Subseries: Esther Kaplan, 1983 June 7
Note: Access online

INTRODUCTION

POLITICAL BACKGROUND
Scope and Content Note: Volunteer for Bill Rice's 1946 campaign for Congress. Did clerical work. Served as treasurer for Horace Wilkie's 1948 campaign for Congress. Very active full-time volunteer. Membership Secretary of Dane County Democratic Club. 1952--paid Finance Secretary. 1954--managed Gaylord Nelson's campaign for Congress. 1958--Treasurer for Nelson's campaign for Congress. Became Nelson's personal secretary when he was elected. Treasurer for his two campaigns for Senate. Treasurer for Lucey For Governor Committee. Treasurer for Carley committee. Got involved in politics through a friend in political science department working on Rice campaign. Worked with Helene Wheeler, E.B. Raushenbush, Gerta Amlie.

HELENE WHEELER IN 1946 RICE CAMPAIGN
Scope and Content Note: Campaign manager. Capable, well organized, very nice. Directed small volunteer force. Does not recall Wheeler's activites as manager.

DESCRIPTION OF CAMPAIGN OFFICE' PHYSICAL LAYOUT

1948 CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES
Scope and Content Note: Did bulk mailing, gathered lists of names. By 1948 had more money and volunteers. Main activity was postering. Did some radio advertising.

CAMPAIGN BUDGETS
Scope and Content Note: Nelson's 1954 campaign for Congress--budget--$15,000. Nelson's gubernatorial campaign budget--$129,000.

E.B. RAUSHENBUSH
Scope and Content Note: Kaplan took economics course from Raushenbush. Raushenbush organized bulk mailings, was very poorly organized. Kaplan was not in policy-making at that time.

DANE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CLUB
Scope and Content Note: Not more than one hundred members in the early 1950s. Very much a social club dominated by west side academics and lawyers. Held meetings in the Labor Temple, the Women's Club, other places. Discussed recruitment of candidates, organizational activities, resolutions to present at conventions, the constitution, some issues, but not an issue-oriented group.

HORACE WILKIE, 1952 CAMPAIGNS, PARTY HEADQUARTERS
Scope and Content Note: By 1952 Party had larger headquarters at 18 1/2 East Mifflin Street. Wilkie campaign was run from headquarters. Headquarters first located on University Avenue in Tom Amlie's law office. Then in Ole Stollen's office on Main Street. Stollen was attorney, former Progressive, Democrat. Much activity of Wilkie campaign centered in Wilkie home. By 1952 campaign procedures had become standardized. Published newsletter, weekly or monthly.

END OF TAPE 23, SIDE 1

INTRODUCTION

HORACE WILKIE 1952 CAMPAIGN (continued)
Scope and Content Note: Newsletter sent to most active campaign workers. Contained campaign news. Campaign consisted of touring in a mobile home and speaking.

CAMPAIGN FUND RAISING ACTIVITIES
Scope and Content Note: Primary method--sent requests for contributions to people whose names were on lists of likely supporters. Held fund raising dinners. Anecdote about cost of fund raising dinners.

DELEGATE TO STATE CONVENTION
Scope and Content Note: Attended every convention from 1948 until recently.

THE DEMOCRATIC ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Scope and Content Note: Formation of DOC did not affect organizations operation at local level Names of people active in DOC listed. DOC was very Madison oriented.

JERRY FOX
Scope and Content Note: Bridge to old Democrats. First DOC Chairman. Kaplan spent a week at Fox home going through files to find names of potential contributors.

JULIA BOEGHOLT
Scope and Content Note: National Committeewoman, but worked very much at local level. Kaplan did not know her at that time.

BOB TEHAN
Scope and Content Note: Friendly, Irish, suave, gregarious, diplomatic. Kaplan did not know him well.

1948 CONVENTION
Scope and Content Note: Took place at Central High School. Packy McParland was Chairman of convention. Many people, including Kaplan, discussed approaching Eisenhower to run. McParland halted discussion of possible Eisenhower nomination. Kaplan was bitter about this. Anecdote about Kaplan not voting for McParland.

