Carl Praetorius Dietz, was born in Newark, New Jersey on September 19, 1875. His
parents, both natives of Germany, immigrated to the United States in the early
1860s. His father, Reverend Henry L. Dietz, was a German Baptist minister, and his
mother, Jeannette Praetorius Dietz was the daughter of a professor. Carl P. Dietz
attended Milwaukee Public Schools from 1881-1891, later studied at the Boys’ High
School of San Francisco from 1891-1892, and attended the German-American Academy of
Rochester, N.Y. from 1894-1895. Soon after, he spent several years working as a law
clerk in San Francisco and then returned to Milwaukee in 1901 to work for the
attorney A.G. Weissert. Dietz married Hedwig Zahl, a native of Prussia, in October
of 1902.
In 1904, 1906, and 1908, Dietz was elected justice of the peace and thus started a
lifelong relationship with Milwaukee politics. In 1910, he became city comptroller
and held this post until he opened an insurance business two years later. In 1918,
Dietz was elected alderman of the 10th Ward of Milwaukee and thereafter re-elected
to this position until his retirement in 1948. Dietz unsuccessfully ran for
Wisconsin’s 5th District Congressional seat in 1936. In addition to his career in
politics, Carl P. Dietz was an avid collector of early model typewriters and had a
strong interest in music. Dietz began composing songs in 1895, publishing his first
song around 1899. He maintained his interest in music throughout his life and his
works include “My Rose of Milwaukee,” “Daisy McHugh,” “Parted For-Ever More,” and
“The Little Homestead by the Mill.” Moreover, Dietz can also be classified as an
inventor; his patent for improvements to the temporary binder was approved by the
U.S Patent Office in 1922.
Dietz also served as president of the Milwaukee Public Museum Board of Trustees,
Chairman of the Milwaukee City Art Commission, and sat on the boards of the
Milwaukee Auditorium, the Milwaukee Public Library, and the Milwaukee Art Institute.
Carl P. Dietz died in Milwaukee in October 1957.
