Container
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Title
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Mss 665
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Part 1 (Mss 665, Micro 1080, Audio 1115A, Disc 171A, PH 3722, PH 3723, PH 3723 (3), PH 3724 (3)): Warren P. Knowles Papers, 1910-19647.6 cubic feet (4 records center cartons and 11 archives boxes), 19 reels of microfilm (35 mm), 1 disc recording, 6 tape recordings, and 723 photographs See catalog entry to request materials from Part 1 and for additional information. This manuscript portion of the Knowles material consists of papers concerning Knowles' career in the Senate and his tenure as lieutenant governor as well as his private life. Included are correspondence (mainly 1940-1956) with family, friends, Republican political leaders, and constituents; notes; reports; speeches; press releases; campaign records from his 1940, 1944, 1954 and 1962 campaigns and from the 1950 and 1952 gubernatorial campaigns of Walter Kohler Jr.; memorabilia; and scrapbooks of photographs and biographical clippings. Also included are files concerning various civic and financial involvements such as the Bong Memorial Foundation, the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, and the University of Wisconsin Alumni association; legal records from his New Richland law practice and estate papers pertaining to his father, Judge Warren P. Knowles Sr.; and constituent correspondence of his brother Robert Knowles. Among the prominent correspondents are John Byrnes, Thomas Coleman, Glenn Davis, Frank Graass, Walter Kohler Jr., Philip Kuehn, Melvin Laird, Jack Olson, Oscar Rennebohm, Alexander Wiley, John Wyngaard, and Robert Zimmerman. Taken as a whole, the Knowles manuscript papers are an outstanding collection for study of Wisconsin politics during the 1940s and 1950s because they offer much more extensive documentation than may be found in the collections of other Wisconsin legislators and political figures of the period. In addition, because such political collections are frequently bureaucratic and depersonalized in character, the Knowles collection is even more extraordinary because it offers researchers a large volume of personal material which allow many insights about an individual who ultimately rose to political prominence in the state. Nevertheless, there are some gaps in the coverage. The more valuable and revealing documentation stops in 1955, no doubt because this portion of the collection was donated to the Historical Society in 1956. As a consequence, Knowles' three terms as lieutenant governor are represented only by files of official constituent correspondence and reference material. Furthermore, there is no documentatiotation stops in 1955, no doubt because this portion of the collection was donated to the Historical Society in 1956. As a consequence, Knowles' three terms as lieutenant governor are represented only by files of official constituent correspondence and reference material. Furthermore, there is no documentation on either the 1959-1960 and 1963-1964 periods when Knowles was out of office. Particularly disappointing is the absence of any material on the 1964 gubernatorial campaign or the period prior to that campaign. There are also no materials in the collection on Knowles' career after he retired from public life in 1970. The collection consists primarily of correspondence, together with lesser quantities of memoranda, notes, reports, speeches, campaign files, memorabilia, biographical clippings, and legal files. Documenting Knowles' private life is a large volume of correspondence with family and friends, legal and personal financial materials, and campaign records. The early Knowles Papers consist of files created and maintained by his secretary in his New Richmond law office. It seems likely that even the 1943 constituent correspondence file was handled in this manner. (There are no similar files, however, for the 1945, 1947, or 1949 legislative sessions.) After Knowles became chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he acquired the services of a secretary in Madison. It is this fact which accounts for the existence in the collection of separate Senate constituent correspondence files (designated “Madison files”) for 1951 and 1953. Documentation on Knowles' public life, which primarily documents his career as lieutenant governor, consists of constituent correspondence for 1943, 1951, 1953, 1957, and 1961. The small size and lesser historical interest of this correspondence no doubt reflects the limited responsibilities of the office of lieutenant governor. The collection also includes some miscellaneous legal case files of Governor Knowles' father, Judge Knowles, and 1957 constituent correspondence of Knowles' brother Robert who succeeded him in the Senate. Much of the earlier material in the collection originally consisted of deteriorating, high-acid paper. This portion of the collection has been microfilmed and with the exception of his photograph albums and D-Day notebooks is only available in that form. The collection is arranged by documentation type, with correspondence being the most extensive. CORRESPONDENCE is arranged by year, with various subject subdivisions thereunder. It covers a wide variety of topics ranging from his World War II V-Mail to Dorothy Knowles and many exchanges with friends concerning hunting and fishing trips to extended discussions of Wisconsin politics with other legislators and Republican Party leaders. In general, however, Knowles' political comments are more useful for a study of general political events rather than for an examination of the development of specific legislation. There are also segregated subject files in the correspondence on his various civic and financial involvements such as the Bong Memorial Foundation, the University of Wisconsin Alumni Association, and the Northwestern Mutual Insurance Company. Also included here are photograph albums from Carleton College, a 1937 trip to Mexico, and his tour of duty on the USS Nevada. Campaign records in the correspondence document Knowles' 1940 and 1944 Senate campaigns, his 1954 lieutenant governor's race, his abortive 1962 gubernatorial campaign, and the 1950 and 1952 gubernatorial campaigns of Walter Kohler Jr., in which he played a key leadership role. Such files include not only correspondence, but also campaign literature, statistics, planning material, and reports. The Knowles correspondence has not been indexed, but researchers on Wisconsin politics will find letters to and from virtually every major Wisconsin Republican for the period 1940-1956. Among them are John Byrnes, Thomas Coleman, Glenn Davis, Frank Graass, Walter Kohler Jr., Philip Kuehn, Melvin Laird, Jack Olson, Oscar Rennebohm, Alexander Wiley, John Wyngaard, and Robert Zimmerman. PRESS RELEASES consist of notices issued as senator and as lieutenant governor, as well as items pertaining to various electoral campaign. SPEECHES includes drafts and final copies of formal remarks made from 1945 to 1964, together with two recorded speeches and sounding recordings of several shorter items. It is unlikely that this file represents a complete record of his pre-gubernatorial speeches and remarks. MEMORABILIA AND BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION consists of microfilmed biographical newspaper clippings and general career and campaign memorabilia. This section does not include buttons or other Knowles political artifacts which are housed with the Museum collections. Non-gubernatorial scrapbooks in the collection are available in the Visual and Sound Archives. The collection also includes a segment of LEGAL FILES which includes records of some miscellaneous cases of Judge Knowles and a chronological legal correspondence file of Warren P. Knowles III. A large portion of both of these files pertains to the Weyburn Security Company and to the management of its complicated land holdings as part of Judge Knowles' estate.
