Philip La Follette

20th-century American lawyer, politician, and 27th Governor of Wisconsin

Philip La Follette

27th and 29th Governor of Wisconsin
In office
January 7, 1935 – January 2, 1939
Lieutenant|

* Thomas J. O'Malley
* Henry Gunderson
* Herman Ekern

Preceded by| Albert G. Schmedeman
Succeeded by| Julius P. Heil
In office
January 5, 1931 – January 2, 1933
Lieutenant| Henry A. Huber
Preceded by| Walter J. Kohler Sr.
Succeeded by| Albert G. Schmedeman
District Attorney of Dane County
In office
January 1, 1925 – January 1, 1927
Preceded by| Theodore G. Lewis
Succeeded by| Glenn D. Roberts
Personal details
Born|

Philip Fox La Follette

(1897-05-08)May 8, 1897
Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died| August 18, 1965(1965-08-18) (aged 68)
Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Resting place| Forest Hill Cemetery
Madison, Wisconsin
Political party|

* Wisconsin Progressive (1934–1946)
* Republican (before 1934)

Spouses|

* Isabel Bacon
* (m. 1923-1963; died 1973)

Children| 3
Parents|

* Robert M. La Follette, Sr. (father)
* Belle Case La Follette (mother)

Relatives|

* Robert M. La Follette Jr. (brother)
* Fola La Follette (sister)
* Bronson La Follette (nephew)
* La Follette family

Alma mater| University of Wisconsin
Profession| Lawyer
Military service
Allegiance|  United States
Branch/service|  United States Army
Years of service| 1918, 1942-1945
Rank|  Lt. Colonel
Unit| South West Pacific Command
Battles/wars|

* World War I
* World War II

Philip Fox La Follette (May 8, 1897 - August 18, 1965) was an American politician. He was the 27th and 29th Governor of Wisconsin, as well as one of the founders of the Wisconsin Progressive Party.

## Early life and family

[edit]

La Follette was born in Madison, Wisconsin, a member of the politically prominent La Follette family. He was the son of Wisconsin Congressman, Governor, and U.S. Senator Robert M. "Fighting Bob" La Follette Sr., and Belle Case La Follette, brother of U.S. Senator Robert M. La Follette Jr., brother of Fola La Follette, whose husband was the playwright George Middleton, and uncle of Wisconsin Attorney General Bronson La Follette.

La Follette served as a second lieutenant in the United States Army Infantry in 1918, during World War I. In 1919 he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Wisconsin and in 1922 a Bachelor of Laws degree. He married Isabel Bacon (1898–1973) in 1923. They had three children: son Robert (c. 1927), and daughters Judith (c. 1929) and Sherry (1936).

## Political career

[edit]

He was the district attorney for Dane County, Wisconsin, from 1925 to 1927. La Follette was Governor of Wisconsin from 1931 to 1933 and 1935 to 1939. He was first elected as a progressive member of the Republican Party in the 1930 election.

After a defeat in the 1932 Republican Primary, however, La Follette, along with his brother, Robert M. La Follette, Jr., created the Wisconsin Progressive Party and both ran successfully under its ticket in 1934. The gregarious governor was known as "Phil" on the streets of Madison during his governorship, much as his father had been known as simply "Bob". His governorship saw the implementation of many of the progressive measures of the New Deal, with La Follette being responsible for the implementation of some of them on the state level before the Roosevelt Administration could do so on the national level.

La Follette was defeated seeking reelection as governor in 1938. That spring he had attempted to launch the National Progressive Party of America in an attempt to create a national third party (as the La Follettes had helped create in Wisconsin). This party was named the National Progressives of America upon its formation. The goals of the party were to lead a realignment of American politics along more concrete liberal and conservative lines. Despite his efforts, the NPA was unsuccessful and La Follette never held public office after 1939.

## Later life and career

[edit]

La Follette's grave (second from right) at Forest Hill Cemetery

Much as his father opposed U.S. entry into World War I, Phil La Follette strongly opposed, like most other Americans, U.S. entry into World War II. Once war was declared, he abandoned his opposition and joined the U.S. Army, serving on the staff of General Douglas MacArthur. He would later spearhead a slate of delegates to the 1948 Republican National Convention supporting MacArthur's nomination for the presidency. Such a slate included many people La Follette had opposed during the Great Depression, but turned to out of a common interest to support MacArthur, a fact which perplexed many of his contemporaries.

From 1955 to 1959, La Follette served as president of Hazeltine Electronics, and made his home in Douglaston, New York. He later returned to Wisconsin, wrote his autobiography, and was active in the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.

