# 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.
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.
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

| | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | |
| | Dem. | Prog. | Rep. | Total | 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

| | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | |
| | Dem. | Soc. | Prog. | Rep. | Total | 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 | 31 | 0 | 48 | 20 | 99 | 1 |
| Final voting share | 31.31% | 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:
| 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:
| Senate Dist. | County | Dist. | Representative | Party | Residence |
| 31 | Adams & Marquette | Adams & Marquette | Edwin W. Blomquist | Prog. | Adams |
| 12 | Ashland | Ashland | Harry P. Van Guilder | Prog. | Ashland |
| 29 | Barron | Barron | Charles A. Beggs | Prog. | Rice Lake |
| 11 | Bayfield | Bayfield | Laurie E. Carlson | Prog. | Bayfield |
| 02 | Brown | 1 | Harold A. Lytie | Dem. | Green Bay |
| 02 | Brown | 2 | William J. Sweeney | Dem. | De Pere |
| 10 | Buffalo & Pepin | Buffalo & Pepin | Arthur A. Hitt | Prog. | Alma |
| 11 | Burnett & Washburn | Burnett & Washburn | Harry Bergren | Prog. | Siren |
| 19 | Calumet | Calumet | Henry W. Hupfauf | Dem. | Harrison |
| 28 | Chippewa | Chippewa | George H. Hipke | Rep. | Stanley |
| 24 | Clark | Clark | Victor Nehs | Prog. | Neillsville |
| 27 | Columbia | Columbia | Robert H. Roche | Dem. | Portage |
| 16 | Crawford | Crawford | Donald C. McDowell | Rep. | Soldiers Grove |
| 26 | Dane | 1 | Herbert C. Schenk | Prog. | Madison |
| 26 | Dane | 2 | James C. Hanson | Prog. | Deerfield |
| 26 | Dane | 3 | Albert J. Baker | Prog. | Mount Horeb |
| 13 | Dodge | 1 | Elmer L. Genzmer | Dem. | Mayville |
| 13 | Dodge | 2 | Henry E. Krueger | Dem. | Beaver Dam |
| 01 | Door | Door | Frank N. Graass | Rep. | Sturgeon Bay |
| 11 | Douglas | 1 | Michael H. Hall | Prog. | Superior |
| 11 | Douglas | 2 | Elmer Peterson | Prog. | Poplar |
| 29 | Dunn | Dunn | James D. Millar | Prog. | Menomonie |
| 28 | Eau Claire | Eau Claire | John T. Pritchard | Prog. | Eau Claire |
| 30 | Florence, Forest, & Oneida | Florence, Forest, & Oneida | Henry J. Berquist | Prog. | Rhinelander |
| 18 | Fond du Lac | 1 | Maurice J. Fitzsimons Jr. | Dem. | Fond du Lac |
| 18 | Fond du Lac | 2 | Arthur F. Hinz | Rep. | Ripon |
| 16 | Grant | 1 | William H. Goldthorpe | Rep. | Cuba City |
| 16 | Grant | 2 | P. Bradley McIntyre | Rep. | Lancaster |
| 17 | Green | Green | Ernst J. Hoesly | Prog. | New Glarus |
| 18 | Green Lake & Waushara | Green Lake & Waushara | Reuben W. Peterson | Rep. | Berlin |
| 17 | Iowa | Iowa | John S. Jackson | Prog. | Mineral Point |
| 12 | Iron & Vilas | Iron & Vilas | Paul Alfonsi | Prog. | Pence |
| 32 | Jackson | Jackson | Peter A. Hemmy | Prog. | Humbird |
| 33 | Jefferson | Jefferson | Palmer F. Daugs | Dem. | Fort Atkinson |
| 31 | Juneau | Juneau | William H. Barnes | Prog. | New Lisbon |
| 22 | Kenosha | 1 | Alfred C. Grosvenor | Dem. | Kenosha |
| 22 | Kenosha | 2 | Emil Costello | Prog. | Kenosha |
| 01 | Kewaunee | Kewaunee | Albert D. Shimek | Dem. | Algoma |
| 32 | La Crosse | 1 | Oliver H. Fritz | Prog. | La Crosse |
| 32 | La Crosse | 2 | Harry W. Schilling | Prog. | Onalaska |
| 17 | Lafayette | Lafayette | Henry Youngblood | Rep. | Wiota |
| 30 | Langlade | Langlade | James T. Cavanaugh | Dem. | Antigo |
| 25 | Lincoln | Lincoln | Reno W. Trego | Prog. | Merrill |
| 01 | Manitowoc | 1 | Francis A. Yindra | Dem. | Manitowoc |
