Title: Wilhelmine D. La Budde Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1924-1959

Creator:

• La Budde, Wilhelmine D. (Wilhelmine Diefenthaeler), 1880-1955

Call Number: Milwaukee Mss BC

Quantity: 8.8 cubic feet (22 archives boxes)

Repository:

Housed at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries’ Archives Department / Milwaukee Area Research Center; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

UW-Milwaukee Libraries, Archives / Milwaukee Area Research Ctr. (Map)

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

Abstract:

Papers of Wilhelmine D. La Budde, a Milwaukee clubwoman and conservationist, including articles, speeches, radio scripts, reports of the Conservation Committee of the Wisconsin Federation of Women's Clubs, and clippings on conservation subjects and correspondence. La Budde campaigned for compulsory conservation education, the restoration of Horicon Marsh, a resident fishing license bill, preservation of tracts of virgin timber and reforestation, and improved Native American welfare. Letters include correspondence with members of the Wisconsin legislature, with congressmen from most Wisconsin districts, with Wisconsin senators and governors, and with other conservationists such as Charles Broughton, Louis Radke, and Haskell Noyes.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mil000bc

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Wilhelmine D. (Mrs. Edward) La Budde was born in the Elkhart Lake area in Wisconsin (?), but is best known for her work in Milwaukee in behalf of conservation. She became a leader in conservation for the Milwaukee County Federation of Women's Clubs during the 1920s. In 1930, she became state conservation chairman for the Federation, a position she held for over a decade. While conservation chairman, Mrs. La Budde aroused the interest of the women of the state and the nation in conservation. She received an award in 1935 for outstanding conservation work among club women as a consequence of her having instituted a conservation education program. Mrs. La Budde worked to make the teaching of conservation in the schools compulsory, campaigned for the restoration of Horicon Marsh, lobbied for a resident fishing license bill, planned tours to show the devastation of forest lands by fire and by lumber companies, and worked for reforestation and the preservation of tracts of virgin timber. In 1937, she was appointed the first woman member of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress.

Mrs. La Budde also furthered the cause of conservation by her membership or holding of office in many conservation organizations. She was a member of the League of Women Voters, the National Wildlife Federation, the Wisconsin Conservation Education Association, Friends of the Land, the Women's Fortnightly Club, the Milwaukee County Conservation Alliance, the Citizens Natural Resources Association, and the American Forestry Association; and was also an honorary member of the Blue Ox, a conservation group.

Mrs. La Budde was, besides conservation chairman for the Wisconsin Federation of Women's Clubs, a vice-president and director of the Wisconsin Conservation League, for which she was also legislative chairman for 1942 to 1955, and chairman of “Indian Welfare” for the Wisconsin chapter of the Izaak Walton League.

Mrs. La Budde died in Milwaukee in 1955, at the age of 74. She was survived by her husband, and three children: George, Margaret (Mrs. Parry), and Alice (Mrs. O'Connell).

Correspondence:

The Correspondence is mainly concerned with Mrs. La Budde's efforts in behalf of conservation. There is, however, a small amount of personal correspondence between Mrs. La Budde and her family and friends. Often, these personal letters also tell of conservation activities.

There are many letters to and from Wisconsin conservation leaders, among whom are: Charles E. Broughton of Sheboygan (1927-1951), Louis Radke of Horicon (1928-1944), and Haskel Noyes of Milwaukee (1927-1939). There is also a large amount of correspondence with many members of the Wisconsin legislature during the 1930s and 1940s, along with correspondence with members of the United States Congress from Wisconsin from nearly every district.

Letters to and from United States Senators Robert M. La Follette, Jr. (1931-1942), John J. Blaine (1931-1932), Alexander Wiley (1941-1954), and Joseph McCarthy (1950-1954), also appear in the collection. There is correspondence with Wisconsin Governors Philip F. La Follette (1930-1938), Julius P. Heil (1938-1942), Albert G. Schmedeman (1933-1934), Walter J. Kohler, Sr., (1929-1930), and Walter J. Kohler, Jr. (1952-1954).

Autograph letters in the La Budde collection, other than those of Wisconsin conservation leaders or political figures, include items from: George Washington Carver (July 24, 1936), Edgar A. Guest (December 11, 1940), Louis M. Howe (three letters, 1933-1934), Robert F. Wagner (February 22, 1935), and Henry A. Wallace (July 24, 1933 and November 22, 1938).

The correspondence has been arranged chronologically by months.

Articles and Speeches, Reports, Resolutions, Publicity, Notes, and Miscellaneous:

In addition to the correspondence, there are also Articles and Speeches prepared by Mrs. La Budde on a great number of conservation subjects. Included in this group of papers are talks Mrs. La Budde gave before legislative committees in Madison in behalf of conservation bills. There is a small group of radio talks concerning conservation, mainly for children. Besides there are reports prepared by Mrs. La Budde, including annual reports of the conservation committee of the Wisconsin Federation of Women's Clubs, and reports concerning special conservation projects. There are copies of the conservation resolutions Mrs. La Budde and her committee prepared to present in connection with conservation bills in the Wisconsin Legislature, and as a method of letting the legislature know what conservation legislation was needed. There is also a small folder of publicity materials and press releases, used to keep the public informed of conservation activities. There are scattered copies of the minutes of conservation meetings which Mrs. LaBudde attended. Included in this category is also a long report of a hearing [1953] concerning the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican Tribe lands. The fragmentary notes are mostly sections of talks by Mrs. La Budde, the main parts of which have been lost. Miscellaneous materials include printed matter about her conservation activities.

