Philip La Follette

Philip Fox La Follette (May 8, 1897 – August 18, 1965) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 27th and 29th governor of Wisconsin, from 1931 to 1933 and from 1935 to 1939. A member of the prominent La Follette family, he was a son of Wisconsin governor and Robert M. "Fighting Bob" La Follette and younger brother of Robert M. La Follette Jr.

After first winning election as a leader of the progressive wing of the Republican Party, La Follette left the party after losing the 1932 Republican gubernatorial primary; he returned to office running on the Wisconsin Progressive Party ticket after founding that party with his brother in 1934. In 1938, he briefly attempted to form a national progressive party (the National Progressives of America), but the effort was largely abandoned after he enlisted in the Pacific War.

During World War II, La Follette was commissioned in the U.S. Army and served as public relations officer for General Douglas MacArthur. Later in life, he was general counsel and president of Hazeltine Corporation.

Early life and career La Follette (right) with his brother Robert (left) and their father, Senator Robert M. La Follette, 1910s La Follette was born on May 8, 1897 in Madison, Wisconsin, to former representative Robert M. La Follette and women's suffrage activist Belle Case La Follette. At the time of his birth, he had been the third of four children. La Follette served as a second lieutenant in the United States Army Infantry in 1918, during World War I. In 1919, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Wisconsin–Madison and in 1922, he received a Bachelor of Laws degree.

La Follette served on his father's presidential campaign in 1924.

Separately from La Follette and his allies, more radical elements of the third party movement established the Farmer-Labor-Progressive League (FLPL), which would develop a platform and endorse candidates in elections, this new organization had the potential to upset the aims La Follette had been working for with the new party. Fortunately, after La Follette spoke at the F.L.P.L. convention, the League decided to support his party.

In planning out the Bill, La Follette asked the Wisconsin Regional Planning Committee to expand its inventory of public works projects. Throughout the course of Roosevelt's presidency, he would continue criticizing his relief efforts as insufficient compared to the failed Works Bill.

Following a drawn out three-week legislative session, La Follette began attempting alternative means to get the legislature to act on his proposals, despite opposition from Democrats and Republicans, both houses of the legislature passed changes to the governing rules to speed up the passage of legislation. In coordination with Assembly Speaker Paul Alfonsi, and progressive members of the state Senate, they began quickly forcing legislation through the chamber using the new rules, passing a farm bill, a commerce bill, and a bill for mortgage moratoriums all in quick succession. While La Follette never openly endorsed fascism, he had believed that European dictators were effective at mobilizing people and bringing them comfort and meaning, and that they should be learned from. Even harsher criticism was instead leveled at the symbol for the party, which was compared to a swastika.

1938 election By the end of his third term, La Follette felt reluctant to seek a fourth term. Instead he felt it was more important to devote his time and energy to promoting the N.P.A., but upon being dissatisfied with the performance of Ekern, and no one else volunteering to run, he ultimately decided to run for a fourth term. The initial Democratic nominee, Robert Kirkland Henry, withdrew in favor of Republican nominee Julius P. Heil.

While the results of the primary only caused the progressives to unify around themselves, they were unable to escape defeat in November.

Personal life and family La Follette married Isabel Bacon in 1923, and had three children with her; Robert III, Judith, and Sherry, born 1926, 1929, and 1936 respectively; none of them went on to pursue careers in politics.

Phil was part of the La Follette family, which included his brother, Robert M. La Follette Jr., his nephew Bronson La Follette, his sister Fola La Follette, and by way of her marriage, also playwright George Middleton.

Electoral history

Dane County District Attorney (1924)

Wisconsin governor (1930–1938)

Works La Follette, Philip Fox, Adventure in politics: the memoirs of Philip La Follette edited by Donald Young, New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1970.