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Micro 1080
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Series: Correspondence
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Reel
1
Frame
1
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1926-1930, Carleton College album
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PH 3722
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Original album
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Micro 1080
Reel
1
Frame
62
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1933
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Reel
1
Frame
73
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1937 Mexican trip album
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PH 3722
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Original album
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Micro 1080
Reel
1
Frame
133
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1938-1939
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1940
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Reel
1
Frame
160
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General correspondence
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Knowles for Senate Campaign
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Reel
1
Frame
305
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Correspondence
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Reel
1
Frame
715
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General campaign material
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Reel
1
Frame
764
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Legislative scrapbook, 1940-1941
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Reel
1
Frame
781
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1941
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Reel
1-2
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1942
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1943
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Reel
2
Frame
236
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General correspondence
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Constituent correspondence
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Reel
2
Frame
424
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A-G
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Reel
3-4
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H-Z
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1944
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Knowles for Senate
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Reel
4
Frame
223
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Correspondence
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Reel
4
Frame
476
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General campaign material
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Reel
4
Frame
520
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Clippings
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V Mail to Dorothy Knowles
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Reel
4
Frame
548
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Microfilm version
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Mss 665
Box
1
Folder
1
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Paper version
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Invasion notebooks
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Box
1
Folder
1A
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Paper version
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Micro 1080
Reel
4
Frame
582
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Microfilm version
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USS Nevada album, 1943-1945
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PH 3724 (3)
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Original album pages 168 photographs
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Micro 1080
Reel
4
Frame
770
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Microfilm version
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1945
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General correspondence (New Richmond file)
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Reel
4
Frame
854
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January-June
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Reel
5
Frame
1
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July-December
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Reel
5
Frame
340
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1946
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1947
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General correspondence
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Reel
5
Frame
874
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January-June
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Reel
6
Frame
1
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July-December
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Bong Memorial Foundation, 1946-1947
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Reel
6
Frame
399
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Correspondence
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Reel
6
Frame
844
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General material
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1948
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Reel
7
Frame
1
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General correspondence
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Reel
7
Frame
327
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, 1949 (Incomplete)
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1950
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Reel
7
Frame
383
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General correspondence
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Kohler for Governor campaign
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Correspondence
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Reel
7
Frame
827
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May-August 4
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Reel
8
Frame
1
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August 5-November
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Reel
8
Frame
174
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General material
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Reel
8
Frame
222
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Clippings
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1951
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Reel
8
Frame
254
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Personal correspondence
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Senate correspondence (New Richmond file)
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Reel
8
Frame
598
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January-August
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Reel
9
Frame
1
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September-December
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Mss 665
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Constituent correspondence (Madison file)
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Box
1
Folder
2-8
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A-R
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Box
