skip navigation

The Library of Congress > Researchers > Search Finding Aids > La Follette family papers, 1781-1988

La Follette family papers, 1781-1988

Title Page | Collection Summary | Biographical/Organizational Note | Scope and Content | Arrangement

Biographical Notes

Robert M. La Follette, Sr.

Date	Event
1855, June 14	Born, Primrose, Dane County, Wis.
1879	B.S., University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.
1880	Admitted to the Wisconsin bar
1880-1884	District attorney, Dane County, Wis.
1881	Married Belle Case
1884	Elected to the United States House of Representatives; reelected 1886 and 1888
1891-1900	Practiced law, Madison, Wis.
1900	Elected governor of Wisconsin; reelected 1902 and 1904
1905	Elected to the United States Senate; reelected 1911, 1916, and 1922
1909	Published first issue of La Follette's Weekly Magazine
1911	Founding member, National Progressive Republican League
1913	Published La Follette's Autobiography. Madison, Wis.: Robert M. La Follette Co.
1917	Voted in the United States Senate against America's entry into World War I
1922	Author of resolution which initiated an investigation into the naval oil leases at Teapot Dome, Wyo., and oil reserve fields in California
1924	Unsuccessful presidential candidate on the Progressive Party ticket
1925, June 18	Died, Washington, D.C.

Robert M. La Follette, Jr.

Date	Event
1895, Feb. 6	Born, Madison, Wis.
1913-1916	Attended University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.
1919-1925	Secretary to his father, Senator Robert M. La Follette, Sr.
1920-1924	Chairman, Republican State Central Committee of Wisconsin
1925	Elected to the United States Senate; reelected 1928, 1934, and 1940
1925-1929	Editor, La Follette's Magazine
1929-1948	President, Progressive Publishing Co.
1930	Married Rachel Wilson Young
1947	Chairman, President's Committee on Foreign Aid
1947-1953	Economic research consultant, Washington, D.C.
1949-1953	Member, board of directors, Sears, Roebuck and Co. Vice president, Sears Foundation
1953, Feb. 24	Died, Washington, D.C.

Belle Case La Follette

Date	Event
1859, Apr. 21	Born, Summit, Juneau County, Wis.
1875-1879	Student, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.
1879	A.B., University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.
1879-1881	Taught school, Spring Green and Baraboo, Wis.
1881	Married Robert M. La Follette, Sr.
1883-1885	LL.B., College of Law, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis., first woman graduate
1893-1903	President, Emily Bishop League
1909-1925	Coedited “Home and Education” column in La Follette's Magazine
1911	Wrote “A Thought for Today” column for the North American Press Syndicate
1912	Conducted speaking campaigns for women's suffrage in California, Oregon, and Wisconsin
1913	Spoke at congressional hearings on women's suffrage
1920	Spoke on League of Nations before the United Women's Clubs
1924	Conducted speaking tour on behalf of Robert M. La Follette, Sr., in presidential campaign
1925	Worked on biography of Robert M. La Follette, Sr.
1931, Aug. 18	Died, Washington, D.C

Fola La Follette

Date	Event
1882, Sept. 10	Born, Madison, Wis., daughter of Robert M. and Belle Case La Follette, Sr.
1896-1900	Attended Wisconsin Academy, Madison, Wis.
1900	Began studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.
Circa 1902-circa 1915	Professional actress
1903	Visited Europe
1910	Acted in “How the Vote Was Won”
Circa 1910-circa 1915	Active in women's suffrage movement
1911	Married George Middleton
1920-1922	Lived in Paris, France Contributing editor, La Follette's Magizine
1924	Replaced her mother, who had become ill, in presidential campaign of Robert M. La Follette, Sr.
1926-1930	Teacher, City and Country School, New York, N.Y.
1927	Visited England and France Attended the Fourth International New Educational Conference, Switzerland
1928	Member, American Educational Delegation's visit to Russia
1931-1953	Completed the biography of Robert M. La Follette, Sr., begun by Belle Case La Follette
1953	Published Robert M. La Follette. New York: Macmillan Co.
1954-1968	Assisted in processing the La Follette Family Papers in Library of Congress
1970, Feb. 17	Died, Arlington, Va.

