Container
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Title
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Audio
1030A/23-24
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Tape/Side
23/1
Time
00:00
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INTRODUCTION
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Tape/Side
23/1
Time
00:40
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POLITICAL BACKGROUND : 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.
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Tape/Side
23/1
Time
05:10
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HELENE WHEELER IN 1946 RICE CAMPAIGN : Campaign manager. Capable, well organized, very nice. Directed small volunteer force. Does not recall Wheeler's activites as manager.
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Tape/Side
23/1
Time
06:50
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DESCRIPTION OF CAMPAIGN OFFICE' PHYSICAL LAYOUT
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Tape/Side
23/1
Time
08:00
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1948 CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES : Did bulk mailing, gathered lists of names. By 1948 had more money and volunteers. Main activity was postering. Did some radio advertising.
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Tape/Side
23/1
Time
10:50
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CAMPAIGN BUDGETS : Nelson's 1954 campaign for Congress--budget--$15,000. Nelson's gubernatorial campaign budget--$129,000.
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Tape/Side
23/1
Time
13:30
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E.B. RAUSHENBUSH : Kaplan took economics course from Raushenbush. Raushenbush organized bulk mailings, was very poorly organized. Kaplan was not in policy-making at that time.
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Tape/Side
23/1
Time
17:30
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DANE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CLUB : 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.
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Tape/Side
23/1
Time
24:40
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HORACE WILKIE, 1952 CAMPAIGNS, PARTY HEADQUARTERS : 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.
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Tape/Side
23/1
Time
29:35
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END OF TAPE 23, SIDE 1
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Tape/Side
23/2
Time
00:00
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INTRODUCTION
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Tape/Side
23/2
Time
00:30
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HORACE WILKIE 1952 CAMPAIGN (continued) : Newsletter sent to most active campaign workers. Contained campaign news. Campaign consisted of touring in a mobile home and speaking.
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Tape/Side
23/2
Time
03:15
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CAMPAIGN FUND RAISING ACTIVITIES : 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.
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Tape/Side
23/2
Time
05:20
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DELEGATE TO STATE CONVENTION : Attended every convention from 1948 until recently.
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Tape/Side
23/2
Time
05:50
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THE DEMOCRATIC ORGANIZING COMMITTEE : Formation of DOC did not affect organizations operation at local level Names of people active in DOC listed. DOC was very Madison oriented.
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Tape/Side
23/2
Time
07:25
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JERRY FOX : Bridge to old Democrats. First DOC Chairman. Kaplan spent a week at Fox home going through files to find names of potential contributors.
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Tape/Side
23/2
Time
10:00
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JULIA BOEGHOLT : National Committeewoman, but worked very much at local level. Kaplan did not know her at that time.
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Tape/Side
23/2
Time
11:50
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BOB TEHAN : Friendly, Irish, suave, gregarious, diplomatic. Kaplan did not know him well.
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Tape/Side
23/2
Time
13:45
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1948 CONVENTION : 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.
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Tape/Side
23/2
Time
20:30
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1952 SENATE RACE : 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.
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Tape/Side
23/2
Time
28:50
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END OF TAPE 23, SIDE 2
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Tape/Side
24/1
Time
00:00
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INTRODUCTION
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Tape/Side
24/1
Time
00:30
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FUND RAISING FOR 1952 SENATE RACE : 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.
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Tape/Side
24/1
Time
03:30
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INTERNAL PARTY ENDORSEMENTS : 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.
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Tape/Side
24/1
Time
11:10
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MUTUAL ASSISTANCE PAMPHLETS, PARTY SUPPORT FOR CANDIDATES : 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.
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Tape/Side
24/1
Time
16:50
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THE PARTY AND NELSON'S CAMPAIGN ORGANIZATION : 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.
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Tape/Side
24/1
Time
18:00
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POSTMASTERS AND PATRONAGE : 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.
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Tape/Side
24/1
Time
21:10
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ROLE OF WOMEN IN PARTY : 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.
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Tape/Side
24/1
Time
28:35
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END OF TAPE 24, SIDE 1
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Tape/Side
24/2
Time
00:00
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INTRODUCTION
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Tape/Side
24/2
Time
00:30
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ROLE OF WOMEN IN PARTY (continued) : Women did all organizational work. Describes work.
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Tape/Side
24/2
Time
01:15
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PARTY FINANCES AND WOMEN : 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.
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Tape/Side
24/2
Time
05:35
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CHAIRMAN OF DANE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY : 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.
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Tape/Side
24/2
Time
09:25
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WOMEN'S INFLUENCE ON PARTY POLICY : Virginia Hart participated in discussion of policy. Women had influence on county policy but not state policy.
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Tape/Side
24/2
Time
10:35
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OLD VS. NEW DEMOCRATS IN THE EARLY 1940s : 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.
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Tape/Side
24/2
Time
17:10
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CHANGES IN THE PARTY IN THE 1940s : Young people who built new Party were enthusiastic, idealistic. As Party successfully elected candidates, it attracted people looking for personal gain.
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Tape/Side
24/2
Time
20:20
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END OF INTERVIEW
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