2
Folder
1-2
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S-Z
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Box
2
Folder
3-4
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Legislative distributions
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Micro 1080
Reel
9
Frame
331
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Northwestern Mutual Insurance Company, 1949-1951
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1952
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Reel
9
Frame
594
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Personal correspondence
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Reel
10
Frame
1
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Senate correspondence
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Reel
11
Frame
1
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Kohler for Governor campaign
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Reel
11
Frame
258
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Personal securities file, 1950-1952
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1953
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Reel
11
Frame
461
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Personal correspondence
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Mss 665
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Constituent correspondence (Madison file)
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Box
2
Folder
5-6
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A-G
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Box
3
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H-Z
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Legislative subject files
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Box
4
Folder
1
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Conservation, Reigel appointment, 1953
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Box
4
Folder
2
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Geiger, Joseph, 1953
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Box
4
Folder
3
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Geving, Allan, 1953
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Box
4
Folder
4
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Interstate cooperation, 1953
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Box
4
Folder
5
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Judicial Council, 1952-1953
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Box
4
Folder
6
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Legislative Council, 1953
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Box
4
Folder
7
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Miscellany
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Box
4
Folder
8
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Right to Privacy, 1953
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Box
4
Folder
9
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Radio and television, 1953
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Box
4
Folder
10
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Reapportionment, 1953
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Box
4
Folder
11
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Retirement Systems, Jt. Survey Committee, 1953
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Box
4
Folder
12
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State Building Commission, 1953
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Box
4
Folder
13
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Taxes, 1953
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Box
4
Folder
14
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Toll roads, 1945-1953
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Micro 1080
Reel
12
Frame
1
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Senate correspondence (New Richmond file)
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Reel
12
Frame
564
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Miscellaneous correspondence
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Reel
12
Frame
751
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U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals appointment, 1953
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Reel
13
Frame
1
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University of Wisconsin Alumni Association
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Reel
13
Frame
480
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Questionnaires
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1954
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Reel
13
Frame
496
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Personal correspondence
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Reel
14
Frame
1
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Senate
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Knowles for Lieutenant Governor Campaign
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Correspondence
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Reel
14
Frame
575
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May 1-August 7
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Reel
15
Frame
1
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August 8-November
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Reel
15
Frame
650
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Legislative support project
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Reel
15
Frame
773A
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General campaign material
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Reel
15
Frame
841
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Returns and statistics
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Reel
16
Frame
1
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Clipping scrapbooks
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Reel
16
Frame
130
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Stillwater Barge Canal, 1947-1954
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1955
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Reel
16
Frame
247
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Personal file
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Political file (New Richmond file)
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Reel
16
Frame
723
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January-July
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Reel
17
Frame
1
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August-December
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Mss 665
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Lt. Governor's correspondence file (Madison file)
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Box
4
Folder
15
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Calendar
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Box
4
Folder
16
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A
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Box
4
Folder
17
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Allis Chalmers
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Box
4
Folder
18
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B
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Box
4
Folder
19
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Bong dedication
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Box
4
Folder
20
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C
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Box
4
Folder
21
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Column for Wyngaard
