63rd Wisconsin Legislature

The Sixty-Third Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 13, 1937, to July 2, 1937, in regular session, and reconvened in a special session from September 15, 1937, to October 16, 1937.^[1]

63rd Wisconsin Legislature
← 62nd 64th →
Wisconsin State Capitol ca.1915
Overview
Legislative body	Wisconsin Legislature
Meeting place	Wisconsin State Capitol
Term	January 4, 1937 – January 2, 1939
Election	November 3, 1936
Senate
Members	33
Senate President	Henry Gunderson (P) (resigned Oct. 16, 1937) Herman Ekern (P) (from May 16, 1938)
President pro tempore	Walter J. Rush (P)
Party control	Progressive
Assembly
Members	100
Assembly Speaker	Paul Alfonsi (P)
Party control	Progressive
Sessions
Regular January 13, 1937 – July 2, 1937
Special sessions
Sep. 1937 Spec. September 15, 1937 – October 16, 1937

This was the high water mark for the power of the Wisconsin Progressive Party, as they controlled both chambers of the Legislature and the Governor's office.

Senators representing even-numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first two years of a four-year term. Assembly members were elected to a two-year term. Assembly members and even-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 3, 1936. Senators representing odd-numbered districts were serving the third and fourth year of a four-year term, having been elected in the general election of November 6, 1934.^[1]

The governor of Wisconsin during this entire term was Progressive Philip La Follette, of Dane County, serving his third two-year term, having won re-election in the 1936 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.

Major events

• January 4, 1937: Third inauguration of Philip La Follette as Governor of Wisconsin.
• January 20, 1937: Second inauguration of Franklin D. Roosevelt as President of the United States. The first presidential inauguration to take place on January 20.
• May 6, 1937: The commercial airship LZ 129 Hindenburg was destroyed in an accidental fire while attempting to dock at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, in New Jersey, killing 35 passengers and crew.
• July 7, 1937: The Marco Polo Bridge Incident between forces of the Empire of Japan and the Republic of China, ignited the Second Sino-Japanese War.
• July 22, 1937: The United States Senate rejected U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt's proposal to add seats to the United States Supreme Court.
• October 16, 1937: Wisconsin lieutenant governor Henry Gunderson resigned.
• March 13, 1938: German leader Adolf Hitler declared the annexation of Austria.
• May 16, 1938: Herman Ekern was appointed lieutenant governor of Wisconsin to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Henry Gunderson.
• September 29, 1938: The Munich Agreement was signed by German, Italian, French, and British delegates, resolving the Sudetenland crisis by allowing Germany to annex the contested territory from Czechoslovakia.
• November 8, 1938: 1938 United States general election:
  • Julius P. Heil (R) elected Governor of Wisconsin.
  • Alexander Wiley (R) elected United States senator from Wisconsin.
• November 9, 1938: Nazi activists and paramilitaries in Germany engaged in a nationwide pogrom against Jewish businesses and religious spaces, known as Kristallnacht.
• December 17, 1938: Otto Hahn discovered the nuclear fission of Uranium.

Major legislation

• 1937 Act 51: Created the Wisconsin Labor Relations Board.

Party summary

Senate summary

Senate partisan composition

  Democratic: 9 seats

  Progressive: 16 seats

  Republican: 8 seats

	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)			Total
	Dem.	Prog.	Rep.		Vacant
End of previous Legislature	14	13	6	33	0
Start of Reg. Session	9	16	8	33	0
Final voting share	27.27%	48.48%	18.18%
Beginning of the next Legislature	6	11	16	33	0

Assembly summary

Assembly partisan composition

  Democratic: 31 seats

  Progressive: 48 seats

  Republican: 21 seats

	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)				Total
	Dem.	Soc.	Prog.	Rep.		Vacant
End of previous Legislature	35	3	43	17	98	2
Start of Reg. Session	31	0	48	21	100	0
From May 30, 1937[note 1]				20	99	1
Final voting share	31.31%		48.48%	20.2%
Beginning of the next Legislature	15	0	32	53	100	0

Sessions

• Regular session: January 13, 1937 – July 2, 1937
• September 1937 special session: September 15, 1937 – October 16, 1937

