Title: James B. Brennan Constituent Correspondence
Inclusive Dates: 1959-1960

Creator:

• Brennan, James B., 1926-

Call Number: Milwaukee Mss EL

Quantity: 0.6 c.f. (2 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:

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

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

Abstract:

Constituent correspondence of a Democratic State Senator from Milwaukee, on a wide variety of topics including the family law code, drinking age, labor, marijuana, and mental health.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mil000el

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James B. Brennan, a Democratic State Senator from Milwaukee (1959-1960), was born in Milwaukee in 1926. He served in the Navy during World War II, graduated from Notre Dame University in 1949, and received a law degree from Marquette University in 1952. Prior to his election to the State Senate he practiced law. In 1961 he resigned his Senate seat to accept an appointment by President John F. Kennedy as United States District Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

The James B. Brennan papers consist of the correspondence Brennan received as a state senator and his responses. The correspondence is arranged as Brennan filed it, first by year and thereunder by name of correspondent.

The correspondence covers a wide variety of issues before the State Legislature but is more extensive for some controversial bills. In the area of law and court reform a bill to change the family law code (Senate Bill 151) received many favorable letters as did measures to raise the beer drinking age to twenty-one (SB 235) and to increase penalties for sales of marijuana (SB 382). Brennan received mostly favorable letters on several bills relating to mental health (SB 1-3), including some to create a Governor's Council on Alcoholism (SB 430). Bills affecting firemen, optometrists, and chiropractors (SB 846, 847, 133, 353, and 243) generated considerable correspondence from affected individuals and associations representing their interests. Reaction was more evenly mixed to bills permitting farmers to draw irrigation water from streams (SB 176) and regulating billboards (SB 684, 685). The correspondence also reflects divergent, sometimes bitterly opposing, views on labor-management matters. These include proposed changes in minimum wage laws (SB 173), full crew legislation (SB 164, 278), and changes in collective bargaining and union shop provisions in state law (SB 576). Business and labor also split over the merits of withholding taxes (SB 550). Most correspondence opposed increases in mill rate limits (SB 77).

Acquisition Information

Presented by James B. Brennan, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, May 25, 1965. Accession Number: M65-188

Processing Information

Processed by J. Sorenson and J. Fleckner, August 26, 1977.

	1959
Box   1 Folder   1-14	A - N
Box   2 Folder   1-7	O - Z
	1960
Box   2 Folder   8	A - V
Box   2 Folder   9	G - T, n.d.