Summary Information
Paul Soglin Papers
1967-2003
Mss 1039; PH 6550; Audio 1449A; VCA 258; VFA 009-VFA 010; VGA 001; VHA 603-VHA 622
5.4 cubic feet (12 archives boxes and 1 flat box), 385 transparencies, 176 photographs, 46 audio recordings, 2 compact discs, and 24 videorecordings
Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)
Papers of Paul Soglin, a Madison, Wisconsin student activist (1962-1972), alderman (1968-1973), and mayor (1973-1978, 1989-1997, and 2011-2019), documenting his involvement with student political actions on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus in the 1960s, his role as a former campus radical on Madison's city council in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and his six terms as a politically progressive mayor. Also documented are his mayoral campaigns, including his failed campaign in 2003, and his involvement with the United States Conference of Mayors. The collection does not contain materials from his years as Madison's 57th mayor (2011-2019).
There is a restriction on access to this material; see the Administrative/Restriction Information portion of this finding aid for details.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss01039 ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
Paul Soglin, student activist, city alderman, and Madison mayor, was born on April 22, 1945 in Chicago to Albert and Rose (née Century) Soglin. Albert Soglin was a math instructor at Chicago City Junior College. Paul was raised in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago and graduated from Highland Park High School. In August 1969, Soglin married Diane Thaler. Soglin and Thaler divorced in 1979 and he married Sara Ann Falconer in 1982 with whom he had three children: Alexandra, Natasha, and Rachael.
Soglin moved to Madison, Wisconsin in 1962 to enter the pre-med program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Following a shift in major, he graduated with a bachelor's degree in history and political science in 1966 and began a graduate program in history at University of Wisconsin-Madison the same year. In 1969, Soglin transferred to the University of Wisconsin Law School where he graduated in 1972 with a Juris Doctor (J.D.).
Soglin's political career began during his undergraduate years at University of Wisconsin-Madison. He acted as the treasurer of the Madison chapter of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and later became a member of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). This involvement soon brought Soglin into contact with the increasingly robust movement against American military operations in Vietnam. By the mid 1960s, Madison had developed into a noted center of the anti-war movement and Soglin had become a highly visible campus leader instrumental in organizing political actions. In particular, Soglin was a central figure in the galvanizing October 1967 protests against Dow Chemical Company and their attempt to recruit Wisconsin students for what were deemed war-related activities.
In 1968, Soglin expanded his involvement into local politics when he ran and was successfully elected to the Madison City Council representing the 8th ward, a bohemian student sector of the city popularly known as “Miffland”. He was re-elected in 1970 on the strength of his representation of Madison's radical student population and a successful campaign to transfer the ownership of the Madison Bus Company to municipal hands. Soglin's re-election was marked by his election to the position of president pro-tem of the Common Council, a position he held from 1971 through 1972.
With his political career on the ascendancy, Soglin made an unsuccessful attempt to run for mayor in 1971. In his second bid for mayor in 1973, Soglin defeated the conservative incumbent mayor, William Dyke, and became the youngest person in Madison history to hold this office. Soglin served three terms as mayor and stepped down in 1979. During his first tenure as mayor, Soglin surprised many skeptics by pushing through a series of practical reforms including: improving public transportation, redeveloping State Street, sponsoring the construction of a concourse around the capitol, backing a day care voucher program, building the Madison Civic Center, and engaging in repeated attempts to gain municipal ownership of the city's utilities.
During this period, Soglin maintained a high public profile through his participation in the United States Conference of Mayors. Through this organization he undertook a number of international excursions including a tour of Israel and his third trip to Cuba. Other notable trips included a well-publicized mission to Cuba in 1975 where he met with Fidel Castro and an invitation to attend peace events in Hiroshima, Japan.
Following a brief appointment as a fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Public
Administration at Harvard University, Soglin acted as partner in a variety of Madison-area law firms before returning to public office with a successful bid for mayor in 1989. He was elected to a total of three terms during his second tenure as mayor of Madison. This period was noted for Soglin's continued work for improved public transportation and his backing of the Monona Terrace convention center. Prior to the end of his sixth term as mayor, Soglin made a failed attempt to secure a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996.