Philip Fox La Follette

Date	Event
1897, May 8	Born, Madison, Wis., son of Robert M. and Belle Case La Follette, Sr.
1918	Second lieutenant, Infantry, United States Army
1919	A.B., University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.
1922	LL.B., University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.
1923	Married Isabel Bacon
1925-1927	District attorney, Dane County, Wis.
1926-1930	Lecturer, University of Wisconsin Law School, Madison, Wis.
1931-1933	Governor of Wisconsin
1937-1939	Governor of Wisconsin
1942-1945	Captain, promoted to colonel, United States Army, serving in the southeast Pacific
1947	Director, Hazeltine Corp., Little Neck, N.Y.
1962	Curator, Wisconsin State Historical Society, Madison Wis.
1965, Aug. 18	Died, Madison, Wis.

Gilbert E. Roe

Date	Event
1865, Feb. 7	Born, Oregon, Dane County, Wis.
1890	LL.B., University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.
1890-1899	Law partner of Robert M. La Follette, Sr.
1899	Married Gwyneth King Moved to New York, N.Y., and became active in promoting state reform legislation
1905-1910	Attorney, Roe & McCombs law firm
1907	Published Selected Opinions of Luther S. Dixon and Edward G. Ryan, Late Chief Justices of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin. Chicago: Callaghan
1912	Published Our Judicial Oligarchy. New York: B. W. Huebsch
1918	Counsel to Robert M. La Follette, Sr., in the United States Senate's unsuccessful attempt to expel La Follette
1922-1923	Counsel, United States Senate committee investigating the oil industry
1924	Eastern regional director, La Follette-Wheeler Campaign Committee
1929, Dec. 22	Died, New York, N.Y.

Alfred Thomas Rogers

Date	Event
1873, May 18	Born, St. Joseph, Mo.
1895	LL.B., University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.
1895-1948	Practiced law, Madison, Wis.
1908	Delegate, Republican national convention
1908-1924	Member, Republican national committee
1910	Married Edna R. Chynoweth
1935	Married Emily Bordeaux Elmer
1948, Mar. 27	Died, Madison, Wis.

Mary Josephine La Follette

Date	Event
1899, Aug. 16	Born, Madison, Wis., daughter of Robert M. and Belle Case La Follette, Sr.
1919-1921	Attended New York School of Fine and Applied Art, New York, N.Y.
1921	Married Ralph Gunn Sucher (divorced 1938)
1926-1928	Attended Critcher School of Art, Washington, D.C.
1934-1935	Attended New York School of Fine and Applied Art and Florence Cane School of Art, New York, N.Y.
1935-1936	Consultant in art development, Special Skills Division, Resettlement Administration, Washington, D.C.
1936-1937	Consultant in research, Resettlement Division, Farm Security Administration, Agriculture Department, Washington, D.C.
1937-1944	Consultant in research and art, Resettlement and Management Division, Farm Security Administration, Agriculture Department, Washington, D.C.
1944-1947	Extension adviser in home industries, Subject Matter Division, Extension Service, Agriculture Department, Washington, D.C.
1948	Editorial and indexing specialist, Indexing Section, Office of Information, Agriculture Department, Washington, D.C.
1948-1949	Information and editorial specialist, Midcentury White House Conference on Children and Youth, Washington, D.C.
1949-1951	Social Science Research Analyst, Division of Research, Children's Bureau, Social Security Administration, Federal Security Agency, Washington, D.C.
1950-1951	Invitations consultant, Midcentury White House Conference on Children and Youth, Washington, D.C.
1951-1966	Editorial clerk and publications editor, Aeronautical Standards Group, Air Research and Development Command, Department of the Air Force, Washington, D.C.
1966	Retired from federal service
1988, Feb. 24	Died, Washington, D.C.

Grace C. Lynch

Date	Event
Circa 1892	Born, Washington, D.C.
Circa 1919-1925	Secretary to Robert M. La Follette, Sr., United States Senate, Washington, D.C.
1925-1946	Secretary to Robert M. La Follette, Jr., United States Senate, Washington, D.C.
Circa 1946	Retired from federal service
1970, May 13	Died, Washington, D.C.