Subseries: Milton and Gloria Schneider, 1986 September 9
Note

• Access online.
• Gloria is interviewed from Tape 72, Side 2, 13:10, until Tape 73, Side 1, 02:25; the rest of the interview is with Milton.

INTRODUCTION

CONTINUATION OF DISCUSSION, BEGUN PRIOR TO TAPING, DEALING WITH WISCONSIN RAPIDS CITIZEN OPPOSITION TO SENATOR JOSEPH McCARTHY

BIOGRAPHICAL BACKGROUND
Scope and Content Note: Parents immigrants. He was born in 1910 in Milwaukee. Educated at Bay View High School. Post high school education at Milwaukee Extension, Marquette University, and Milwaukee Labor College. Failure to get a college degree prevented his becoming an officer during World War II at first. Father was a cobbler. Parents were not members of a political party, but usually voted for Democrats.

FOUNDING OF THE DOC
Scope and Content Note: Anecdote about telling Gaylord Nelson at the founding convention that he had a good future in politics: “Get rid of that bow tie and put on a regular tie....That's all that's needed.”

APPOINTMENT TO THE UNIVERSITY BOARD OF VISITORS BY GOVERNOR NELSON
Scope and Content Note: “He says, 'Well, you're the second meanest man I know of.'” Later became chairman of the Board of Visitors. Recommended building a new law school as a top priority, which was done. Recommended expansion of the Extension system. Battle between Marshfield and Wisconsin Rapids for the new Extension campus. Marshfield won and later offered classes in Wisconsin Rapids at the high school. Board of Visitors also did a major survey of all the colleges on all the campuses, regarding research assistants and teaching assistants. Also did a survey of all the state's high schools and found that most students went to colleges within ten miles of their homes. Served on the Board of Visitors for twelve years.

NASH-WILKIE CONTEST FOR CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF WISCONSIN, 1955
Scope and Content Note: Schneider supported Wilkie because he “had done all of the preliminary work leading to that position and he was entitled to it. Philleo had just returned from Washington; and just to jump in as Chairman, I thought that was unfair. It was not a personal matter.”

STATE PARTY CONVENTION HELD IN WISCONSIN RAPIDS IN 1953
Scope and Content Note: Only time it was held in such a small town. Very successful convention.

CHAIRMANSHIP OF WISCONSIN PROXMIRE FOR GOVERNOR CLUBS, 1956
Scope and Content Note: A fundraising effort. The local chair of the party was a Nash supporter and would not let Schneider speak for Proxmire at a dinner.

PROXMIRE DENUNCIATION OF ATTORNEY GENERAL CANDIDATE ROBERT LA FOLLETTE SUCHER
Scope and Content Note: As Chairman of the Wisconsin Proxmire for Governor Clubs, Schneider sent out a letter supporting Proxmire's position. This was contrary to the position of the state party.

NASH'S DEMAND THAT BETTY GRAICHEN RESIGN FROM THE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE

BIOGRAPHY AFTER WORLD WAR II
Scope and Content Note: Went to work for the Veterans Administration in the area of vocational rehabilitation. Had been involved in counselling while in the Army.

END OF TAPE 72, SIDE 1

INTRODUCTION

BIOGRAPHY AFTER WORLD WAR II (CONTINUED)
Scope and Content Note: Got the telephone company in Milwaukee to set up 500 training jobs for veterans. In 1947 his father-in-law convinced him to join his business in Wisconsin Rapids. The business was a scrap yard, but Schneider turned it into a plumbing, heating, and electrical supply business.

DOES NOT RECALL HOW HE FIRST GOT INVOLVED WITH THE DOC

MEETING AT ARPIN, WISCONSIN, ATTENDED BY SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE CHARLES BRANNAN IN THE EARLY 1950s
Scope and Content Note: Three hundred people attended the meeting.

DAVID OBEY AND HIS “BETTER WAY COMMITTEE”

ALWAYS INTERESTED IN POLITICS AND ALWAYS A DEMOCRAT

HIS BUSINESS REQUIRED TOO MUCH OF HIS TIME TO PERMIT HIM TO RUN FOR OFFICE

PRIOR TO THE DOC, THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN WOOD COUNTY WAS “A LAUGH”
Scope and Content Note: Schneider ran against the statutory chair and beat him. Later that man joined the DOC.

