The Conrad Shearer Papers are organized into four series: Correspondence, a Miscellaneous File, Scrapbooks, and Speeches. The collection documents Shearer's activities as a state legislator and as the secretary of Kenosha Industries.
The Correspondence, 1911-1947, comprises the bulk of the collection. Retaining Shearer's filing system, it is arranged by year and alphabetically thereunder either by the name of the sender or by the organization or company name with which the sender was associated. A partial index of some of Shearer's more well-known or regular correspondents follows the container list. Among them are such Wisconsin political and business leaders as Thomas R. Amlie, George W. Blanchard, Stephen Bolles, John W. Byrnes, W. T. Doar, C. A. Dykstra, William T. Evjue, Julius P. Heil, Warren P. Knowles, Walter J. Kohler, Philip F. La Follette, Robert M. La Follette, Jr., H. J. Mellum, Felix Olkives, George S. Parker, A. O. Paunack, Fred Risser, Lawrence H. Smith, Russel M. Tree, George S. Whyte, Jessel S. Whyte, and Fred R. Zimmerman. To insure the location of all their correspondence, the researcher should consult other dates in addition to those listed in the index.
Correspondence from constituents and Shearer's replies to them register various responses to and opinions on many subjects: the “radical” legislature; proposed changes in the income, gasoline, automobile, and oleomargarine taxes; labor-related legislation, such as instituting the eight-hour work day, shortening work hours for women, and defining disputes and unlawful conduct in labor controversies; the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment; modifications in the Sunday blue laws; the teachers retirement fund law; Governor Philip La Follette's criticism of conservative Republicans for blocking his programs; the legal status of Christian Scientists; Kenosha-area strikes at the Nash and Seamon plants; New Deal legislation; a proposed public relief bill to employ people during the depression; teachers tenure act; the overall state budget and suggested budget cuts at the University of Wisconsin; plans for state reorganization; daylight savings bill; the enforcement of gambling laws; state aid for transportation to parochial schools; the conversion of state teachers colleges to four year liberal arts colleges; and cuts in governmental salaries.
Shearer's correspondence reveals his opposition to legislation which “hamstrings” industry, his desire to stem the tide of radicalism, and his fear of one-sided labor legislation. His letters to members of Kenosha Industries marked “personal” analyze the legislation affecting business in each legislative session. He also discussed the various Wisconsin political coalitions resulting from the Democrat-Republican-Progressive split. The series also contains routine political correspondence, such as recommendations for political appointments, requests for legislative scholarships and Blue Books, invitations to attend or to speak at events, and congratulatory notes to Shearer for his nominations and elections to office. There is also a small amount of personal correspondence with family and friends intermixed with the political and business correspondence.
The Miscellaneous File includes a file of jokes and anecdotes which Shearer used during his speeches, clippings, a proclamation convening the state legislature, a program for a College of Commerce banquet, and a legislative resolution eulogizing Shearer. This is the smallest series in the collection and is arranged alphabetically by folder title.
The Scrapbooks are composed of clippings. Many are Shearer's weekly newspaper column printed in Kenosha and Walworth Counties which recounts district and legislative news. There are also clippings on such topics as Kenosha business activities, the move of the Simmons Company's executive offices from Kenosha, the strike at the Allen-A Company, an investigation of campaign funding and practices, and the death of Walter H. Alford, vice president of Nash Motors Company. Finally, there are announcements and advertisements for Shearer's various political campaigns. Their arrangement is chronological.
The Speeches include Shearer's addresses to church groups, school commencements and reunions, and civic and fraternal organizations. In them he offered his opinions on Wisconsin industry, taxation, socialism, the depression, and other topics. The speeches are arranged chronologically and are identified by title. A few miscellaneous speeches by other persons are also included. These are filed alphabetically by author.