| 01 | Manitowoc | 2 | David Sigman | Prog. | Two Rivers |
| 25 | Marathon | 1 | Joseph L. Barber | Prog. | Marathon |
| 25 | Marathon | 2 | Rudolph Meisner | Dem. | Wausau |
| 30 | Marinette | Marinette | Charles A. Budlong | Rep. | Marinette |
| 09 | Milwaukee | 1 | Cornelius T. Young | Dem. | Milwaukee |
| 06 | Milwaukee | 2 | Andrew Biemiller | Prog. | Milwaukee |
| 08 | Milwaukee | 3 | Arthur J. Balzer | Prog.Dem. | Milwaukee |
| 09 | Milwaukee | 4 | Robert E. Tehan | Dem. | Milwaukee |
| 03 | Milwaukee | 5 | Mary O. Kryszak | Dem. | Milwaukee |
| 09 | Milwaukee | 6 | Ben Rubin | Prog. | Milwaukee |
| 06 | Milwaukee | 7 | Arthur Koegel | Prog. | Milwaukee |
| 08 | Milwaukee | 8 | Donald P. Ryan | Dem. | Milwaukee |
| 05 | Milwaukee | 9 | Joseph F. Mueller | Prog. | Milwaukee |
| 07 | Milwaukee | 10 | John W. Grobschmidt | Prog. | South Milwaukee |
| 03 | Milwaukee | 11 | Martin Franzkowiak | Dem. | Milwaukee |
| 07 | Milwaukee | 12 | Peter Pyszczynski | Dem. | Milwaukee |
| 04 | Milwaukee | 13 | Bernard B. Kroenke | Dem. | Milwaukee |
| 04 | Milwaukee | 14 | Milton T. Murray | Rep. | Milwaukee |
| 05 | Milwaukee | 15 | Francis T. Murphy | Dem. | Milwaukee |
| 06 | Milwaukee | 16 | Herman B. Wegner | Prog. | Milwaukee |
| 07 | Milwaukee | 17 | Martin F. Howard | Dem. | Milwaukee |
| 06 | Milwaukee | 18 | Edward H. Kiefer | Prog. | Milwaukee |
| 05 | Milwaukee | 19 | Joseph L. Garvens | Dem. | West Milwaukee |
| 08 | Milwaukee | 20 | Charles B. Perry | Rep. | Wauwatosa |
| 31 | Monroe | Monroe | Earl D. Hall | Prog. | Greenfield |
| 02 | Oconto | Oconto | Frank J. Lingelbach | Dem. | Oconto |
| 14 | Outagamie | 1 | Mark Catlin Jr. | Rep. | Appleton |
| 14 | Outagamie | 2 | William M. Rohan | Dem. | Kaukauna |
| 20 | Ozaukee | Ozaukee | Nicholas J. Bichler | Dem. | Belgium |
| 10 | Pierce | Pierce | Theodore Swanson | Prog. | Ellsworth |
| 29 | Polk | Polk | Dougald D. Kennedy | Prog. | Amery |
| 23 | Portage | Portage | John Kostuck | Prog. | Stevens Point |
| 12 | Price | Price | Felix A. Kremer | Prog. | Phillips |
| 21 | Racine | 1 | John L. Sieb | Prog. | Racine |
| 21 | Racine | 2 | Jack Harvey | Prog. | Racine |
| 21 | Racine | 3 | Edward F. Rakow | Dem. | Burlington |
| 27 | Richland | Richland | Vernon W. Thomson | Rep. | Richland Center |
| 15 | Rock | 1 | Edward Grassman | Rep. | Edgerton |
| 15 | Rock | 2 | Burger M. Engebretson | Rep. | Beloit |
| 12 | Rusk & Sawyer | Rusk & Sawyer | Carl R. Nyman | Prog. | Hayward |
| 27 | Sauk | Sauk | George J. Woerth | Prog. | Sauk City |
| 14 | Shawano | Shawano | Paul T. Fuhrman | Prog. | Bowler |
| 20 | Sheboygan | 1 | Joseph M. Theisen | Dem. | Sheboygan |
| 20 | Sheboygan | 2 | Charles A. Laack | Dem. | Plymouth |
| 10 | St. Croix | St. Croix | Arthur D. Kelly | Prog. | Hudson |
| 24 | Taylor | Taylor | Carl M. Nelson | Rep. | Medford |
| 32 | Trempealeau | Trempealeau | Tom Lomsdahl | Prog. | Osseo |
| 16 | Vernon | Vernon | Hjalmer S. Halvorsen | Prog. | Westby |
| 22 | Walworth | Walworth | Ora R. Rice | Rep. | Delavan |
| 13 | Washington | Washington | Henry O. Schowalter | Dem. | West Bend |
| 33 | Waukesha | 1 | Lyle E. Douglass | Rep. | Waukesha |
| 33 | Waukesha | 2 | Alfred R. Ludvigsen | Rep. | Pewaukee |
| 23 | Waupaca | Waupaca | Alvin A. Handrich | Prog. | Manawa |
| 19 | Winnebago | 1 | Leo T. Niemuth | Rep. | Oshkosh |
| 19 | Winnebago | 2 | Nels Larson | Rep. | Neenah |
| 24 | Wood | 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
** 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
* Sergeant-at-Arms: Gustave Rheingans
** Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Phillip K. Lalor