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Box
5
Folder
1
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Credit insurance
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Box
5
Folder
2
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Class reunion
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Box
5
Folder
3
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D
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Box
5
Folder
4
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Dairy caravan
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Box
5
Folder
5
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Diploma privileges
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Box
5
Folder
6
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Doar and Knowles, 1955-1957
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Box
5
Folder
7-8
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E-F
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Box
5
Folder
9
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Faegre and Benson
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Box
5
Folder
10
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Filibuster
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Box
5
Folder
11
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G
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Box
5
Folder
12
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Grantsburg Post Office
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Box
5
Folder
13
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Green Bay reformatory
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Box
5
Folder
14
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H
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Box
5
Folder
15
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Integration (Merger) of University of Wisconsin
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Box
5
Folder
16-17
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J-K
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Box
5
Folder
18
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Knowles, Robert
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Box
5
Folder
19-20
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L-M
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Box
5
Folder
21
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Miscellaneous drafts
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Box
5
Folder
22
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Morisette, Victor
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Box
5
Folder
23-30
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N-W
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Box
5
Folder
31
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Ward, Yvette
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Box
5
Folder
32
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Williams, Roger
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Box
5
Folder
33
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Y-Z
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1957, Lt. Governor's correspondence file
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Box
5
Folder
34-41
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A-I
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Box
6
Folder
1
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Industrial development
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Box
6
Folder
2-10
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J-S
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Box
6
Folder
11
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Senate elections
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Box
6
Folder
12
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T
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Box
7
Folder
1
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Taxes
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Box
7
Folder
2
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U
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Box
7
Folder
3
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Urban and farm population
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Box
7
Folder
4-5
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W, Y-Z
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1961-1962
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Lieutenant Governor's correspondence file
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Box
8
Folder
1
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Calendar
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Box
8
Folder
2-5
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D-G
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Box
8
Folder
6
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Gates, Henry
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Box
8
Folder
7-10
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H-K
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Box
8
Folder
11
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Knowles-Personal
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Box
8
Folder
12-14
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L-M
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Box
8
Folder
15
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Miscellaneous and crank mail
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Box
8
Folder
16-19
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N-R
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Box
9
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S-Z
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Lieutenant Governor's reference file
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Box
10
Folder
1
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Agriculture
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Box
10
Folder
2
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Bong Air Force Base
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Box
10
Folder
3
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Communism
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Box
10
Folder
4
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Conservation
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Box
10
Folder
5
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Education
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Box
10
Folder
6
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Highways
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Box
10
Folder
7
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Legislative distributions
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Box
10
Folder
8
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Miscellany
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Box
10
Folder
9
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Taxes
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Box
10
Folder
10
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Unemployment
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Box
10
Folder
11
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Your Legislator Reports
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Box
10
Folder
12
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Welfare
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Knowles for Governor Campaign , (1962)
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Box
11
Folder
1
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Curran, Charles (chairman)
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Box
11
Folder
2
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Pflugradt, Allen (treas.)