1952 SENATE RACE
Scope and Content Note: Fairchild supporters were mainly from Madison. Reuss supporters mainly from Milwaukee. Gretchen Pfankuchen supported Reuss. Fairchild ran reluctantly. Kaplan and others gathered signatures to place Fairchild on the ballot. Very emotional campaign because of McCarthy. Neither Reuss nor Fairchild was charismatic. Financial help came from outside the state to defeat McCarthy.

END OF TAPE 23, SIDE 2

INTRODUCTION

FUND RAISING FOR 1952 SENATE RACE
Scope and Content Note: Kaplan suggested Doyle ask for a contribution from Ronald Reagan, head of Actors Guild. As Finance Secretary, Kaplan handled money contributed to Party not individual candidates. Party appealed for contributions to defeat McCarthy. Received small contributions from New York, Washington. Anecdote about donor who died before check cleared.

INTERNAL PARTY ENDORSEMENTS
Scope and Content Note: Conflict over individual endorsements within Party from 1952 on were “emotional and personality-identified“. This was a bad trend, e.g. 1952 Senate election, 1954 Proxmire-Doyle race. In earlier years people made sacrifice to run as Democrats. Later, as Democrats became successful, people developed their own organizations. This led to a weakening of the Party. Incumbents were less likely to rely on Party. Trend started when Nelson became governor. Party never supported candidates on any level financially.

MUTUAL ASSISTANCE PAMPHLETS, PARTY SUPPORT FOR CANDIDATES
Scope and Content Note: Started publication 1952. Concerned agriculture, taxes, other issues. Included candidates' positions on issues, biographies. Candidates paid for the pamphlets. Warren Sawall, editor of The Wisconsin Democrat, may have written some pamphlets. These publications were the major Party contribution to candidates. Party paid for some pamphlets for legislative candidates. Stopped publication by the next election--does not recall why. Party did not have “significant” resources until Nelson elected governor.

THE PARTY AND NELSON'S CAMPAIGN ORGANIZATION
Scope and Content Note: Party, not Nelson's organization, received proceeds from inaugural banquet. Nelson did not compete for funds with Party. People who wanted to buy access to Nelson did it through the Party, not Nelson's campaign organization.

POSTMASTERS AND PATRONAGE
Scope and Content Note: 1948-1952 financial mainstay of Party was contributions from post-masters. This practice a remnant of old patronage system. Changed in 1953 because Republicans won national election. Party had to find new funding source--concentrated on individual donors.

ROLE OF WOMEN IN PARTY
Scope and Content Note: Women did all the work, received no recognition. Women with say in policy making--Julia Boegholt, Gladys Hoan, others. National Committeewoman only post open to women. Not a lot of competition for job--was very demanding, involved much travel. Policy makers--Gretchen Pfankuchen, Helene Wheeler, Julia Boegholt.

END OF TAPE 24, SIDE 1

INTRODUCTION

ROLE OF WOMEN IN PARTY (continued)
Scope and Content Note: Women did all organizational work. Describes work.

PARTY FINANCES AND WOMEN
Scope and Content Note: Kaplan discussed policy with Jim Doyle and Pat Lucey when she was Finance Secretary. Only influence on policy concerned fund raising, not spending. State Administrative Committee was all male, controlled spending. In mid-1950s one woman was elected to committee.

CHAIRMAN OF DANE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY
Scope and Content Note: In early years “outstanding” men willing to serve as Chairman. Later, it became increasingly difficult to fill position, became more open to women. After war, lawyers' practices not thriving, had time for political activities.

WOMEN'S INFLUENCE ON PARTY POLICY
Scope and Content Note: Virginia Hart participated in discussion of policy. Women had influence on county policy but not state policy.

OLD VS. NEW DEMOCRATS IN THE EARLY 1940s
Scope and Content Note: Jerry Fox was not liberal just pragmatic in supporting returning veterans. Old Democrats, e.g. Charlie Green, never accepted new Democrats. However, there were few old Democrats; young people made all the policy. A few older Progressives joined Democrats but young people were in control.

CHANGES IN THE PARTY IN THE 1940s
Scope and Content Note: Young people who built new Party were enthusiastic, idealistic. As Party successfully elected candidates, it attracted people looking for personal gain.

END OF INTERVIEW