To commemorate the Bicentennial, the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission (ARBC) was created by Congress in 1966. It was reorganized and recreated as the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration (ARBA) in December 1973, with John W. Warner as administrator. In Wisconsin, Chapter 215, Laws of 1971, creating section 14.88 of the statutes, authorized the formation of the Wisconsin American Revolution Bicentennial Commission to exist until December 31, 1987, its members to be appointed by the governor. The law made no other provisions as to the Commission's structure, purpose, or number and composition of members. Chapter 215 also created section 20.855(5) of the statutes appropriating to the WARBC money from general program appropriations, money received from gifts and grants, and money received from the federal government. Any gift or federal money not encumbered on December 31, 1987 would revert to the State Historical Society.
Chapter 27, Laws of 1973, created section 44.40 of the statutes, defining in the statutes for the first time, the Commission, its mission, provisions for reporting to the governor and the legislature, and recommendations for a bicentennial commemoration. However, for enabling legislation, the language of the law was very broad, leaving a great deal of latitude to the Commission. On June 2, 1972, Governor Patrick J. Lucey appointed 40 members to the WARBC. Jean Helliesen, associate professor of history at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse was named chairman, and R. Richard Wagner was hired as the executive director. The first Commission meeting was held July 6, 1972. Helliesen resigned in December 1974, and Lieutenant Governor Martin J. Schreiber agreed to serve as chairman for the duration of the Commission's life.
The law originally provided for observance of the Bicentennial until December 31, 1987, but to coincide with the end of the Commission's funding in Wisconsin at the biennium and with the ARBA's termination date in 1977, the WARBC terminated on June 3, 1977, with the disbanding of their office and the transfer of their records to the state archives. The final report to the governor and members of the legislature was post-dated July 4, 1977.
