Subseries: Laurie Carlson, 1983 June 10
Note: Access online.

INTRODUCTION

LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATORS PRIOR T0 THE FORMATION OF THE DEMOCRATIC ORGANIZING COMMITTEE (DOC)

ROBERT TEHAN
Scope and Content Note: Not a “pathological” liberal.

OTHER LIBERAL DEMOCRATS IN LEGISLATURE PRIOR TO DOC
Scope and Content Note: “You couldn't find five.”

1932 DEMOCRATIC SWEEP CAUGHT WISCONSIN DEMOCRATS OFF GUARD

1934 ELECTION
Scope and Content Note: Both Phil and Bob La Follette assisted by President Roosevelt's endorsement of Bob.

MORE ON LIBERAL DEMOCRATS IN LEGISLATURE PRIOR TO DOC

CREATION OF THE PROGRESSIVE PARTY IN 1934
Scope and Content Note: Carlson circulated petitions to help create the party.

CARLSON'S DECISION TO RUN FOR THE LEGISLATURE
Scope and Content Note: Was interested in vocational education, especially as it pertained to agriculture.

ELIZABETH HAWKES
Scope and Content Note: Did not like Carlson. Was a Republican as late as 1940, when she was elected district attorney. Ran for Wisconsin Attorney General in 1944 on the Democratic ticket [Actually Hawkes did not run for Attorney General until 1946]. Called Carlson “a promising young upstart.” Politically “she didn't know where she was. She was not a liberal. How she ever got appointed to the Board of Regents, I don't know.” Got active in the Democratic Party in the Tenth District after 1944. An opportunist.

CARLSON WAS CLOSE TO WILLIAM PROXMIRE AND WILLIAM EVJUE

BILL EVJUE TOOK A VERY DIM VIEW OF PHIL LA FOLLETTE'S NATIONAL PROGRESSIVE PARTY

PHIL LA FOLLETTE
Scope and Content Note: Felt Franklin Roosevelt took the “Wisconsin Idea” and the La Follettes' ideas and created the New Deal without giving proper credit. Carlson was close to Phil. Phil was too young, immature, ambitious. Would have been more successful if he had been more mature. Never recovered from his defeat in 1938.

BILL EVJUE
Scope and Content Note: He was harder on people in office who were his political allies than he was on the opposition. He was liberal until it came to his own pocket book. Pro-labor until his own newspaper and radio station were organized. Bill Walker told Carlson that Evjue resisted Carlson's advancement at WIBA radio because Carlson was too pro-employee.

CARLSON GOES INTO BUSINESS FOR HIMSELF
Scope and Content Note: His children were getting older and Evjue was providing him no advancement.

ORLAND LOOMIS INTENDED TO RUN FOR GOVERNOR AS A REPUBLICAN IN 1944, IF HE HAD LIVED, THEREBY BRINGING THE PROGRESSIVE PARTY BACK INTO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY

LEADING REPUBLICANS ENCOURAGED LA FOLLETTE TO RETURN TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IN 1946; THEN THEY TURNED ON HIM

END OF TAPE 25, SIDE 1

INTRODUCTION

MANY PROGRESSIVES WERE FAIRLY WEALTHY
Scope and Content Note: Wanted to make the capitalist system work. Therefore at odds with the socialists. Rural northern Wisconsin followed Bob La Follette into the Republican Party in 1946 while Milwaukee labor and socialists went into the Democratic Party.

NOT MUCH CONTACT IN 1945-46 BETWEEN MADISON-MILWAUKEE LIBERALS AND NORTHERN LIBERALS

DEMOCRATIC PARTY ADVOCATES AT THE 1946 PROGRESSIVE PARTY CONVENTION
Scope and Content Note: Mainly the Milwaukee contingent and the labor people. Madison people mainly in favor of following Bob La Follette into the Republican Party.

CARLSON ORGANIZED FOR THE PROGRESSIVE PARTY, HOLDING MANY TOWN HALL MEETINGS

ANECDOTE ABOUT EVJUE ENCOURAGING LESTER JOHNSON TO RUN FOR MERLIN HULL'S CONGRESSIONAL SEAT AFTER HULL'S DEATH
Scope and Content Note: Won and claimed later that he would never have run without Evjue's encouragement.

MORE ON CARLSON'S ORGANIZING EFFORTS FOR THE PROGRESSIVES IN THE TENTH DISTRICT
Scope and Content Note: Thinks if the Party would have turned him loose to organize in 1946, he could have produced enough votes to give Bob La Follette victory over Joe McCarthy in the senatorial primary.

90-95 PERCENT OF PROGRESSIVES EVENTUALLY WOUND UP IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
Scope and Content Note: Defection of Progressives from the Republican Party began with Oscar Rennebohm's defeat of Ralph Immel in the Republican gubernatorial primary in 1948.

CARLSON WORKED IN BILL PROXMIRE'S CAMPAIGNS, 1952-1957

SHIFT OF NORTHERN PROGRESSIVES TO THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
Scope and Content Note: In 1946 and 1948 voted in the Republican primary but for Democrats in the general election. By 1950, pretty much had decided to go into the Democratic Party.

LABOR UNIONS
Scope and Content Note: Strong Communist influence. Communists favored Republicans in the belief that the country would fall apart under Republicans and turn to Communists.

ANDY BIEMILLER
Scope and Content Note: In 1941 Carlson voted against Biemiller as floor leader because of his socialism. A strong character, a strong speaker.

END OF INTERVIEW