In April 2003, Soglin attempted a return to the mayor's office but lost to newcomer Dave Cieslewicz. Following the election, Soglin returned to the private sector with a new position at Epic Systems, a Madison-based medical software firm.
Timeline
| 1945 |
Birth
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| 1966 |
Receives B.A. from University of Wisconsin
|
| 1968 |
Elected to the Madison Common Council
|
| 1970 |
Elected president pro-tem of the Common Council
|
| 1971 |
Defeated in first mayoral campaign
|
| 1972 |
Receives J.D. from University of Wisconsin
|
| 1973-1975 |
1st term as mayor of Madison
|
| 1975-1977 |
2nd term as mayor of Madison
|
| 1975 |
Travels to Cuba and meets Fidel Castro
|
| 1977-1979 |
3rd term as mayor of Madison
|
| 1979 |
Steps down from mayor's office to enter private sector
|
| 1979-1980 |
Fellow, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
|
| 1980-1988 |
Practices law in Madison
|
| 1989-1991 |
4th term as mayor of Madison
|
| 1991-1995 |
5th term as mayor of Madison (Madison institutes 4-year terms)
|
| 1995-1997 |
6th term as mayor of Madison
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| 1996 |
Failed attempt to secure a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives
|
| 1997-2003 |
Teaches at the La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
|
| 2003 |
Loses bid for mayor to Dave Cieslewicz
|
| 2011-2015 |
7th term as mayor of Madison
|
| 2015-2019 |
8th term as mayor of Madison
|
Scope and Content Note
This collection documents Paul Soglin's career as a progressive politician in Madison during a period of political and economic transition for the city. The materials in this collection were created between 1967 and 2003, but primarily document two distinct periods, 1970-1979 and 2002-2003. The collection consists of correspondence, newspaper and magazine clippings, subject files, campaign materials, photographs, videocassettes, audio recordings, and legal documents. The papers are divided into five series: STUDENT ACTIVIST MATERIALS, ALDERMAN MATERIALS, MAYORAL MATERIALS (1973-2004), BIOGRAPHICAL ARTICLES and AUDIO/VISUAL MATERIALS.
The STUDENT ACTIVIST MATERIALS contain records related to Soglin's role as a member of the civil rights and anti-war movements of the 1960s and early 1970s at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This is the smallest series in the collection and includes materials from Soglin's first forays into political activism. The most significant item in this series is the 1967 lawsuit brought against the University of Wisconsin-Madison by Soglin and other campus radicals. Along with the other materials in this series, the lawsuit provides documentation of Soglin's activities and philosophical development before he entered into publicly elected office.
The ALDERMAN MATERIALS contain records of Soglin's activities as a member of the Madison City Council from 1968 through 1973. This series is made up of correspondence files and media coverage from his time as an alderman including a scrapbook containing newspaper clippings from 1972 through 1973. These materials highlight Soglin's initial move into city government and his transition to the mayor's office. This period in Soglin's life marks his move away from campus-based politics towards a broader set of concerns that affected the city as a whole. Although this set of records is relatively small, the papers give an indication of the opinions and themes that Soglin would express throughout his political career.
The MAYORAL MATERIALS (1973-2003) contain the bulk of records in the collection and best reflect his role as a left-leaning public official in a traditionally progressive city. These records include wide-ranging, but ultimately inconsistent documentation of Soglin's six terms (1973-1979 and 1989-1997) as mayor of Madison and his failed attempt to regain the office in 2003. The series is made up of five headings: Appointment and Date Books, Campaign Files, Mayoral Correspondence, Subject Files, and Travel Files.
The Appointment and Date Books consist of three bound volumes that contain Soglin's date book from 1973 and his appointment books from 1989 through 1990 respectively. These volumes contain brief notations that provide evidence of Soglin's activities during the three years covered.
The Campaign Files contain chronologically arranged election materials from four of Soglin's campaigns to become mayor of Madison (1973, 1977, 1989, and 2003). These files include strategic, financial, and general information regarding Soglin's campaigns including: speech drafts, campaign finance reports, polling information, press releases, pamphlets, internal memos, and political ephemera.
