Title: Charles D. Rosa Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1911-1952

Creator:

• Rosa, Charles D., 1870-1959

Call Number: Wis Mss VV

Quantity: 6.8 c.f. (17 archives boxes)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

Abstract:

Papers of a Progressive Republican who served as judge of the Beloit, Wisconsin municipal court, 1906-1912, state assemblyman, 1912, 1917-1918, and member of the state tax commission, 1921-1937. Correspondence falls largely into two categories. The first is comprised of political letters, most of which deal with Rosa's first term in the 1916-1917 legislature and with his unsuccessful campaign in 1926 against John J. Blaine for the Republican nomination for United States Senator. During Rosa's terms in the legislature, a number of letters relate to bills he sponsored on hotel and restaurant licensing, mothers' pensions, soldiers' bonuses, and the city manager form of government. The second group of letters consists of Rosa's correspondence as tax commissioner. Among his correspondents were John J. Blaine, Stephen Bolles, Henry Allen Cooper, Herman Ekern, William Evjue, Glenn Frank, James A. Frear, Walter S. Goodland, Merlin Hull, Paul Husting, Ada James, Richard Lloyd Jones, Robert M. La Follette, Robert M. La Follette, Jr., Philip F. La Follette, Solomon Levitan, Charles R. Van Hise, and Fred R. Zimmerman.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-wis000vv

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Charles Rosa was born on September 15, 18709 in the Town of Center Rock County, Wisconsin. He attended the rural schools in Rock County, then Evansville Academy and Beloit College, graduating in 1895.

After serving three years as principal of schools in Edgerton, Wisconsin, he entered the University of Wisconsin Law School, getting his degree in 1903.

In 1906 he became first judge of the Beloit Municipal Court, serving a six-year term. He was elected to the State Assembly as a Progressive Republican in 1912, and returned in 1917-1918. He introduced legislation on licensing of hotels and restaurants, mothers' pensions, labor laws, soldiers' bonuses, and on the city manager form of government.

Rosa was named in May, 1921, to the State Tax Commission and served until 1937, when he retired.

In 1914, Rosa bought an interest in the Kickapoo Valley Development Company and for many years owned interests in the apple orchards of that vicinity. He discontinued his orchard interests in 1950.

In 1926, he took time off from his Tax Commission work to run for the United States Senate against John J. Blaine. Rosa was defeated.

In later years, he continued his interest in political, social, and economic problems, and wrote.

There are two categories of correspondence in the Charles D. Rosa Papers. The first is political correspondence which is almost entirely taken up with Rosa's term in the 1917-1918 legislature and his unsuccessful senatorial campaign of 1926; and the second is general correspondence, the bulk of which is made up of his official correspondence as Tax Commissioner. Important correspondents in the Political Correspondence are John J. Blaine, Stephen Bolles, Henry Allen Cooper, Herman Ekern, William Evjue, James A. Frear, Walter S. Goodland, Merlin Hull, Paul Husting, Ada James, Richard Lloyd Jones, Robert M. La Follette, Solomon Levitan, and Charles R. Van Hise. In the General Correspondence are exchanges with Glenn Frank, James A. Frear, Merlin Hull, Philip La Follette, Robert M. La Follette, Jr., and Fred Zimmerman.

Articles and addresses cover the wide range of Rosa's interests. The book manuscripts are all from after his retirement from the Tax Commission, and most of the notebooks appear to be research materials he was gathering to help him in writing other books.

Of the remaining personal papers, Rosa's reference notes on taxation deserve special mention. These notes consist of typewritten, indexed summaries of practically all Wisconsin court cases involving taxation, 1900-1938.

The miscellaneous Tax Commission materials were retained in the collection in order to illustrate the scope of Rosa's duties for that office.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Grace L. Rosa, Madison, Wisconsin, 1958 and 1961.

Processing Information

Processed by Janice O'Connell, March 25, 1964.

Box   13	Biographical information
Box   16	Annotated Rosa campaign poster
	Correspondence
Box   1-2	Political correspondence, 1911; 1913, May 6-1921, Apr. 27; 1925, Mar. 15-1927, Mar. 28; 1931; 1940, July 16-Sept. 10; undated
Box   3-10	General correspondence, 1920, July 29 - 1939, May 12, undated
	Writings
Box   11	Addresses, 1923, Feb. 21-1937, May 12
Box   11	Articles, 1922-1952; undated
Box   11	Fragments of book concerning milk distribution
Box   12	Fragments of economics book Physical Description: (2 folders)
Box   12	Fragments of book concerning voter education
Box   12	Notebooks on the farm problem and taxation
Box   17	Novel manuscript: On the Way
Box   14	Reference notes on taxation, 1900-1938
Box   14	Clippings
	Wisconsin Tax Commission
Box   14	Articles, memoranda, etc. by Rosa, 1923-1937, undated
Box   14	Property Tax Administration in Wisconsin
Box   14	Wisconsin Tax Commission Articles
Box   15	Miscellaneous reports, 1930-1939
Box   15	, 1936 Tax Statistics Report
Box   15	Annual supervisor of assessments meeting, 1932, Jan. 7-8
Box   15	City assessors meeting, 1932, Apr. 14-15
Box   16	Annual meeting of supervisors of assessments, 1935, Jan. 17-18