Leaders

Senate leadership

• President of the Senate: Henry Gunderson (P) (resigned Oct. 16, 1937)
  • Herman Ekern (P) (appointed May 16, 1938)
• President pro tempore: Walter J. Rush (P–Neillsville)

Assembly leadership

• Speaker of the Assembly: Paul Alfonsi (P–Pence)

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Senate for the Sixty-Third Wisconsin Legislature:^[2]

Senate partisan representation

  Democratic: 9 seats

  Progressive: 16 seats

  Republican: 8 seats

Dist.	Counties	Senator	Residence	Party
01	Door, Kewaunee, & Manitowoc	John E. Cashman	Denmark	Prog.
02	Brown & Oconto	Michael F. Kresky Jr.	Green Bay	Prog.
03	Milwaukee (South City)	Arthur L. Zimny	Milwaukee	Dem.
04	Milwaukee (Northeast County & Northeast City)	Oscar Morris	Milwaukee	Rep.
05	Milwaukee (Northwest City)	Harold V. Schoenecker	Milwaukee	Dem.
06	Milwaukee (North-Central City)	George Hampel	Milwaukee	Prog.
07	Milwaukee (Southeast County & Southeast City)	Max Galasinski	Milwaukee	Dem.
08	Milwaukee (Western County)	Allen Busby	West Milwaukee	Prog.
09	Milwaukee (City Downtown)	James L. Callan	Milwaukee	Dem.
10	Buffalo, Pepin, Pierce, & St. Croix	Kenneth S. White	River Falls	Rep.
11	Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, & Washburn	Philip E. Nelson	Maple	Rep.
12	Ashland, Iron, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, & Vilas	Joseph E. McDermid	Ladysmith	Prog.
13	Dodge & Washington	Frank E. Panzer	Oakfield	Prog.
14	Outagamie & Shawano	Mike Mack	Shiocton	Rep.
15	Rock	Maurice Coakley	Beloit	Rep.
16	Crawford, Grant, & Vernon	Edward J. Roethe	Fennimore	Rep.
17	Green, Iowa, & Lafayette	George Engebretson	South Wayne	Prog.
18	Fond du Lac, Green Lake & Waushara	Morvin Duel	Fond du Lac	Rep.
19	Calumet & Winnebago	Pierce A. Morrissey	Rush Lake	Dem.
20	Ozaukee & Sheboygan	Harry W. Bolens	Port Washington	Dem.
21	Racine	Joseph Clancy	Racine	Dem.
22	Kenosha & Walworth	Conrad Shearer	Kenosha	Rep.
23	Portage & Waupaca	Herman J. Severson	Iola	Prog.
24	Clark, Taylor, & Wood	Walter J. Rush	Neillsville	Prog.
25	Lincoln & Marathon	Roland E. Kannenberg	Wausau	Prog.
26	Dane	Fred Risser	Madison	Prog.
27	Columbia, Richland, & Sauk	E. Myrwyn Rowlands	Cambria	Prog.
28	Chippewa & Eau Claire	G. Erle Ingram	Eau Claire	Prog.
29	Barron, Dunn, & Polk	John A. Anderson	Barron	Prog.
30	Florence, Forest, Langlade, Marinette, & Oneida	Ernest Sauld	Pembine	Dem.
31	Adams, Juneau, Monroe, & Marquette	J. Earl Leverich	Sparta	Prog.
32	Jackson, La Crosse, & Trempealeau	Oscar S. Paulson	La Crosse	Prog.
33	Jefferson & Waukesha	Chester Dempsey	Merton	Dem.

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Sixty-Third Wisconsin Legislature:^[2]

