Summary Information
Lawrence H. Johnson Papers
1961-1970
- Johnson, Lawrence H., 1908-
Green Bay Mss 93
1.8 c.f. (2 archives boxes and 1 record center carton).
UW-Green Bay Cofrin Library / Green Bay Area Research Ctr. (Map)
Legislative papers of a Republican who represented the Door-Kewaunee assembly district, 1960-1970. Included are agenda and summary proceedings of committees, correspondence from constituents and colleagues, memoranda, reports, and printed matter. The files relate primarily to the Door County area, which Johnson represented, and to work on the Education Committee and other committee assignments. Well documented is proposed legislation relating to parochial schools, the Governor's Task Force on the 1965 Social Security Amendment (Medicare), the Legislative Council Interim Education Committee, and the Task Force on Local Government Organization and Finance (the Tarr Committee). Several speeches and miscellany constitute the only non-legislative material in the collection.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-gb0093 ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
Farmer and Republican Assemblyman Lawrence H. Johnson was born in Nadeau, Michigan, on April 4, 1908, but grew up in Door County, Wisconsin. After attending Sturgeon Bay High School he began farming at age seventeen and soon became active in farm cooperative organizations and county politics. He was on the board of Door-Kewaunee County College and served as vice-president of the Wisconsin Soil Conservation District Association and president of the Wisconsin County Highway Commission Members Association. From 1930 to 1947 he was town clerk and from 1947 until 1961 he was town chairman. In 1960 he was elected to the State Assembly representing the Door-Kewaunee district, succeeding retiring Frank Graass. Shortly thereafter Johnson resigned his positions on the board of the Lake to Lake Dairy Cooperative and on the Door County Board and other local organizations in order to avoid any possible charges of conflict of interest. He was reelected to the Assembly in 1962, 1964, 1966, and 1968. Johnson's committee assignments included vice-chairmanships of State Affairs (1961), Highways (1963), and the Joint Interim Committee on Education (1969) and chairmanships of Commerce and Manufacturing (1967) and Education (1969). In 1967 he was chairman of the majority caucus.
Johnson was defeated in his bid for re-election in 1970. As chairman of the Education Committee, Johnson, a Lutheran, had opposed a parochial school aid bill that had been strongly supported by his predominantly Catholic district. His defeat was also attributable to his successful appeal for a draft deferment for his son who had left college in order to operate the family farm after a second son died in an accident. Since 1970 Johnson has resumed farming.
Scope and Content Note
Except for a few scattered items, the papers of farmer-legislator Lawrence H. Johnson entirely document the legislative portion of his career. In addition to the intrinsic value of the files, his papers supplement collections of assemblymen Frank Graass and Lary J. Swoboda held by the Society, thereby providing continuous documentation of their diverse district from the early years of the twentieth century.
Included in the collection are agenda and summary proceedings of various committees; correspondence from constituents, colleagues, and organizations; memoranda; reports; and informational printed matter. The collection is organized as an alphabetical subject file, with the majority of the headings those utilized in Johnson's office. Many of the files relate to Johnson's work on local issues (especially his advocacy of the dairy industry) and to his service on committees. Work on the Education Committee is particularly well documented and includes files on parochial school legislation and county teachers colleges. Unfortunately the majority of the constituent correspondence about the parochial school legislation which led to his defeat was destroyed prior to transfer of the papers to the Society. Other important files include those on the Governor's Task Force on the 1965 Social Security Amendment (Medicare), the Legislative Council's Interim Education Committee, and the Task Force on Local Government Organization and Finance (the Tarr Committee).
The only non-legislative material in the collection consists of speeches and miscellany.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Presented by Lawrence H. Johnson, Algoma, 1975. Accession Number: M75-310.
Processed by Peter Lysy (FGH student, 1981) and Carolyn J. Mattern (1984).
Contents List
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Personal Files
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Box
1
Folder
1
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Speeches and related correspondence, 1966-1969, n.d.
