David Leo Francis "Dave" Duax (February 1, 1944 – April 17, 2015) was a

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

politician who served in the cabinet of Wisconsin Governor

Tommy Thompson Tommy George Thompson (born November 19, 1941) is an American Republican politician who most recently served as interim president of the University of Wisconsin System from 2020 to 2022. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served a ...

as the State Administrator of the Division for Youth Services. He previously served as director of the State Office of Health Care. Duax was the chairman of the

Eau Claire County Board of Supervisors Eau Claire County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 105,710. Its county seat is Eau Claire. The county took its name from the Eau Claire River. Eau Claire County is included in the ...

, and served as vice president of the Eau Claire City Council.

Education and career

Duax was born in Eau Claire on February 1, 1944, to Leo and Corinne (Johnson) Duax. He attended UWEC Campus school and Eau Claire Memorial High School.David L. Duax, February 1, 1944 - April 17, 2015
Hulke Family Funeral Home & Cremation Services. Duax participated in debate club and was the president of the Junior Classical League.{ He attended Carlton College and obtained his degree in political science from UW-Eau Claire and later studied law at the

University of Wisconsin Law School The University of Wisconsin Law School is the professional graduate law school of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, the school was founded in 1868. The University of Wisconsin Law School is guided by a "law in ...

. He served on the UWEC student and was chair of the 10th District

Young Republicans The Young Republican National Federation, commonly referred to as the Young Republicans or YRNF, is a 527 organization for members of the Republican Party of the United States between the ages of 18 and 40. It has both a national organization ...

. Duax was fluent in Latin, and interned in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

during college. In 1972, he ran to represent the 68th Assembly District in the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

against Incumbent

Joseph Looby Joseph Looby (November 24, 1917 – January 26, 2001) was an American Democratic legislator, labor union official, and factory worker. Born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Looby served in the United States Army during World War II and was a Roman ...

. He received 8,730 votes and Looby received 12,599 votes. Duax served on the Eau Claire County Board from 1974 to 1983 and was elected chairman of the board. In February 1980, Duax was appointed by Governor

Lee Dreyfus Lee Sherman Dreyfus (pronounced ; June 20, 1926 – January 2, 2008) was an American educator and politician. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the List of Governors of Wisconsin, 40th Governor of W ...

to serve as the first chairman of the Governor's Task Force on County Government Organization and Administration. He served as the administrator of the Division for Youth Services from 1990 to 1994, director of the State Office of Health Care from 1987 to 1988, and administrator of management services in the

Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin responsible for regulating agriculture, trade, and commercial activity in the state. The department is administered by a ...

. He also oversaw the Lincoln Hills Detention Center and the Ethan Allen School for Boys. The governor appointed Thompson as the administrator of the Interstate Compact on Juveniles. After working in Governor Thompson's administration, Duax was the director of development and communications for Sacred Heart Hospital. In 2005, he was elected to the Eau Claire City Council, and later served as its vice president. He was instrumental in the terminal remodeling/expansion of the

Chippewa Valley Regional Airport Chippewa Valley Regional Airport is a public use airport in Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States. The airport is owned by Eau Claire county and is located ) north of the central business district of the city of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It ...

, and the new jail and courthouse in Eau Claire. He authored a citywide smoking ban, among many other municipal ordinances. He served on the city planning commission, the Wisconsin Aeronautics Board, president of the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame, member of the Chippewa Valley Airport Commission, and chaired the

Sesquicentennial An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded in a previous year, and may also refer to the commemoration or celebration of that event. The word was first used for Catholic feasts to commemorate saint ...

celebration commission in the State of Wisconsin. Duax was named "Person of the Year" by the Wisconsin Airport Management Association in 1979.

Personal life and death

In 1993, he married Kathryn Proctor. He has been a stepfather to Kathryn's two children. Duax died on April 17, 2015, after complications from a brain

aneurysm An aneurysm is an outward bulging, likened to a bubble or balloon, caused by a localized, abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel wall. Aneurysms may be a result of a hereditary condition or an acquired disease. Aneurysms can also be a nidus ( ...

. Hundreds attended his funeral, with

delivering the eulogy. He was buried at Forest Hill Cemetery in Eau Claire.

Legacy

After his death, the

Wisconsin State Legislature The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house, Wisconsin State Senate, and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly, both of which have had Republ ...

passed a joint resolution, 2015 Assembly Joint Resolution 41, honoring his life and contributions. In 2015, The

Commission Room was renamed the Duax Commission Room. In 2016,

-based advocacy organization Fierce Freedom began the "Dave Duax Bipartisanship Award" to honor legislators that work across the aisle to combat human trafficking in Wisconsin.http://www.thewheelerreport.com/wheeler_docs/files/0518loudenbeck.pdf

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Duax, David 1944 births 2015 deaths Politicians from Eau Claire, Wisconsin University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire alumni State cabinet secretaries of Wisconsin Wisconsin Republicans County supervisors in Wisconsin Wisconsin city council members University of Wisconsin Law School alumni