Arthur L. Padrutt was born in Huron, South Dakota, September 26, 1917, and moved with his family to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin in 1928. He graduated from McDonnell Memorial High School in Chippewa Falls, and he received a B.S. degree from Eau Claire State Teachers College in 1939. Later, during the course of his legislative career he studied law, earning his L.L.B. in 1956 from the University of Wisconsin. Until that time, he worked as a professional photographer and a retailer of camera supplies.
In 1940, Padrutt ran for state assemblyman from Chippewa Falls and was elected. He served four successive two-year terms in the state assembly, following which he was elected to a seat in the state senate. He served as state senator for eight years, from 1948 to 1956. In 1956, he was appointed to the Public Service Commission by Governor Walter Kohler, and in 1965 was reappointed to this position by Governor Warren Knowles. From 1965 to 1971 he was the chairman of the commission. He was also very active in the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), serving as its president from 1972 to 1973. After leaving the PSC, Padrutt served as a hearing examiner for the Transportation Commission. He also served as a consultant to the states of Virginia and Kentucky.