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Box
1
Folder
2
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Miscellany
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Legislative Subject Files
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Box
1
Folder
3
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Alaska Road relocation, 1969
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Box
1
Folder
4
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Algoma income tax allocation, 1966
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Box
1
Folder
5
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Animal pregnancy examinations, 1967
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Box
1
Folder
6
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Bank taxes, 1961
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Box
1
Folder
7
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Billboards, 1966
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Box
1
Folder
8
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Bingo/ sweepstakes
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Box
1
Folder
9
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Budget bill, 1963
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Box
1
Folder
10
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Budget data, 1965-1966
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Box
1
Folder
11
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CESA study material, 1970
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Box
1
Folder
12
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Campus disruptions, 1969
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Box
1
Folder
13
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Consumer protection, 1967
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Box
1
Folder
14
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Corporate farming, 1969
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Box
1
Folder
15
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County fairs, 1967
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Box
1
Folder
16
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County health nurse, 1967
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Box
1
Folder
17
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County relief, 1969
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Box
1
Folder
18
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County teachers colleges, 1962-1970
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Box
1
Folder
19
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DPI statistics
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Box
1
Folder
20
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Dairy plant security, 1967
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Box
1
Folder
21
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Dairy research-University of Wisconsin, 1963-1967
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Box
1
Folder
22
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Door County airport, 1961
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Box
1
Folder
23
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Door County development, 1962
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Box
1
Folder
24
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Door County/Kewaunee County school jointure, 1963
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Box
1
Folder
25
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Door County Soil conservation District
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Box
1
Folder
26
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Double bottom trucks, 1965-1966
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Box
1
Folder
27
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Eastern Wisconsin interstate highway, 1969
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Box
1
Folder
28
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Education aids, 1963-1969
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Box
1
Folder
29
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Egg Harbor harbor construction, 1970
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Box
1
Folder
30
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Elderly property tax relief, 1963-1964
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Box
1
Folder
31
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Engineers' registration, 1967
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Box
1
Folder
32
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Extension agent for fruit, 1962
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Box
1
Folder
33
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Family planning, 1967
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Box
1
Folder
34
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Farm marketing, 1963
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Box
1
Folder
35
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Farm organizations' resolution, 1964
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Box
1
Folder
36
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Fishing, 1961-1969
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Box
1
Folder
37
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Fruit coloring, 1963
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Box
1
Folder
38
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Gibralter school land acquisition, 1970
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Governor's Task Force on 1965 Social Security Amendment, 1965
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Box
1
Folder
39-40
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General
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Box
1
Folder
41
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Agenda and minutes
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Box
1
Folder
42
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Harbor improvements, 1965-1967
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Box
1
Folder
43
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Highway program, 1964
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Box
1
Folder
44
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Implied consent
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Box
1
Folder
45
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Interim Education Committee, Minutes, 1969-1970
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Box
1
Folder
46
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Kellett Task Force, 1966-1967
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Box
1
Folder
47
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Kewaunee building problems, 1967
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Box
1
Folder
48
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Kewaunee bridge, 1966-1969
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Box
1
Folder
49
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Legislative scholarships, 1965-1967
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Box
1
Folder
50
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Legislators' compensation, 1970
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Box
1
Folder
51
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Legislators' retirement, 1966
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Box
1
Folder
52
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Library system, 1969
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Box
1
Folder
53
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Livestock marketing, 1963
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Box
1
Folder
54
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Local history, 1963
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Box
1
Folder
55
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Luxemburg, 1963
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Box
1
Folder
56
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Mental health, 1964
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Box
1
Folder
57
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Migrant labor-Door County, 1965
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Box
2
Folder
1
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Milk marketing, 1963
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Box
2
Folder
2
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Milk pricing, 1963-1969
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Box
2
Folder
3
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Naval architecture grants, 1969
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Box
2
Folder
4
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Notary public stamps and seals
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Box
2
Folder
5
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Oleo, 1967
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Box
2
Folder
6
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Olson/Elfers elections, 1962
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Box
2
Folder
7
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ORAP, 1969
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Box
2
Folder
8
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Parochial school aid, 1969
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Box
2
Folder
9
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Parochial school credit, 1963
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Box
2
Folder
10
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Parochial school legislation, 1969
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Box
2
Folder
11
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Pollution
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Box
2
Folder
12
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Primary law revision, 1968
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Box
2
Folder
13
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Railroad full crew law, 1961
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Box
2
Folder
14
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Reapportionment of the legislature, 1962-1965
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Box
2
Folder
15
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Reapportionment of county boards, 1964-1965
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Box
2
Folder
16
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Resident physicians, 1965
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Box
2
Folder
17
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Retirement revision
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Box
2
Folder
18
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Revenue sources, 1967-1969
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Box
2
Folder
19
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School driveways, 1965
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Box
2
Folder
20
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School transportation, 1961-1969
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Box
2
Folder
21
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Sewage treatment plants, 1966-1970
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Box
2
Folder
22
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State debt limit, 1962-1966
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Box
3
Folder
1
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State parks, 1961-1966
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Box
3
Folder
2
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Sturgeon Bay bridge, 1969
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Box
3
Folder
3
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Sturgeon Bay schools building permit, 1966
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Box
3
Folder
4
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Summer theatre liquor license, 1963
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Box
3
Folder
5
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Task Force on Local Government Organization and Finance (Tarr Committee)
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Box
3
Folder
6
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Tax exempt property, 1968-1969
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Box
3
Folder
7
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Teacher certification, 1969
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Box
3
Folder
8
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Teenage drinking, 1963
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Box
3
Folder
9
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Trading stamps, 1965
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Box
3
Folder
10
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Union bills, 1965
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Box
3
Folder
11
Box
3
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UW-Green Bay, 1966-1967
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Box
3
Folder
12
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UW-Milwaukee campus, 1969
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Box
3
Folder
13
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Utility tax distribution, 1967-1969
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Box
3
Folder
14
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Veterinary school, 1969
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Box
3
Folder
15
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Vocational schools, 1969
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Box
3
Folder
16
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Washington Island, 1961-1969
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Box
3
Folder
17
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Water Resources Advisory Committee, 1970
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Box
3
Folder
18
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Wisconsin school board, 1969
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Box
3
Folder
19
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Zoning, County, 1965
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