Former Republican state senator and gubernatorial assistant Maurice P. Coakley was born in Beloit, Wisconsin on January 9, 1906. He attended public schools in Beloit and Fond du Lac and graduated from Beloit College in 1926. In 1930 he graduated from the University of Wisconsin law school. To support himself while completing his education, Coakley worked as a foundryman, painter, and a machinist. His interest in electoral politics was evident at an early age and from 1927 through 1933 he was record clerk for the Wisconsin State Senate. At the same time he conducted a legal practice in Beloit and taught in the Political Science Department at Beloit College. Coakley was elected to the Senate in 1934 from the Rock County district and was reelected in 1938. During the 1939 session he served as Republican floor leader.
In July, 1940 Governor Julius P. Heil appointed Coakley as his personal secretary and his military secretary. One state paper praised this appointment, saying that the governor “could not have done better.” During the 1940 election campaign Coakley took a prominent role in the Heil campaign, often speaking on the radio in the governor's stead. Because Heil was a controversial figure, Coakley was instrumental in efforts to unite various factions within the Republican Party and as a result was publicly praised for his diplomatic genius. Coakley also served in the 1941 Legislature and was again selected as majority floor leader.
In 1942 Coakley did not run for reelection, instead joining the Naval Reserve with the rank of lieutenant. He served in Great Britain with the Judge Advocates Division. After leaving the military Coakley returned to Madison as field director for the Wisconsin Manufacturers Association. He retired from that position in 1972. In 1985 he moved to Texas where he died on March 15, 1991.