He died in Madison, Wisconsin, and was buried at Forest Hill Cemetery.[1]

## Electoral history

[edit]

### Dane County District Attorney (1924)

[edit]

### Wisconsin governor (1930–1938)

[edit]

Year  | Election  | Date  | Elected  | Defeated  | Total  | Plurality

|
|
|
|
|
|

1930 | Primary  | Sep. 16 | Philip La Follette | Republican | 339,551  | 59.64%  | Walter J. Kohler Sr. (inc) | Rep. | 267,687  | 40.36%  | 663,238  | 71,864
General  | Nov. 4 | Philip La Follette | Republican | 392,958  | 64.76%  | Charles E. Hammersley | Dem. | 170,020  | 28.02%  | 606,825  | 222,938
Frank Metcalfe | Soc. | 25,607  | 4.22%
Alfred B. Taynton | Pro. | 14,818  | 2.44%
Fred Basset Blair | Ind. | 2,998  | 0.49%
1932 | Primary  | Sep. 20 | Walter J. Kohler Sr. | Republican | 414,575  | 56.45%  | Philip La Follette (inc) | Rep. | 319,884  | 43.55%  | 734,459  | 94,691
1934 | Primary  | Sep. 18 | Philip La Follette | Progressive | 154,454  | 95.36%  | Henry O. Meisel | Prog. | 7,520  | 4.64%  | 161,974  | 146,934
General  | Nov. 6 | Philip La Follette | Progressive | 373,093  | 39.12%  | Albert G. Schmedeman (incumbent) | Dem. | 359,467  | 37.69%  | 953,797  | 13,626
Howard T. Greene | Rep. | 172,980  | 18.14%
George A. Nelson | Soc. | 44,589  | 4.68%
Morris Childs | Ind. | 2,454  | 0.26%
Thomas W. North | Ind. | 857  | 0.09%
Joseph Ehrhardt | Ind. | 332  | 0.03%
1936 | General  | Nov. 3 | Philip La Follette (inc) | Progressive | 573,724  | 46.38%  | Alexander Wiley | Rep. | 363,973  | 29.42%  | 1,237,095  | 209,751
Arthur W. Lueck | Dem. | 268,530  | 21.71%
Joseph F. Walsh | Uni. | 27,934  | 2.26%
Joseph Ehrhardt | Soc | 1,738  | 0.14%
August F. Fehlandt | Pro. | 1,008  | 0.08%
1938 | Primary  | Sep. 20 | Philip La Follette (inc) | Progressive | 136,291  | 80.21%  | Glenn P. Turner | Prog. | 33,631  | 19.79%  | 169,922  | 102,660
General  | Nov. 8 | Julius P. Heil | Republican | 543,675  | 55.39%  | Philip La Follette (inc) | Prog. | 353,381  | 36.00%  | 981,560  | 190,294
Harry W. Bolens | Dem. | 78,446  | 7.99%
Frank W. Smith | Uni. | 4,564  | 0.47%
John Schleier Jr. | Ind. | 1,459  | 0.15%

## Works

[edit]

* La Follette, Philip Fox, Adventure in politics: the memoirs of Philip La Follette edited by Donald Young, New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1970.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Last of Family Triumvirate. Philip La Follette, 68, Dies". Wisconsin State Journal. August 19, 1965. p. 1. Retrieved May 14, 2019 - via Newspapers.com.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Kasparek, Jonathan. Fighting Son: A Biography of Philip F. La Follette. Madison: Wisconsin Historical Society, 2006. ISBN 0-87020-353-3.

## External links

[edit]

* La Follette Family Papers in the Library of Congress
* Philip F. La Follette, Dictionary of Wisconsin History, Wisconsin State Historical Society

Party political offices

Preceded by

Walter J. Kohler, Sr.

|  Republican nominee for Governor of Wisconsin
1930 | Succeeded by

Walter J. Kohler, Sr.

Preceded by

New party

|  Progressive nominee for Governor of Wisconsin
1934, 1936, 1938 | Succeeded by

Orland Steen Loomis

Political offices
Preceded by

Walter J. Kohler, Sr.

|  Governor of Wisconsin
1931 - 1933  | Succeeded by

Albert G. Schmedeman

Preceded by

Albert G. Schmedeman

|  Governor of Wisconsin
1935 - 1939  | Succeeded by

Julius P. Heil

Legal offices
Preceded by

Theodore G. Lewis

|  District Attorney of Dane County, Wisconsin
1925 - 1927  | Succeeded by

Glenn D. Roberts

Awards and achievements
Preceded by

Harry F. Byrd

|  Cover of Time magazine
22 October 1928  | Succeeded by

Lord Melchett

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