Scrapbooks:

Volume 1 of the Scrapbooks is made up of newspaper clippings concerned with the restoration of state marshes, with emphasis on Horicon Marsh. Clippings concerning wildlife conservation are in Volume 2. Volumes 3 and 4 are made up of clippings which deal with conservation activities in general, and Volume 5 is concerned with a Federation of Women's Clubs convention.

Wilhelmine La Budde papers, ca. 1930-1955, are available at the Milwaukee Co. Historical Society. (Mss-2861)

Acquisition Information

Presented by Edward La Budde, Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 16, 1959.

Milwaukee Mss BC	Series: Correspondence
Box   1 Folder   1-9	1924-1931 April
Box   2 Folder   1-9	1931 May-1932 February
Box   3 Folder   1-9	1932 March-1933 February
Box   4 Folder   1-11	1933 March-1934 January
Box   5 Folder   1-10	1934 February-1935 February
Box   6 Folder   1-10	1935 March-1935 December, undated
Box   7 Folder   1-12	1936 January-1937 October
Box   8 Folder   1-13	1937 November-1940 March
Box   9 Folder   1-13	1940 April-1942 February
Box   10 Folder   1-14	1942 March-1952 April
Box   11 Folder   1-10	1952 May-1955 November, undated
Box   12 Folder   1	Fragments, 1923-1959, undated
Box   12 Folder   2-6	Personal, 1923 January-1942 December
Box   12 Folder   7	Personal, 1943 March-1952
Box   12 Folder   8	Personal, 1953 February-1955 August
	Series: Organizations	⇧
Box   13 Folder   1	American Forestry Association
Box   13 Folder   2	Boys Technical High School
Box   13 Folder   3	Citizens Natural Resources Association (CNRA)
Box   13 Folder   4	Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works: National Planning Board
Box   13 Folder   5	Forest Products Laboratory
Box   13 Folder   6	General Federation of Women's Clubs
Box   13 Folder   7	Izaak Walton League, Wisconsin Division
Box   13 Folder   8	Izaak Walton League, Wisconsin Division, Milwaukee Chapter
Box   13 Folder   9	Membership Cards and Certificates
Box   13 Folder   10	Milwaukee Co-ordinating Council of Nature Activities
Box   13 Folder   11	Milwaukee County Conservation Alliance
Box   13 Folder   12	Milwaukee County Federation of Womens Clubs
Box   13 Folder   13	Milwaukee County Federation of Womens Clubs, reports and resolutions
Box   13 Folder   14	Milwaukee County Leage of Women Voters
Box   13 Folder   15	Milwaukee Gun Club
Box   13 Folder   16	Minnesota Emergency Conservation Committee
Box   13 Folder   17	Miscellaneous State Organizations, Resolutions
Box   13 Folder   18	National Wildlife Federation
Box   13 Folder   19	Outdoor Life School
Box   13 Folder   20	The Sanctuary Society
Box   13 Folder   21	State Federation of Garden Clubs
Box   13 Folder   22	United States Department of Agriculture
Box   13 Folder   23-24	United States Forest Service, includes North Central Region 1931 April-1947 March, undated
Box   13 Folder   25	Wisconsin 4H Club
Box   13 Folder   26	Wisconsin Conservation Commission
Box   14 Folder   1	Wisconsin Conservation Department
Box   14 Folder   2	Wisconsin Concervation League
Box   14 Folder   3	Wisconsin Emergency Relief Administration
	Wisconsin Federation of Women's Clubs
Box   14 Folder   4	General
Box   14 Folder   5	Directories
Box   14 Folder   6	Minutes
Box   14 Folder   7	Reports
Box   14 Folder   8	Resolutions
Box   14 Folder   9	Woman's Conservation League of America
	Series: Subject file	⇧
Box   16 Folder   1-5	Anti-Steel Trap and Animal Protection, 1931-1954, undated
Box   16 Folder   6	California trip diary, 1936
Box   16 Folder   7	Conservation education
Box   16 Folder   8	Federal Power Commission: Namekagon Hydro Company
Box   16 Folder   9	Flambeau Wilderness
Box   16 Folder   10	Horicon Marsh
Box   16 Folder   11	Inter-American Conference of Conservation of Renewable Natural Resources
Box   17 Folder   1	Margaret March-Mount
Box   17 Folder   2	Mid-Century Conference on Resources for the Future
Box   17 Folder   3	Ottawa National Forest, Michigan
Box   17 Folder   4	Poetry and Songs
Box   17 Folder   5	Reports on Land Use and Management
Box   17 Folder   6	Sheboygan Marsh Survey
Box   17 Folder   7	Statistics of Sturgeon Bay Hatchery