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Box
11
Folder
3
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Williams, Robert (public relations)
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Box
11
Folder
4
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Miscellaneous material
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Box
11
Folder
5
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Policy statements
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District files
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First District
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Box
11
Folder
6
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Green County
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Box
11
Folder
7
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Kenosha County
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Box
11
Folder
8
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Rock County
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Box
11
Folder
9
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Walworth County
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Box
11
Folder
10
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Racine County
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Second District
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Box
11
Folder
11
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Columbia County
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Box
11
Folder
12
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Dane County
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Box
11
Folder
13
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Dodge County
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Box
11
Folder
14
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Jefferson County
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Box
11
Folder
15
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Waukesha County
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Box
11
Folder
16
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Third District
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Box
11
Folder
17
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La Crosse County
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Box
11
Folder
18-19
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Milwaukee
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Sixth District
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Box
11
Folder
20
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Calumet County
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Box
11
Folder
21
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Fond du Lac County
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Box
11
Folder
22
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Ozaukee County
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Box
11
Folder
23
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Sheboygan County
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Box
11
Folder
24
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Washington County
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Box
11
Folder
25
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Winnebago County
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Box
11
Folder
26
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Seventh District
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Box
11
Folder
27
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Marathon County
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Box
11
Folder
28
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Waushara County
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Box
11
Folder
29
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Wood County
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Box
11
Folder
30
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Eighth District
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Box
11
Folder
31
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Brown County
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Box
11
Folder
32
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Door County
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Box
11
Folder
33
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Outagamie County
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Box
11
Folder
34
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Ninth District
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Box
11
Folder
35
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Eau Claire County
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Box
12
Folder
1
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Tenth District
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Box
12
Folder
2
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, 1956-1963 - Miscellaneous correspondence
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1964
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Box
12
Folder
3
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Campaign plans
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Box
12
Folder
4
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General campaign material
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PH 3723, PH 3723 (3)
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Photo scrapbooks, circa 1954-1964 243 photographs
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Mss 665
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Series: Press Releases, 1940-1962
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Box
13
Folder
1-3
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General, 1940-1962
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Series: Speeches, 1945-1964, undated
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Box
13
Folder
4-7
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Miscellaneous speeches
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Disc 171A
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Campaign spots produced for Knowles' unsuccessful U.S. senatorial campaign, 1957
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1115A/3
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Six campaign spots produced by Hoffman and York for Knowles campaign, 1958
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1115A/1
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Brief radio speech by Knowles asking for re-election as lieutenant governor, 1960?
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1115A/1 (continued)
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Speech on the need for tax revision particularly the institution of a sales tax, 1961 March 15
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1115A/2
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Brief remarks congratulating a new station on its first broadcast, undated
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1115A/4
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Governor's Fishing Open, Hayward, Wisconsin, 1975
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1115A/5-6
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ECB Kirby Hendee, Warren Knowles, 1989 August 30
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Mss 665
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Series: Memorabilia and Biographical Information
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Box
13
Folder
8
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General career memorabilia
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Box
13
Folder
9
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Campaign memorabilia
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Micro 1080
|
Clipping scrapbooks
|
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Reel
19
Frame
1
|
1940-1945; 1950-1955
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Reel
19
Frame
187
|
1956-1962
|
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Reel
19
Frame
437
|
1962
|
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Reel
19
Frame
561
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1963-1964
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Mss 665
Box
13
Folder
10
|
Miscellany
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Box
15
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Gavel
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|
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Series: Legal Files
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Box
14
Folder
1
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Warren P. Knowles Sr., Civil War roster, undated
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|
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Judge Warren P. Knowles
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Box
14
Folder
2
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Miscellaneous biographical material
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Box
14
Folder
3
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Notes, 1928-1931
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Box
14
Folder
4
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Cochrane-Tuttle, 1919-1933
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Box
14
Folder
5
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Currier, William H., 1915-1920
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Box
14
Folder
6
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Schultz-Shearer, 1915-1926
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Box
14
Folder
7
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Smith House, 1910-1926
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Box
14
Folder
8
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Spethman Mortgage, 1922
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Box
14
Folder
9
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Starkweather Estate, 1929-1935
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|
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Weyburn Security
|
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Box
14
Folder
10
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General file, 1924-1932
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Box
14
Folder
11
|
Agreements
|
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Box
14
Folder
12
|
Correspondence, 1937-1938
|
|
Box
14
Folder
13
|
Mortgage payment book
|
|
Box
14
Folder
14-15
|
Loose material
|
|
Micro 1080
|
Warren P. Knowles III
|
|
Reel
17
Frame
178
|
Will and testimonials of Judge Knowles
|
|
|
Chronological legal correspondence
|
|
Reel
17
Frame
203
|
1930-1950
|
|
Reel
18
Frame
1
|
1951-1954
|
|
Reel
18
Frame
757
|
S.J. Auringer cases, 1949-1950
|
|
Reel
18
Frame
811
|
Williams, Inc. 1947-1950
|
|
Mss 665
|
Series: Robert Knowles Papers, 1957
|
|
Box
14
Folder
17
|
Speech , (undated) and Capitol Comment
|
|
Box
14
Folder
18-19
|
Constituent correspondence
|
|