The Arthur L. Padrutt Papers consist of correspondence primarily relating to his career in the Wisconsin Legislature and speeches that document both his legislative career and his tenure on the Public Service Commission.
The legislative correspondence, 1940-1956, is chronologically arranged. The majority of the exchanges between Padrutt and his constituents and colleagues relate to pending bills. The letters, though for the most part of routine interest, deal with a wide range of topics. Many are products of local concern and thus involve particular regional problems, for example, the question of a state truck farm at the Eau Claire County Hospital. For the most part, however, the problems that the bills deal with are of statewide interest, such as deer hunting restrictions, teacher pensions, and plumbing regulations. In the correspondence are letters from Governor Knowles, Oct.7 and 9, 1953, and letters from Senator Alexander Wiley, Jan. 29, and March 25, 1953.
The correspondence comprises about 3/4 of the Padrutt collection. Of this one box documents the World War II years, a period of Wisconsin legislative history that is underdocumented. An additional folder of legislative newsletters also documents this period.
In terms of the amount of mail in the collection, the Zaun bill was one of the most significant presented before the legislature while Padrutt was a state senator. The bill provided that stray animals be turned over to medical laboratories for research. It was violently opposed throughout the state. In February of 1949, Bill 441-S was introduced by Senator Padrutt to repeal the bill. Padrutt received letters from 1949 to 1951 in connection with both bills.
The speeches are also arranged chronologically, with only one folder relating to his tenure in the legislature. All of the speeches are prepared remarks either for radio broadcast or for presentation to a formal meeting. The collection includes no notes for floor remarks or for the many speeches delivered extemporaneously. A 1978 resume in folder 1 indicates that many of his speeches have been published in professional journals.