Box   17 Folder   8	Supreme Court Case, State of Wisconsin v. S.C. Sorenson
Box   17 Folder   9	Tennessee Valley Authority
Box   17 Folder   10	Washington Memorial Forest
	Series: Press and Publicity; Speeches and Talks	⇧
	Press and publicity
Box   17 Folder   11	Materials
Box   17 Folder   12	Notes
	Radio Talks, 1930 May-1942 April
Box   17 Folder   13	1930 May-1942 April
	Speeches and talks
Box   17 Folder   14	1929-1930
Box   18 Folder   1-7	1931-1937
Box   19 Folder   1-2	1938-1942
Box   19 Folder   3	1948-1954, undated
Box   19 Folder   4	Fragments
	Series: Printed Ephemera and Published Materials	⇧
Box   19 Folder   5	"Audubon Screen Tours"
Box   19 Folder   6	"Conservation Accomplishments and Objectives of Horicon Marsh Chapter No. 20"
Box   19 Folder   7	"Conservation: A Course of Study in the Elements of Conservation"
Box   19 Folder   8	"The Conservation Education Association Newsletter"
Box   19 Folder   9	"Conservation Education in Wisconsin Schools"
Box   19 Folder   10	"Conservationist in Mexico"
Box   19 Folder   11	"Field Trip Guide to Milton C. Potter Forest"
Box   19 Folder   12	"The Forest Corps"
Box   19 Folder   13	"How Shall We Teach Conservation"
Box   19 Folder   14	Midwest Conservation Alliance Petition
Box   19 Folder   15	"The Milwaltonian: Milwaukee Chapter Bulletin"
Box   19 Folder   16	"Milwaukee Public Schools Curriculum Bulletin: Trees in the Living Community"
Box   19 Folder   17	"National Parks News Service"
Box   19 Folder   18	"The need for a Forest Research Center in Northern Wisconsin"
Box   19 Folder   19	"On Wisconsin"
Box   19 Folder   20	"Our Natural Waters: Platting Regulations for Their Conservation in Preservation of the Natural Landscape"
Box   19 Folder   21	"Outline for Study and Directions for Work, Junior Forest Rangers of Wisconsin"
Box   19 Folder   22	"Parks and Recreation"
Box   19 Folder   23	"Potash News Letter for Midwest Territory"
Box   19 Folder   24	"Salient Facts in City Planning Here and There"
Box   19 Folder   25	"A Self-Inventory of Conservation Education for Wisconsin Teacher Training Institutions"
Box   19 Folder   26	"The Story of Wisconsin Women"
Box   20 Folder   1	"A Talk on Conservation…What a Woman's Club can do About it."
Box   20 Folder   2	"Washington Information Letter"
Box   20 Folder   3	"We Present: Eloise Gerry"
Box   20 Folder   4	"What Worth Wilderness"
Box   20 Folder   5	"Wilderness News"
Box   20 Folder   6	"The Wisconsin Club Woman"
Box   20 Folder   7	"Wisconsin Conservation Bulletin"
Box   20 Folder   8	"Wisconsin Conservationist"
Box   20 Folder   9	"Wisconsin Needs Your Help"
Box   20 Folder   10	"Wisconsin School Children's Forest"
Box   20 Folder   11	"Wisconsin Wildlife"
Box   20 Folder   12	"Women as Wisconsin Foresters"
Box   20 Folder   13	"Your Land and Mine: An Open Letter to Govenor Dewey"
	Series: Miscellaneous	⇧
Box   20 Folder   14	Drafts of potential programs
Box   20 Folder   15	Items removed from frames
Box   20 Folder   16	Articles
Box   20 Folder   17	Bills and proposals
Box   20 Folder   18	Clippings
Box   20 Folder   19	Fragments
Box   20 Folder   20	Notes and reports, 1929-1935
Box   20 Folder   21	Notes and reports, 1937-1952, undated
Box   20 Folder   22	Programs for conferences and events
Box   20 Folder   23	Photograph
	Series: Native Americans	⇧
Box   21 Folder   1	1934 May-1941 October
Box   21 Folder   2	1950 June-1950 December
Box   21 Folder   3	1951 January-1951 March
Box   21 Folder   4	1951 April
Box   21 Folder   5	1951 May
Box   21 Folder   6	1951 June-1951 December
Box   21 Folder   7	1952 January-1952 June
Box   21 Folder   8	1952 July-1952 December
Box   21 Folder   9	1953 January-December
Box   21 Folder   10	1954 Febraury-1956 April
	Series: Timber; Eppert, Carl	⇧
Box   22 Folder   1	1936 May, 1939
Box   22 Folder   2	1940
Box   22 Folder   3	1941
Box   22 Folder   4	1942 January-February
Box   22 Folder   5	1942 March-April
Box   22 Folder   6	1942 September-December
Box   22 Folder   7	1943 February-1944 June, undated
	Series: Scrapbooks	⇧
Box   15 Volume   1	1927-1935
Box   15 Volume   2	1928-1936
Box   15 Volume   3	1929-1936
Box   15 Volume   4	1929-1936
Box   15 Volume   5	1938