The Mayoral Correspondence includes a sizable amount of chronologically arranged incoming and outgoing correspondence that documents Soglin's first three terms as mayor and includes a limited number of items from later in his career. The bulk of this correspondence is of an unofficial nature and generally illustrates Soglin's relationship with the members of the Madison community. Although these letters rarely provide substantive information, they illustrate the character of Soglin's administration and varied opinions held by the citizens he served.
The Subject Files contain alphabetically arranged files related to Soglin's mayoral career including: police management issues, construction projects, legal actions, and mayoral policy papers. In part, these files reflect a previously existing filing system that organized news clippings and documents in subject-based files. These files are often incomplete and the information they provide is sporadic in nature, but they provide a record of Soglin's activities and his mode of operation as mayor.
The Travel Files include records that document the three international trips made by Soglin during his first three terms as mayor (Cuba, Israel, and Japan) and one general file on his domestic travels. The files include correspondence, travel itineraries, receipts, visas, and travel notations made by Soglin. These files reflect Soglin's involvement with the U.S. Conference of Mayors and his commitment to international political issues.
The BIOGRAPHICAL ARTICLES contain clippings from local, regional, and national periodicals that document Soglin's political career. These files serve as a partial record of Soglin's career and his political impact both in Wisconsin and nationally. It should be noted that news clippings are also scattered throughout the collection.
The AUDIO/VISUAL MATERIALS are non-textual records that span the length of Soglin's political career. These materials are separated into three headings: Audio Recordings, Photographs, and Videorecordings. The Audio Recordings include radio shows, interviews, political advertisements, and speeches that predominately come from Soglin's first three terms as mayor. The Photographs record Soglin in all phases of his career and generally capture him acting in an official capacity. These records include a large set of photographic slides detailing Soglin's 1975 trip to Cuba. The Videorecordings include videocassettes that primarily document Soglin in the period from 1990 through 2003. They include campaign materials, televised interviews, and election-related television coverage.
Administrative/Restriction Information
The oral history in Audio 1449A/31-33 is restricted. The material is given on the express condition that it is to be sealed, and not released by the Director of the University Archives to anyone other than Oral History Project employees until January 1, 2039, without Paul Soglin's prior written approval.
Presented by Paul Soglin, Madison, Wisconsin, 1997 and 2006.
Processed by Casey A. Coleman (Practicum student), May 2008.
Contents List
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Mss 1039
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Series: Student Activist Materials
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
1
|
General file, 1967-1970
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
2
|
Lawsuit brought against the University of Wisconsin-Madison (free speech), 1967
|
|
|
Series: Alderman Materials
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|
|
Box
1
Folder
3
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Press statements, 1972
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|
|
Box
1
Folder
4-6
|
8th Ward general correspondence, 1970-1972
|
|
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Box
1
Folder
13
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Scrapbook, 1972-1973
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|
|
Series: Mayoral Materials, 1973-2003
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|
|
Appointment and date books
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|
|
Box
1
Folder
7
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Date book, 1973
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|
|
Box
1
Folder
8
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Calendar pages, 1977
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|
|
Box
1
Folder
9-10
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Appointment books, 1989-1990
|
|
|
Campaign files
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|
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Box
2
Folder
1-2
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General file, 1973
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|
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Box
2
Folder
3
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Campaign finance, 1975
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|
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Box
2
Folder
4
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Biographical sketch, 1977
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|
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Box
2
Folder
5-8
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General file, 1977
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|
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Box
2
Folder
9
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Fundraising, 1989
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|
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Box
2
Folder
10
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General file, 1989
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|
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Box
2
Folder
11
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“Get Out the Vote,” 1989
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|
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Box
2
Folder
12
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Issue files, 1989
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|
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Box
2
Folder
13
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Planning budget, 1989
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|
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Box
2
Folder
14
|
Polling, 1989
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|
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Box
2
Folder
15
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Print materials, 1973-2003
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|
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Box
3
Folder
1
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Telemarketing, 1989
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|
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Box
3
Folder
2
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Contact listing, 1996
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|
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Box
3
Folder
3
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Administration, 2003
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|
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Box
3
Folder
4
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Arts file, 2003
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|
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Box
3
Folder
5
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Bullying file, 2003
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|
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Box
3
Folder
6
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Campaign correspondence, 2003
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|
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Box
3
Folder
7
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Campaign finance report, 2002-2003
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|
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Box
3
Folder
8-9
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Candidate questionnaires, 2003
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|
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Box
3
Folder
10-13
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Chamberlain poll (post primary print out), 2003
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|
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Box
3
Folder
14
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City planning, 2003
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|
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Box
4
Folder
1
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Consolidation, 2003
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|
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Box
4
Folder
2
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Energy file, 2003
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|
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Box
4
Folder
3
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Environment file, 2003
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|
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Box
4
Folder
4
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Federation of Municipal Employees Agreement, 2003
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|
