Summary Information
Harry Sauthoff Papers
1919-1929
- Sauthoff, Harry, 1879-1966
Mss 29
1.6 c.f. (4 archives boxes)
Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)
Papers concerning Sauthoff's work as a lawyer, Dane County, Wisconsin, district attorney, and state senator. Included is a small file of general correspondence, materials on legal cases, legislative papers, and files from the 1924 La Follette for President Committee of which Sauthoff was secretary. A major portion of the collection focuses on an investigation by the Wisconsin Railroad Commission's Securities Division of the sale of bonds and securities by the investment firm of Wildeman and Company. Sauthoff represented Wildeman. Another portion concerns the Smith-Ekern inquiry of 1925, a state senate investigation chaired by Sauthoff concerning charges by the Commissioner of Insurance, W. Stanley Smith, against Attorney General Herman L. Ekern for negligence in prosecuting cases.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss00029 ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
Harry Sauthoff, lawyer, Dane County district attorney, state senator, and congressman, was born in Madison, Wisconsin, June 3, 1879, and attended school there. He earned his A.B. degree at the University of Wisconsin in 1902, pursuing an ancient classical course of studies. While at the University he was associated with Phi Alpha Delta. For the next four years he taught high school in Lake Geneva and in northern Illinois. In 1906, Sauthoff reentered the University to work toward his law degree, which he received in 1909. He was then admitted to the bar of Wisconsin and began his legal career.
Sauthoff joined the law firm of Murphy and Kroncke, and soon after, the firm became known as Sauthoff and Kroncke. In 1915 Sauthoff became district attorney for Dane County and remained at that position until 1918. He then returned to private practice until 1921, when he was appointed private secretary to Governor Blaine. From 1923 to 1924 Sauthoff served as divorce counsel for Dane County. In 1924 he was elected to the state Senate from District 26 (Dane County) and served one term, from 1925 to 1929. In 1929, Sauthoff formed a law firm with Herbert F. Hansen.
In 1935 Sauthoff was elected to Congress from the second district and served in the House of Representatives during the 74th and 75th Congresses. Again in 1941 he was elected to the House of Representatives and served during the 77th and 78th Congresses.
Sauthoff was a Republican but belonged to the Progressive wing of the party. In 1924 he served as secretary of the La Follette for President Committee and was active in helping to form Wisconsin's progressive legislation. He was a leading attorney in Madison and belonged to the Dane County Bar Association, the Wisconsin State Bar and the American Bar Association.
Mr. Sauthoff married Mrs. Alice (Thorogood) Kimball on August 10, 1918. She died in October of 1935. In June of 1937, he married Mrs. Lenore (Deering) Gilmour of Michigan. Sauthoff died on June 16, 1966, in Madison, Wisconsin. Sauthoff's son, Harry, Jr., is living in Madison, Wisconsin.
Scope and Content Note
The Papers of Harry Sauthoff cover the period from 1919 to 1929, with the majority of the material pertaining to the years 1924 to 1929, during his terms as a state senator. Included are general correspondence; and various court hearings dealing with divorce, property settlements, and security cases. Boxes 1 and 2 also contain correspondence and miscellaneous materials relating to various state investigations; legislation concerning minimum wage laws, child labor laws, elections, and taxation; and material on the La Follette for President Committee, of which Sauthoff was the secretary.
The Papers also include records of the investigation of the sale of bonds and securities by the investment firm of Wildeman and Company conducted by the Securities Division of the Railroad Commission of Wisconsin. Sauthoff was the representative for Wildeman and Company at the hearings. The collection contains two folders (Box 1) and one volume (Box 4) pertaining to the Smith-Ekern inquiry of 1925, which dealt with the investigation by a special senate committee, of which Sauthoff was chairman, into the charges made by W. Stanley Smith, Commissioner of Insurance, against Herman L. Ekern, Attorney General, that Ekern took advantage of his official position to aid his private interests and that Ekern had been negligent in cases referred to him by the insurance department. The collection has been arranged alphabetically by subject matter.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Presented by Harry Sauthoff, Madison, Wisconsin, June 2, 1953.
Processed by Cheri Brill, December 10, 1968.
Contents List
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Box
1
Folder
1
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Bills - Wisconsin Senate, 1925; 1929; n.d.
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Box
1
Folder
2
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Conservation, 1925-1927; n.d.
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Box
1
Folder
3
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Correspondence, general, 1922; 1925-1926; 1928-1929
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Box
1
Folder
4
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Court Hearings, miscellaneous, 1924; 1926; 1928-1929
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Box
1
Folder
5
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Cowan, James, 1923-1924
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Herman L. Ekern Investigation
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Box
1
Folder
6
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General papers, 1925
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Box
1
Folder
7
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Exhibits, 1925
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Box
4
Volume
1
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Smith-Ekern Inquiry, Resolution no. 205 (Senator Sauthoff, chairman) 1925 May 19-June 12
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Box
1
Folder
8
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Highway Commission, 1925-1927
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Box
1
Folder
9
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Hotchkiss Case, 1922; 1924
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Box
2
Folder
1
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Labor newsclippings, 1921
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La Follette for President Committee
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Box
2
Folder
2
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Correspondence with Rawleigh, 1924
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Box
2
Folder
3
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Mr. R. F. Koenig, 1924 May-July
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Box
2
Folder
4
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General, 1924
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Box
2
Folder
5
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Miscellaneous material, 1923; 1925-1929; n.d.
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Box
2
Folder
6
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Progressive legislation in Wisconsin, 1919; 1921-1923; 1925-1928; n.d.
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Box
2
Folder
7
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Railroad Commission of Wisconsin - general cases, 1925-1926
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Box
2
Folder
8
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Report of the Interim Committee on Trust Fund Investments, first draft, 1928, Dec.
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Box
2
Folder
9
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Vocational School, 1925-1927
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Wildeman and Company
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Correspondence
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Box
3
Folder
1
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1923 Sept. - 1924 Sept.
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Box
3
Folder
2
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1924 Oct. - 1925
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Railroad Commission of Wisconsin-Securities Division hearings
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Box
3
Folder
3
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1924 May 14 and June 11
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Box
3
Folder
4
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1924 June 25
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Box
3
Folder
5
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1924 Sept. 4, 11, 15, 19
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Box
3
Folder
6
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Exhibits, 1924
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Box
3
Folder
7
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Miscellaneous, 1924-1925
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