Michael B. Olbrich, who became a prominent Madison, Wisconsin attorney and civic leader, was born on a farm near Harvard, McHenry County, Illinois, in 1881. After attending grade and high school at Harvard, he entered the University of Wisconsin where he attained national collegiate forensic honors, was a Phi Beta Kappa, and founded the Edwin Booth Dramatic Club and the Wisconsin Literary Magazine. He graduated in 1902, and received his law degree in 1905, after teaching oratory in the University for one year.
Olbrich began the practice of law in Madison in 1905, starting as an associate in the firm of Bashford and Aylward. In 1913 his law firm enjoined Governor Francis E. McGovern from forcibly ousting Herman L. Ekern from the office of insurance commissioner, and in 1914 he was joint attorney for U.S. Senator Paul Husting in proceedings to compel the issuance of a certificate of election. At one time he was associated in the practice of law with Joseph E. Davies, later ambassador to Russia, and with Timothy Brown, later a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
In politics a Progressive, Olbrich was an ardent follower of Robert M. La Follette, Sr. He was a delegate to the national Republican conventions of 1912 and 1916, and gave the speeches nominating La Follette for president at both conventions. In 1912 he served as treasurer of the Republican state central committee, and in 1914 was chairman of the Non-Partisan Progressive campaign in Wisconsin.
From 1919 to 1921 Olbrich was deputy attorney general for Wisconsin, and between 1921 and 1926 served as special counsel for the state. This took him to Washington to argue before the Supreme Court in litigation testing the power of the Interstate Commerce Commission to fix intra-state passenger fares under the Esch-Cummins Law. As special counsel he also took part in many other cases in which the state was involved during John J. Blaine's first two terms as governor.
Michael Olbrich was an outstanding civic leader in Madison. In 1921 he and his brothers, John and Jacob, gave land on Lake Mendota to the YMCA as a memorial to their brother Emil (Camp Wakonda), and to the YWCA as a memorial to their mother, Maria Olbrich. In 1922 he organized the Madison Parks Foundation for the purpose of acquiring swamps on Lake Monona. Having purchased the land when it was cheap, the group some years later turned it over to the city for a nominal sum for park purposes. (This is the area now designated as Olbrich Park.) Olbrich then turned his attention to the swamp lands bordering Lake Wingra. As a regent of the University, 1925-1929, he initiated the move for acquisition of the Arboretum property, and his early efforts culminated in its dedication in 1932, three years after his death.
Mr. Olbrich was not only active in handling and owning real estate in Madison, but for twenty years he was interested in a number of land companies and ranches operating in Montana and North Dakota. The largest of these was the Judith Basin Land Company in which Olbrich owned one-third of the stock. In 1928 the company became involved in a suit concerning its holdings and Olbrich successfully defended it in the lower courts of Montana, but was forced to argue his case in the higher courts the following year. While preparing his arguments he was hospitalized with influenza. Following convalescence, depression overcame him and he committed suicide, October 10, 1929. His close friend, Dr. Glenn Frank, President of the University of Wisconsin, preached the funeral sermon, stressing Olbrich's contributions to the legal profession and community advancement.
In 1907 Olbrich had married Isabel Wilson. They had six children: Isabel, Wilson, Stuart, Marshall, Michael, and John.