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Box
4
Folder
5
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Food supply file, 2003
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|
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Box
4
Folder
6
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Fundraising letters, 2003
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|
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Box
4
Folder
7
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General election results
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|
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Box
4
Folder
8
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Health reform file, 2003
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|
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Box
4
Folder
9
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Housing, 2003
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|
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Box
4
Folder
10
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Issues, 2003
|
|
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Box
4
Folder
11
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Madison Gas and Electric, 2003
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|
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Box
4
Folder
12
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Materials: flyers/brochures/invites, 2003
|
|
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Box
4
Folder
13
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Media conferences releases and advisories, 2003
|
|
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Box
4
Folder
14
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“Not in Our Name,” 2003
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|
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Box
4
Folder
15-17
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Opposition information, 2003
|
|
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Box
4
Folder
18
|
Polling file, 2003
|
|
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Box
4
Folder
19
|
Primary results, 2003
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|
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Box
4
Folder
20
|
Regional transportation system, 2003
|
|
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Box
4
Folder
21
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Tobacco policy file, 2003
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|
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Box
4
Folder
22
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Wireless initiative file, 2003
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|
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Box
4
Folder
23
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WMTV Mayoral Forum/Schenk Community Forum notes and transcript
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|
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Box
13
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Campaign posters, 1973-2003
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|
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Correspondence
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|
|
Mayor's office
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|
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Box
5
Folder
1-11
|
1973-1976
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|
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Box
5
Folder
12
|
1977
|
|
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Box
6
Folder
1-16
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1977-1981, 1989
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|
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Subject files
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|
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Box
7
Folder
1
|
Airport proposal information, 1975
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|
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Box
7
Folder
2
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Awards, 1973-2003
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|
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Box
7
Folder
3
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Budget, 1976
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|
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Box
7
Folder
4
|
Court records (Somers v. Soglin), 1973 December
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|
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Box
7
Folder
5
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Circuit court records, 1974 February-1976
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|
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Box
7
Folder
6
|
County court records, 1974 October
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|
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Clippings file
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|
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Box
7
Folder
7-13
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1973 June-December
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|
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Box
8
Folder
1-2
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1974 January-March
|
|
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Box
8
Folder
3-4
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1976
|
|
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Box
8
Folder
5
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Drug Commission report, 1974
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|
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Box
8
Folder
6
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FBI file, 1974
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|
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Box
8
Folder
7
|
Madison Area Technical College, 1978-1979
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|
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Press releases
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|
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Box
8
Folder
8-10
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1973-1974
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|
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Box
9
Folder
1-4
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1974-1977
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|
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Box
9
Folder
5
|
Tax equity study, 1979 December
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|
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Box
9
Folder
6
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Transportation, 1977
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|
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Box
9
Folder
7
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Welfare file, 1975
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|
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Box
9
Folder
8
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Zoning issues, 1974
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|
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Travel
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|
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Cuba trip files
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Box
9
Folder
9-14
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1975-1978
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|
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Box
10
Folder
1-3
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, 1975-1978 (continued)
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|
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Box
10
Folder
4
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General file, 1977
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|
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Box
10
Folder
5
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Hiroshima trip materials, 1977
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|
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Box
9
Folder
6
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Israel trip file, 1977 November
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|
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Series: Biographical Articles
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|
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News clippings
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|
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Box
10
Folder
6-11
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1967-2002
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|
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Box
11
Folder
1-12
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2003
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|
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Box
12
Folder
1-5
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Magazine clippings, 1967-2003
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|
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Series: Audio/Visual Materials