Assembly partisan composition

  Democratic: 31 seats

  Progressive: 48 seats

  Republican: 21 seats

Milwaukee County districts

Senate Dist.	County	Dist.	Representative	Party	Residence
31	Adams & Marquette		Edwin W. Blomquist	Prog.	Adams
12	Ashland		Harry P. Van Guilder	Prog.	Ashland
29	Barron		Charles A. Beggs	Prog.	Rice Lake
11	Bayfield		Laurie E. Carlson	Prog.	Bayfield
02	Brown	1	Harold A. Lytie	Dem.	Green Bay
		2	William J. Sweeney	Dem.	De Pere
10	Buffalo & Pepin		Arthur A. Hitt	Prog.	Alma
11	Burnett & Washburn		Harry Bergren	Prog.	Siren
19	Calumet		Henry W. Hupfauf	Dem.	Harrison
28	Chippewa		George H. Hipke	Rep.	Stanley
24	Clark		Victor Nehs	Prog.	Neillsville
27	Columbia		Robert H. Roche	Dem.	Portage
16	Crawford		Donald C. McDowell	Rep.	Soldiers Grove
26	Dane	1	Herbert C. Schenk	Prog.	Madison
		2	James C. Hanson	Prog.	Deerfield
		3	Albert J. Baker	Prog.	Mount Horeb
13	Dodge	1	Elmer L. Genzmer	Dem.	Mayville
		2	Henry E. Krueger	Dem.	Beaver Dam
01	Door		Frank N. Graass	Rep.	Sturgeon Bay
11	Douglas	1	Michael H. Hall	Prog.	Superior
		2	Elmer Peterson	Prog.	Poplar
29	Dunn		James D. Millar	Prog.	Menomonie
28	Eau Claire		John T. Pritchard	Prog.	Eau Claire
30	Florence, Forest, & Oneida		Henry J. Berquist	Prog.	Rhinelander
18	Fond du Lac	1	Maurice J. Fitzsimons Jr.	Dem.	Fond du Lac
		2	Arthur F. Hinz	Rep.	Ripon
16	Grant	1	William H. Goldthorpe	Rep.	Cuba City
		2	P. Bradley McIntyre	Rep.	Lancaster
17	Green		Ernst J. Hoesly	Prog.	New Glarus
18	Green Lake & Waushara		Reuben W. Peterson	Rep.	Berlin
17	Iowa		John S. Jackson	Prog.	Mineral Point
12	Iron & Vilas		Paul Alfonsi	Prog.	Pence
32	Jackson		Peter A. Hemmy	Prog.	Humbird
33	Jefferson		Palmer F. Daugs	Dem.	Fort Atkinson
31	Juneau		William H. Barnes	Prog.	New Lisbon
22	Kenosha	1	Alfred C. Grosvenor	Dem.	Kenosha
		2	Emil Costello	Prog.	Kenosha
01	Kewaunee		Albert D. Shimek	Dem.	Algoma
32	La Crosse	1	Oliver H. Fritz	Prog.	La Crosse
		2	Harry W. Schilling	Prog.	Onalaska
17	Lafayette		Henry Youngblood	Rep.	Wiota
30	Langlade		James T. Cavanaugh	Dem.	Antigo
25	Lincoln		Reno W. Trego	Prog.	Merrill
01	Manitowoc	1	Francis A. Yindra	Dem.	Manitowoc
		2	David Sigman	Prog.	Two Rivers
25	Marathon	1	Joseph L. Barber	Prog.	Marathon
		2	Rudolph Meisner	Dem.	Wausau
30	Marinette		Charles A. Budlong	Rep.	Marinette
09	Milwaukee	1	Cornelius T. Young	Dem.	Milwaukee
06		2	Andrew Biemiller	Prog.	Milwaukee
08		3	Arthur J. Balzer	Prog.Dem.	Milwaukee
09		4	Robert E. Tehan	Dem.	Milwaukee
03		5	Mary O. Kryszak	Dem.	Milwaukee
09		6	Ben Rubin	Prog.	Milwaukee
06		7	Arthur Koegel	Prog.	Milwaukee
08		8	Donald P. Ryan	Dem.	Milwaukee
05		9	Joseph F. Mueller	Prog.	Milwaukee
07		10	John W. Grobschmidt	Prog.	South Milwaukee
03		11	Martin Franzkowiak	Dem.	Milwaukee
07		12	Peter Pyszczynski	Dem.	Milwaukee
04		13	Bernard B. Kroenke	Dem.	Milwaukee
		14	Milton T. Murray	Rep.	Milwaukee
05		15	Francis T. Murphy	Dem.	Milwaukee
06		16	Herman B. Wegner	Prog.	Milwaukee
07		17	Martin F. Howard	Dem.	Milwaukee
06		18	Edward H. Kiefer	Prog.	Milwaukee
05		19	Joseph L. Garvens	Dem.	West Milwaukee
08		20	Charles B. Perry	Rep.	Wauwatosa
31	Monroe		Earl D. Hall	Prog.	Greenfield
02	Oconto		Frank J. Lingelbach	Dem.	Oconto
14	Outagamie	1	Mark Catlin Jr.	Rep.	Appleton
		2	William M. Rohan	Dem.	Kaukauna
20	Ozaukee		Nicholas J. Bichler	Dem.	Belgium
10	Pierce		Theodore Swanson	Prog.	Ellsworth
29	Polk		Dougald D. Kennedy	Prog.	Amery
23	Portage		John Kostuck	Prog.	Stevens Point
12	Price		Felix A. Kremer	Prog.	Phillips
21	Racine	1	John L. Sieb	Prog.	Racine
		2	Jack Harvey	Prog.	Racine
		3	Edward F. Rakow	Dem.	Burlington
27	Richland		Vernon W. Thomson	Rep.	Richland Center
15	Rock	1	Edward Grassman	Rep.	Edgerton
		2	Burger M. Engebretson	Rep.	Beloit
12	Rusk & Sawyer		Carl R. Nyman	Prog.	Hayward
27	Sauk		George J. Woerth	Prog.	Sauk City
14	Shawano		Paul T. Fuhrman	Prog.	Bowler
20	Sheboygan	1	Joseph M. Theisen	Dem.	Sheboygan
		2	Charles A. Laack	Dem.	Plymouth
10	St. Croix		Arthur D. Kelly	Prog.	Hudson
24	Taylor		Carl M. Nelson	Rep.	Medford
32	Trempealeau		Tom Lomsdahl	Prog.	Osseo
16	Vernon		Hjalmer S. Halvorsen	Prog.	Westby
22	Walworth		Ora R. Rice	Rep.	Delavan
13	Washington		Henry O. Schowalter	Dem.	West Bend
33	Waukesha	1	Lyle E. Douglass	Rep.	Waukesha
		2	Alfred R. Ludvigsen	Rep.	Pewaukee
23	Waupaca		Alvin A. Handrich	Prog.	Manawa
19	Winnebago	1	Leo T. Niemuth	Rep.	Oshkosh
		2	Nels Larson	Rep.	Neenah
24	Wood		Byrde M. Vaughan	Prog.	Wisconsin Rapids

