bird, Claire B. (R) 25 1919-21 Bird, Harlan P. (R) 1 1903-09 Bishop, Isaac T. (R) 3 1907-13 Bissell, William G. (R) 27 1899-1901 Black, John (D) 6 1874-75* Blackstone, John W. (R) 12 1880-81* Blaine, John J. (R) 16 1909-11 Blair, Andrew M. (D) 3 1853-54 Blair, William (U/R) 10 1864-65, 1872-73, 1876-77 Blake, Edward R. (D) 33 1883-85* Blanchard, George W. (R) 15 1927-33* Bleekman, Adelbert E. (R) 4 1874-75* Blenski, Roman R. (D) 7 1949-53* Bodenstab, Henry H. (R) 4 1909-11 Bohan, John R. (D) 3 1863-64* Boldt, Herman E. (R) 20 1925-31 Bolens, Harry W. (D) 20 1933-39 Bones, Thomas A. (R) 3 1877-78 Borg, George M., Jr. (R) 15 1967* Bosshard, Otto (R) 32 1911-15 Botkin, Alexander (W) 9 1849-50* Bovee, Marvin H. (D) 10 1853 Bowen, Ezra A. (D) 22 1854-55 Bowen, Thomas S. (D) 8, 24 1852-53 Bowman, Jonathan (R/U) 25 1863-66* Boyd, John W. (D/R) 14, 12 1848-49, Senator Clifford W. “Tiny” Krueger, a capitol institution 1858-59 known both for his girth and dedication to the senate, had Bragg, Edward S. (D) 20 1868-69 a legislative career spanning four decades. Braun, Warren D. (D) 11 1977-81 (State Historical Society #WHi (X3) 36693) Bray, William M. (R) 19 1915-17* name (ParTy) disTrict Session Brazeau, Theodore W. (R) 9 1907-09 Brennan, James B. (D) 5 1959-61 Benfey, Theo (R) 20 1917-23 Breske, Roger M. (D) 12 1989-2007 Bennett, Alden I. (R) 18 1858-61 Briggs, John R., Jr. (W) 18 1853 Bennett, George (R) 8 1860-61* Brown, Neal (D) 12 1893-95* Bennett, J. Henry (R) 31 1915-21 Brown, Orlando (R) 32 1872-73* (R) Bennett, Joseph B. 23 1879-80 Brown, Ron (R) 31 2003-05 Bennett, Stephen O. (F) 17 1851-52* Brown, Taylor G. (R) 19 1939-49 Bennett, Van S. (R) 4 1882-83* Browne, Edward E. (R) 21 1907-13 Benson, Taylor (D) 28 1965-67 Browne, Edward L. (R/U) 27 1861-62, Bentley, John A. (U) 1 1865-66 1867-68 Berger, David G. (D) 5 1975-81* Brunette, E.F. (D) 2 1933-35* Berndt, William F. (R) 10 1989-91* Bryant, George E. (R) 7 1875-76* Beyer, Rudolph (Soc.) 5 1919-21 Bubolz, Gordon A. (R) 14 1945-53 Bice, Raymond C. (R) 32 1953-67* Buchen, Gustave W. (R) 20 1941-51 Bichler, William J. (D) 20 1913-15* Buck, George L. (R) 3 1919-21 Bidwell, Everett V. (R) 27 1971-81* Buckstaff, George H. (R) 19 1887-89* Bilgrien, Herman J.F. (R) 13 1919-25 Budlong, S.W. (D) 23 1865-66 Oldest 53 AGE Youngest 28 1859 senaTe ProfiLe Average 40.9 PLACE O F BIRTH OCCUPATI O N NITED TATE S FO REIGN PO LITICAL Democrat 16 U S MAKEUP Republican 14 Farmer 11 New York 13 Germany 1 Lawyer 5 Connecticut 3 Ireland 1 Merchant 4 Ohio 3 Scotland 1 Longest 32 EAR S IN Physician 4 Massachusetts 2 Switzerland 1 Y Shortest 3 WI S C O N S IN Miller 3 Vermont 2 TOTAL 4 Average 14.2 Commissioner & Maine 1 Forwarder 1 Pennsylvania 1 SE ss I O N S Longest 11 Lumberman 1 Virginia 1 SERVED Average 2.46 Sailor 1 TOTAL 26 * also served in the assembly WISCONSIN LEGISLATORS SENATE 103 The LimiTs of consTiTuenT service The legislature is the voice of the people, and, in a democratic system, represents the authority of the people to govern their own affairs and make their own laws. Because of this power, the legislature is often approached with petitions, letters, and communications from citizen groups and individuals asking the legislature to use its power to accomplish their goals. Often, these goals are easily fulfilled. At other times, they are difficult, if not impossible. Such was the case in 1860, when one William Blunt, a farmer and sometime preacher from the Town of Clarno in Green County, offered a petition to the senate. In the petition, Blunt described how he had traveled to Texas the previous year to explore the possibility of settling there. At the height of the sectional tension between North and South, Blunt’s presence and preaching attracted negative attention. According to his account, he was taken into custody by a mob which included the Dallas County sheriff, accused of being an abolitionist (a charge he denied), flogged, and relieved of $16. Blunt asked the Wisconsin Senate to “take such action as will enable him ... to seek for and obtain redress from the citizens of Texas who committed the outrages above spoken of” or, ... continued next page name (ParTy) disTrict Session name (ParTy) disTrict Session Buettner, Carol A. Cavanagh, Daniel (D) 20 1876-77* (see Roessler, Carol A.) Chandler, John A.