Part 1 (Milwaukee Mss 105): Original Collection, 1961-1985
Physical Description: 3.0 cubic feet (3 records center cartons) 
Scope and Content Note

The papers consist mainly of correspondence and reports, with smaller quantities of election statistics, transcripts, minutes, resolutions, and press releases. Unfortunately, the collection represents only a small portion of the documentation that once existed concerning Fish's influence of Republican politics in Wisconsin. The majority of the documentation covering his activities in Wisconsin prior to 1970 was destroyed during the sale of the Pal-O-Pak Insulation Company. Although the existing pre-1970 documentation is extremely limited, the papers concerning his tenure as Wisconsin's Republican National Committeeperson (1971-1984) and his service as manager of the 1976 Republican National Convention are more comprehensive. Except for passing references (primarily to energy tax credits for insulation), there is no material on Fish's business career in the collection.

The collection contains four series: Biographical Material and Memorabilia, Wisconsin Files, Republican National Committee Files, and 1976 National Republican Convention.

The bulk of the BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL AND MEMORABILIA series consists of biographical data and news clippings about Ody Fish. Also included is a directory of the Republican State Chairman's Advisory Committee of 1967.

The WISCONSIN FILES, which primarily predate Fish's selection as national committeeperson, are incomplete in their coverage. The bulk of this material includes correspondence from early in Fish's career, reports of the Waukesha County Republican Organization, a “Knowles for Governor” campaign manual, and material on the controversy concerning the Milwaukee County Republican Organization during the mid-1960s. More recent documentation concerns Fish's tenure on the State Building Commission.

The bulk of the REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE series includes correspondence with county chairs, district chairs, state chairs, legislators, and other state and national political leaders. Much of the correspondence concerns federal appointments and issues within the state and local Republican organization. Little discussion of national political issues can be found in the correspondence. Also filed here are transcripts of the Site Selection Committee for the 1980 national convention, for which Fish was vice-chair.

The bulk of the 1976 REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION series documents with great detail Fish's service as manager and head of arrangements for the Kansas City convention, from the work of the site Selection Committee to the payment of the final bills. Included in the biographical file is a lengthy article concerning Fish's management of the convention planning and his emphasis upon maintaining impartiality between the Ford and Reagan delegations, which puts the documentation in this section in perspective. Included are correspondence, reports, memoranda, minutes, press releases, curricula, and applications.

Series: Biographical Material and Memorabilia

1966-1967, 1969, 1976, 1984, undated

Series: Wisconsin Files

Election Statistics

State Assembly, 1964

Governor, 1964-1966

Finances of the Wisconsin GOP, 1961-1965

Knowles for Governor Campaign Manual, 1967-1968

Legislative Reapportionment, 1969-1970

Meetings attended, 1968

Miscellaneous, 1962-1969

Political Controversies, Milwaukee County, 1965-1967

Political Procedures, 1965-1968

Presidential Primary Bill, 1967-1971

Presidential Primary Committees, 1967-1968

Waukesha County Republican Party, 1962, 1964

Wisconsin Building Commission, 1979-1982

Young Republican Federation, 1966-1967

Series: Republican National Committee Files

Bipartisan Convention Committee, 1971-1974

Congress, 1973-1984

County Chair, 1973-1984

Debt Elimination Campaign, 1975

District Chairs, 1973-1984

Federal Appointments

1973

1974

1978-1980

1981

1982

Finances, 1973

Governor's Office, Wisconsin, 1979-1984

Nixon impeachment, 1974

Judicial Compensation, Blue Ribbon Committee to Study, 1984

Legal Advisory Committee of the Republican National Committee, Challenge to Federal Election Law, 1978, undated

Legislators, 1973-1985

Meetings attended, 1973

Midwest Leadership Conference, 1974

National Committeeman

General correspondence

1971

1973

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984-1985

Reelection, 1976

National Republican Committee

1973-1980

1981-1984

Personal and political correspondence, 1971-1985

Personnel and Employment Applications

1973-1976

1977-1983

Pointer, Jack, TV Appointment, 1975-1976

Republican Appearance Requests, 1979-1984

Republican Party Constitutional Revision, 1975

Republican Functions, 1973-1981

Republican National Advisory Councils and Committees, 1977

Republican Headquarters, Madison, 1973-1985

Site Selection Committee for 1980 Republican National Convention, Transcripts, 1978