EARLY LEADERS IN THE WOOD COUNTY DOC

WISCONSIN RAPIDS CITIZENS COMMITTEE AGAINST JOE McCARTHY (Gloria)
Scope and Content Note: The Chamber of Commerce had invited McCarthy to be its guest speaker at its annual banquet in 1952. Milton resigned from the Chamber, but Gloria wanted to do more. Contacted Jean Nash, Philleo's sister, and they decided to run an ad in the newspaper in order to give their position publicly. Then sought out other prominent citizens. Many expressed their opposition to McCarthy, but did not want to go public. Did find fifteen people who agreed to sign the ad, including the mayor, a justice of the peace, and the city health officer. Jean Nash and Gloria did most of the work. They decided to quote Margaret Chase Smith's “Declaration of Conscience” and also editorials from well-known magazines which had taken a stand against McCarthy, and to add a brief statement of their own. Arranged to have the ad published on the Monday after the Saturday McCarthy was scheduled to speak. The three-quarter page ad did appear, as planned, in the same edition that covered McCarthy's speech. Mailed copies of the ad to various people around the state, which generated interest in similar activities. Complimentary editorial in the Capital Times.

ANECDOTE ABOUT REFUSING TO PERMIT A CAPITAL TIMES REPORTER, WARREN SAWALL, TO PREPARE A STORY ON THE CITIZENS COMMITTEE AGAINST McCARTHY PRIOR TO THE APPEARANCE OF THE AD (Gloria)
Scope and Content Note: Many of the signers of the ad were Republicans or independents and Gloria did not want them to think they were being used by Democrats.

TWO SIGNERS OF THE AD BACKED OUT AT THE LAST MINUTE (Gloria)
Scope and Content Note: Nervous about possible last minute defections, Jean Nash and Gloria decided to stop answering their telephones, thereby forcing potential defectors to face them personally. “We didn't want to make it so easy that they just had to make a phone call.” No one else defected. Thirteen names appeared on the ad.

COMMUNITY REACTION (Gloria)
Scope and Content Note: Shortly after the appearance of the ad Gloria began to feel a certain coolness toward her by many people in the community. On the other hand, many people offered congratulations privately.

McCARTHY'S REACTION (Gloria)
Scope and Content Note: McCarthy reacted by attacking Jean Nash's brother, Philleo, on the floor of the Senate. Philleo rejoined that McCarthy was piqued by his sister's actions and suddenly the whole thing received national attention. Marquis Childs and other national reporters came to Wisconsin Rapids to interview Jean Nash, the Schneiders, etc.

ASSESSMENT OF THE WHOLE AD CAMPAIGN AND SURROUNDING EVENTS (Gloria)
Scope and Content Note: “It was an exciting, controversial, painful, exhilarating experience and one that I think I'm still very, very proud of and hope I never have occasion to undertake again.”

MORE ON COMMUNITY REACTION (Gloria)
Scope and Content Note: One woman, whose husband was active in the Chamber of Commerce, thought the ad would embarrass the Chamber. Some efforts at Consolidated Paper to dissuade signers, but a high official at the company put an end to it.

END OF TAPE 72, SIDE 2

INTRODUCTION

SCHNEIDERS STOPPED TO SEE LEROY GORE--OF “JOE MUST GO” FAME--ON THEIR WAY BACK FROM MADISON WHERE MILT HAD HAD SURGERY (Gloria)
Scope and Content Note: “That's how nuts people in politics are.”

MILT NAMED “CITIZEN OF THE YEAR” IN WISCONSIN RAPIDS IN 1962 BECAUSE OF HIS EFFORTS TO BRING A UNIVERSITY CAMPUS TO THE TOWN

BECAME PRESIDENT OF THE ROTARY CLUB IN 1972
Scope and Content Note: Instituted a student exchange program with a town in Mexico.

A “POLITICAL JUNKIE” WHO WOULD DO WHATEVER THE PARTY ASKED OF HIM

SCHNEIDER ATTEMPTED TO AVOID A DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY RACE FOR SENATOR IN 1952
Scope and Content Note: Unable to get Henry Reuss to withdraw. Reuss claimed labor would be angry with him if he withdrew. Schneider supported Fairchild.

SCHNEIDER DID NOT TAKE SIDES IN THE 1950 DEMOCRATIC SENATORIAL PRIMARY

IN THE EARLY GOING SCHNEIDER WAS UNAWARE OF ANYONE CONTRIBUTING MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS TO THE DOC

RIVALRY BETWEEN MADISON AND MILWAUKEE
Scope and Content Note: “I...came from Milwaukee and so they didn't know where to put me. Usually I voted with the Madison people. And they were usually right.” Had to avoid making the Milwaukee people too angry, but also had to avoid letting them take over the party.

ROLE OF PARTY ACTIVISTS WHO LIVED OUTSIDE MADISON AND MILWAUKEE
Scope and Content Note: Generally tended to side with Madison people.

THERE WAS SOME PRESSURE ON SCHNEIDER TO RUN FOR CONGRESS WHEN DAVID OBEY WAS FIRST ELECTED

SCHNEIDER IS NO LONGER CLOSE TO PROXMIRE

PLEASED WITH THE PROGRESS OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY SINCE THE 1950s
Scope and Content Note: “There are no people afraid to join the party now around here.”

CONSERVATISM OF WISCONSIN RAPIDS PRIOR TO THE RISE OF THE DOC

END OF INTERVIEW