Committees

Senate committees

• Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Labor – J. E. Leverich, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on Committees – E. M. Rowlands, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on Contingent Expenditures – R. E. Kannenberg, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on Corporations and Taxation – W. J. Rush, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on Education and Public Welfare – P. E. Nelson, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on Highways – F. E. Panzer, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on the Judiciary – H. J. Severson, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on Legislative Procedure – W. J. Rush, chair
• Senate Standing Committee on State and Local Government – A. L. Zimny, chair

Assembly committees

• Assembly Standing Committee on Agriculture – H. W. Schilling, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce and Manufactures – E. W. Blomquist, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Conservation – P. A. Hemmy, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Contingent Expenditures – J. L. Sieb, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Education – A. A. Hitt, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Elections – A. D. Kelly, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Engrossed Bills – B. B. Kroenke, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Enrolled Bills – M. Franzkowiak, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Excise and Fees – A. J. Balzer, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Highways – E. D. Hall, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Insurance and Banking – J. W. Grobschmidt, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on the Judiciary – B. M. Vaughan, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Labor – D. Sigman, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Municipalities – M. H. Hall, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Printing – T. Swanson, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Public Welfare – E. H. Kiefer, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Revision – J. L. Barber, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Rules – H. B. Wegner, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on State Affairs – J. D. Millar, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Taxation – H. S. Halvorsen, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Third Reading – M. O. Kryszak, chair
• Assembly Standing Committee on Transportation – J. T. Pritchard, chair

Joint committees

• Joint Standing Committee on Finance – E. M. Rowlands (Sen.) & E. J. Hoesly (Asm.), co-chairs

Employees

Senate employees

• Chief Clerk: Lawrence R. Larsen^[3]
  • Assistant Chief Clerk: Arno C. Handel
• Sergeant-at-Arms: Emil A. Hartman
  • Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Albert E. Daley

Assembly employees

• Chief Clerk: Lester R. Johnson^[3]
• Sergeant-at-Arms: Gustave Rheingans
  • Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Phillip K. Lalor

Notes

1. Republican Nels Larson (Winnebago County) died.