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Audio recordings
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1449A/10-11
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“Board of Estimates,” 1975
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|
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1449A/46
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Centenenciade de Prensa de A. Cristian, WDC, 1989 April 7
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|
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1449A/34-35
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City of Madison
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|
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1449A/1
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Conversation with Soglin, undated
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|
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1449A/7
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“For Soglin”
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|
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1449A/2-6
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Hearings, 1973-1974
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|
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1449A/14
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“Hippos,” undated
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1449A/27
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“Parade of State,” undated
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|
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1449A/26
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“Presidential,” undated
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|
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1449A/28
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Press conference with police, undated
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|
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1449A/19
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“Role of Elected Leaders in Budget Process,” 1999
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|
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1449A/36
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Soglin (DAT), undated
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|
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1449A/8-9
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Soglin for Mayor ads, 2003
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|
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1449A/15
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Soglin/Stuart Levitan interview, 2002
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|
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1449A/29
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“State of city,” 1977
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|
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1449A/30
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“Tax increment financing” with Nick, 1979
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|
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1449A/16-18
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“Three Judges Panel,” 1973
|
|
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1449A/31-33
|
University of Wisconsin Archives oral history, 1978-1979
: See the Administrative/Restriction Information portion of this finding aid for details.
|
|
|
1449A/12-13
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University of Wisconsin History “Sixties Series,” undated
|
|
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1449A/23-25
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“Watson hearings,” 1973 December 1-15
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|
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1449A/21
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Wexler interview from Israel, 1977
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|
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1449A/22
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WLSM, 1970
|
|
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1449A/20
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WMTV
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|
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1449A/37-45
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[Unidentified], undated
|
|
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PH 6550
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Photographs
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|
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Box
1
Folder
1
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Alderman materials, 1969
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|
|
Mayoral materials
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|
|
Box
1
Folder
2-3
|
1973-1979
|
|
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Box
1
Folder
4-5
|
1989-2003
|
|
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Transparencies
|
|
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Box
2
|
“Trip To Cuba,” 1975
385 slides
|
|
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Videorecordings
|
|
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VCA 258
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“Against the grain,” 1975
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|
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VHA 603
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CNN, undated
|
|
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VHA 604
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Campaign for Control, “We the People,” 1996 October 18
|
|
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VHA 605
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Crime bill signing, 1994
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|
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VHA 606
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“Crossfire” with Representative Scott King, 1995 June 12
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VHA 607
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Discussion on student protests, undated
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VHA 608
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“Downtown Madison, Inc.,” 1992
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VHA 609
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“Emerging National Guidelines for State and Local Budgeting,” undated
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VHA 610
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“For the Record,” Madison Mayoral Race, 1995 April 2
|
|
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VHA 611
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“Know your candidates: Madison Mayoral Race,” 1995 March 31
|
|
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VHA 612
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“Know your candidates: Madison Mayor,” undated
|
|
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VHA 613
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News Hour with Jim Lehrer, 1996 January 25
|
|
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VHA 614
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Real Life, NBC, 1996
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|
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VHA 615
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Rotary, 2003 January 8
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VHA 616
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Soglin, 1960s-1970s, undated
|
|
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VHA 617
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Senator Tom Harkin, Wisconsin Democratic Convention, 1991
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|
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VHA 618
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“A Socratic Dialogue on Local Government Form,” 1994
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|
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VHA 619
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“Soglin for Mayor,” raw footage time-code dub, 2002
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|
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VHA 620
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“Soglin for Mayor,” 2003 March 28
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VHA 621
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“Soglin for Mayor,” Leadership and Madison, 2003 January 24
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VHA 622
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“Soglin for Mayor,” Résumé-School Board, undated
|
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VFA 009
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“Soglin for Mayor,” Stills tape 1, 1995 February 7
|
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VFA 010
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“Soglin for Mayor,” Stills tape 2, 1995 February 8
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VGA 001
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“Soglin for Mayor,” Works, 1995 February 8
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