Frederick Vogel and Guido Pfister immigrated separately to the United States from
Württemberg, Germany, in the 1840s. They worked for a short time at a tannery owned
by J. F. Schoellkopf in Buffalo, New York, before moving to Milwaukee in 1847. Once
there, Pfister established a leather retail store on Market Street Square while
Vogel launched a tannery by the Menomonee River. With the help of their former
employer Schoellkopf, who invested money and materials, Pfister and Vogel joined
together and formed the G. Pfister & Company in 1848. It was later incorporated
and renamed the Pfister & Vogel Leather Company in 1872. The company prospered
between the Civil War and World War I, becoming one of the largest leather producers
in the world.
The 1920s saw a period of decline for the company however, and in 1931 the Pfister
& Vogel Leather Company was split up into two successor businesses: Pfister
& Vogel Tanning Company and P & V Atlas Industrial Center, Inc. The tannery
continued its previous operations on a smaller scale, while P & V Atlas focused
on real estate, storage, and leasing land to other businesses that were once part of
the tannery. In 1968, P & V Atlas acquired Graf’s Beverages as a way to
diversify their assets. Seeing new potential in these types of investments, P &
V changed its name to Univest Corporation the following year. By 1980, Univest
focused solely on real estate ventures, but by the end of the decade, the last
remaining family member, Fred Vogel III, sold his shares and left the business.
Frederick Vogel III was born in 1935, the youngest child of William Vogel and
Virginia Booth. Fred is the great-great-grandson of Frederick Vogel, co-founder of
Pfister & Vogel Leather Co. He graduated from Harvard University in 1957 and
later joined the military. Fred served in the U.S. Army Reserves and in 1963
received an honorable discharge. In 1965, Fred married Anne Henoch, and they had two
children together. Fred served as president of Univest, P & V Atlas, the Layton
Art Collection, and was chairman of Graf’s Beverages.
Fred’s father, William Dickerman Vogel, was born in Milwaukee in 1908 to Grace
Dickerman Vogel and Guido Charles Vogel. After Guido died in 1913, William and Grace
traveled, with William attending school in Switzerland. He later graduated from
Harvard Business School and lived in Massachusetts for a time before he moved back
to Milwaukee, where he became president of P & V Atlas in 1950. During his
tenure, he played a key role in the St. Lawrence Seaway System as well as the
overall development of the Port of Milwaukee. William also served in leadership
capacities for other firms, including First Wisconsin National Bank, Booth
Newspapers, and Univest Corporation. William died in 1980.
In 1931, William wed Virginia Kingswood Booth of Grosse Pointe, Michigan. Virginia
was born in 1908 to Ralph and Mary Booth. Ralph was president of Booth Newspapers,
the first president of the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), and ambassador to
Denmark. The Booths were known for their art collection, and presented many works to
the DIA and other institutions. Virginia inherited her parents’ art collection,
giving her and William an extensive art collection as well. They gave many generous
gifts, including money and artwork, to places throughout Milwaukee, such as the
Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee Public Library, and the
Milwaukee Performing Arts Center. In 1977, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation
presented William and Virginia the William C. Frye Award, which “honors individuals
who, through their volunteer work, have made Milwaukee a better place.” Virginia
died in 1998.
Additionally, many other Vogels and extended family members were also involved in
various businesses and the community. Fred Vogel, Sr. (1823-1892), besides being
co-founder of Pfister & Vogel Leather, also served in the Milwaukee Common
Council and Wisconsin State Assembly. Fred Vogel, Jr. (1851-1936), served as
president of Pfister & Vogel Leather, director of the First Wisconsin National
Bank, and was on the board of trustees at Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance. Fred
Jr.’s brother August H. Vogel (1862-1930) served as secretary and vice president of
Pfister & Vogel Leather and was president of the board of directors of the
Milwaukee University School. Fred Jr.’s son, Charles Pfister Vogel (1895-1959), was
Chairman of the Board for both Pfister & Vogel Tanning and P & V Atlas as
well as serving on the board of trustees at Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance.
Guido Pfister (1818-1889), co-founder of Pfister & Vogel Leather, adopted two
children: siblings Louise F. Pfister (1857-1948), who married Fred Vogel, Jr., and
Charles F. Pfister (1859-1927). Charles ran the Pfister Hotel and was president of
both Pfister & Vogel Leather and First Wisconsin National Bank. He also bought
the Milwaukee Sentinel in 1901, where he took on
publishing duties. These are just a few individuals and a short list of their
accomplishments. Further details about them and the family, including extensive
family trees, can be found within the collection.