State Chairs, 1973-1981

White House Staff, 1975-1985

YGOP (Young Grand Old Party), 1973-1977

Series: 1976 Republican National Convention

Arrangements Committee, 1975-1976

Financial statements, 1976-1977

Badges and Tickets Production and Allotment, 1976

Budget, 1975-1976

Communications, 1975-1976

Contracts, 1976

Convention Job Applications, 1975-1976

Federal Election Campaign Laws, 1976

Fish

Miscellaneous Personal File, 1975-1976

Page Applications, 1976

Tickets, 1976

Ford Campaign Committee, 1975

General Affairs, 1976

Good, Jo, 1975-1976

Host Committee, 1976

Housing, 1975-1976

Kansas City, 1976

Knowles, Robert, 1975-1976

Legal

1975-1976

1976

Media Coverage, 1975-1976

Minutes, Arrangements Committee, 1976

Miscellany, 1976-1977

National Delegates, 1975-1976

Pages and Aides, 1975-1976

Personnel, 1975-1976

Platform, 1976

Primary Election, Wisconsin, 1975

Production, 1975

Program Planning, 1968-1976

Reagan Committee, 1975-1976

Security, 1975-1976

Site Selection Committee

1970

1975

Sky Suit Contracts, 1976

Steering Committee minutes, 1976

Thank you correspondence, 1976-1977

Tickets, 1976

Wisconsin, 1975-1976

Transportation, 1976

Wisconsin Delegation, 1976

Part 2 (Milwaukee Mss 105, PH Milwaukee Mss 105, Audio 1713A, VHB 811): Additions, 1960-2005
Physical Description: 5.0 cubic feet (2 records center cartons, 1 archives box, and 4 flat boxes), 0.2 cubic feet of photographs (1 archives box), 1 tape recording, and 1 videorecording 
Scope and Content Note: Additions, 1964-2003, consisting of correspondence, speeches, scrapbooks, photographs, video and audio recordings, documenting Ody Fish's work as both chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party and Republican National Committee. The 1976 Republican National Convention records include committee work, correspondence, photograph albums, and a videorecording of the convention's expositions and presenters' speeches. Correspondence consists of congratulatory letters thanking and praising Fish for his work for the Republican Party including his service for Wisconsin Governors and United States Presidents. Fish's speeches document both his presentations before the Republican committees he chaired and University of Wisconsin commencements at many campuses including Milwaukee while he served on the Board of Regents. A short biography documents the history of Fish's political career and personal life; an audio cassette records a 1984 Fish Fry sponsored by the Wisconsin Executive Committee.

Series: Biographical and Historical Materials

1985-1997

Series: Correspondence

Congratulatory letters, 1963-1977, 1995-2001

Political letters

Dreyfus, Lee Sherman, 1982-1985

Hickman, Evelyn and Whitman, Jerry, 1967-1985

Kasten, Robert, 1977-1986

Political and personal, 1960-2004

Republican National Committee, 1974, 1979

Republican Wisconsin Party, 1960-1970

United States President, 1969-1987

University of Wisconsin Central Administration, 1982-1989

Wisconsin Governor, 1970, 1993

Series: Speeches

Commencements, 1978-1990

Eulogies, 1985-1998

National Fluid Power, 1988

Organizing a Campaign, 1980s

Pewaukee Kiwanis 50th Anniversary, 1987

Political Convention, 1968-1969

Political, 1970s-1980s

Roasts, 1985

Tributes, 1991

Speech notes and drafts, 1990s

Series: Wisconsin Files

Common Cause Board, 1998

Republican State Convention

1966

1967

1968

Republican Campaign manuals, 1964, 1966, 1968

Republican State Districts and Races, 1984-2003

State Commission on Schools for 21st Century

1989-1990

Finance Committee, 1989-1990

Implementation Committee, 1991-1992

Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters, 1988-1998

Wisconsin Republican Party, 1965-1980

Wisconsin Study of Candidates and Issues, 1967

Series: Republican National Committee Files

Republican Arrangement Committees, 1975

Republican National Convention, 1976

Subject files, correspondence, and mock interview, 1976, 1980

Presidential Inaugural Committee, 1969-2005

Campaign paraphernalia, 1960s-1970s

Republican National Convention, 1980, 1984

Series: Scrapbooks

1963-1964

1964-1965

1967-1969

1969-1970

Series: Photographs

Dinners and speeches, undated

Governors and Presidents, 1970s-1980s

University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, 1988

1976 Republican National Convention photograph albums, 1976, 1977

Series: Audio and Video

Fish Fry: audio recording, 1984

Prelude to Victory: Highlights of the Republican National Convention: videorecording, 1984