1978 November 13

INTRODUCTION

WALKS 15 MILES TO BUY MACKINAW COAT

FATHER FIRST ELECTED TO WISCONSIN ASSEMBLY SEAT
Scope and Content Note: Harvey drove Marius to Barron, where Senator Anderson ran a clothing store, to buy Marius a suit. Marius on return remarked on the difference between that drive and how he used to settle accounts with Ben Willet Company at the end of the season; would walk to Luck, catch “The Glide” at 2 a.m. to Dresser, then catch the train to Barron to settle up the account, and finally return by reversing the process. Took two nights and one day.

RECOLLECTION OF GEORGE JOHNSON
Scope and Content Note: A mulatto whose mother was Mrs. Fred Johnson; father escaped slave Jim Whitehead. George Johnson loved by everyone--but no one wanted daughter to go out with him. Would do odd jobs; cut Dueholm's hair.

MRS. FRED JOHNSON
Scope and Content Note: Came from Denmark in the 1880's with a man named Olson and two sons. Fred Johnson the hired man on the farm.

COMMENTS ON JIM OLSON
Scope and Content Note: Married a German from Milltown and became a mail carrier. Disappeared one day about the time of a bank robbery, although no known connection between events.

COMMENTS ON CHARLIE OLSON (“RED OLLIE”)
Scope and Content Note: Spent much of his life in jail.

MORE ON GEORGE JOHNSON
Scope and Content Note: Marius Dueholm first saw George at age 11; later they became next door neighbors. A veterinarian in town took George with him to Texas in 1918; first time George had to confront Jim Crow. George later married, went into the Army, and died of influenza on a ship just before it reached Liverpool.

THE FRED JOHNSONS
Scope and Content Note: Mrs. Fred Johnson died in 1935; Dueholm recalls he was seeding grain, and Marius chastised him for not going to pay last respects. Dueholms had always helped out Fred Johnson with his work; wife would then give them candy and sweets.

GEORGE JOHNSON'S FATHER
Scope and Content Note: Marius Dueholm got to know him while driving the wool wagon. Would always ask Marius how his boy, George, was doing. Showed that George always had a place in the community.

DUEHOLM'S MOTHER'S FAMILY, ESPECIALLY ELSIE JENSEN
Scope and Content Note: Harvey's mother had four brothers and two sisters. One brother, Otto Jensen, lived in Apple River township, and Elsie was his oldest daughter. Otto Jensen died in 1922 of cancer, and a neighbor, Abel Tendrip, helped the family out. In 1925, when Elsie was about 20, she was going out with Alf Bard, a lay preacher. A lover's quarrel ended up in a shooting incident.

END OF TAPE 2, SIDE 1

INTRODUCTION

MORE ON SHOOTING OF ELSIE JENSEN AND SUBSEQUENT TRIAL OF MURDERER

END OF TAPE 2, SIDE 2

INTRODUCTION

DUEHOLM EXPERIENCE WITH HOUSE UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE (HUAC)
Scope and Content Note: Gaylord Nelson's secretary, Eunice Kaplan, accused by HUAC of being a Communist. Nelson called for disbanding HUAC; Republicans in the state Assembly and Senate sponsored resolution memorializing Congress to increase appropriation for HUAC. Dueholm one of only 11 to vote against resolution.

FATHER JAMES GROPPI'S MARCH TO, AND OCCUPATION OF, STATE CAPITOL
Scope and Content Note: Dueholm felt Groppi's march was wrong, but that legislature overreacted. Dueholm one of 18 to vote against resolution calling for Groppi's jailing. When fuss made over damages, Dueholm stated that special interest lobbyists caused more damage to the carpet than “mother marchers.” Dueholm proud of these types of stands and votes.

BLACK STUDENT OCCUPATION AT UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-OSHKOSH
Scope and Content Note: Legislature passed resolution praising the president of UW-Oshkosh for way he handled the situation; Dueholm objected.

IMPACT OF EMOTIONAL ISSUES
Scope and Content Note: “Right to Life” a current emotional issue. This issue, and those discussed earlier, are most important to Dueholm personally. If keep track of people back home, one view probably will not defeat a legislator.

GUN CONTROL ISSUE
Scope and Content Note: Dueholm almost defeated in 1968 because National Rifle Association (NRA) accused him of favoring gun control. He didn't oppose registration but felt there should be no cost. Would not only protect people but make it easier to recover stolen guns. If a person writes in disagreement, legislator should write back to explain position and provide additional information as well.

DUEHOLM PROUD OF ALWAYS CARRYING HIS HOME TOWN

FIRST DAY IN LEGISLATURE
Scope and Content Note: Scared; not feeling well but very proud. Found Marius's old seat. Family was there. Friendship began with Dave O'Malley and family that day.

FUNCTION OF LEGISLATOR
Scope and Content Note: Represent both your own. area as well as people of the state. Important to inject your philosophy of government into the process, and to represent constituent concerns with the bureaucracy.

ROLE OF LOBBYISTS AND STAFF
Scope and Content Note: Lobbyists have role that is legitimate despite their negative image; legislator must be careful how he uses them. Lawmakers who claim that legislators don't need so much staff tend to be those who let the lobbyists do their legislative work. State better off using staff.

OVERALL ROLE OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE
Scope and Content Note: Do what people can't do for themselves. Governor Lee Sherman Dreyfus's contention that the least governed people are the best governed people is “poppycock.” Older a country gets the more government it is going to have. In this country that is true because we have been the most wasteful country in the world. Role of legislature should be to prevent the depletion of our soils and resources. Dueholm's biggest disappointment in legislative career is failure to enact land-use program. Another concern legislature should face is the influx of foreign money and “big money” in general buying up farmland.

END OF TAPE 3, SIDE 1

INTRODUCTION

DUEHOLM'S CONSTITUENCY IN NORTHERN POLK COUNTY
Scope and Content Note: Primarily Scandinavian. Swedes, Norwegians and two factions of Danes split along theological lines. Many of the people in early years held on to their original language; now original language not taught at all.

OTHER ETHNIC GROUPS IN POLK COUNTY
Scope and Content Note: Include large concentration of Irish Catholics around Centuria; French Canadians, Germans, Swedes and Norwegians in southern part of county.

BURNETT COUNTY
Scope and Content Note: Almost all Scandinavian and strictly agricultural until recently.

EFFECT OF REDISTRICTING
Scope and Content Note: Little effect on the makeup of Dueholm's Assembly district until 1972, when redistricting brought in Barron County. Larger labor vote there than in Polk or Burnett counties.

ORGANIZATION OF DUEHOLM'S CAMPAIGNS
Scope and Content Note: In 1956 Allen Kinney and some people from Douglas County came in to organize Democratic Party in Polk County; took party away from a radical group. Campaign itself was door-to-door, main-streeting and some advertising. Both Dueholm and Kinney lost that year, and they split the unpaid bills. In 1958 both were elected, Dueholm to the Assembly and Kinney as district attorney.

EFFECT ON DUEHOLM OF TAKING ASSEMBLY SEAT
Scope and Content Note: Didn't run until he could afford it. Even then some sacrifices by family. After the boys left farm, he sold the cattle.

END OF TAPE 3, SIDE 2