Joseph Lanning Barber (March 24, 1864April 6, 1940) was an American medical doctor and a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

politician from

Marathon County, Wisconsin Marathon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 138,013. Marathon County's seat is Wausau. It was founded in 1850, created from a portion of Portage County. At that time the cou ...

. He was a member of the

Wisconsin Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...

and

State Assembly State Assembly is the name given to various legislatures, especially lower houses or full legislatures in states in federal systems of government. Channel Islands States Assembly is the name of the legislature of the Bailiwick of Jersey. The Baili ...

. His daughter,

Mildred Barber Abel Mildred Barber Abel (born Mildred Mary Francis Barber; was an American progressive politician, and one of the first class of female members of the Wisconsin State Assembly. She represented western Marathon County in the 1925–1926 session. ...

, was one of the first female members of the Wisconsin Legislature.

Biography

Barber was born on March 24, 1864, in Hayton, Wisconsin. He attended the

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Univ ...

. In 1899, he married Ella Webb. Their daughter,

, became a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. It marked the first time a father and daughter served together in a state legislature in the history of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Barber was a member of the

Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...

, as well as

Modern Woodmen of America Modern Woodmen of America (MWA) is one of the largest (based on assets) fraternal benefit societies in the United States, with more than 750,000 members. Total assets reached US$15.4 billion in 2016. Though it shares the same founder, it is not ...

. After Barber first began practicing medicine, he became Health Officer of

Greenwood, Wisconsin Greenwood is a city in Clark County, Wisconsin, Clark County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 1,026 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. Geography Greenwood is located at (44.767826, -90.598959). According to the Uni ...

, and Coroner of

Clark County, Wisconsin Clark County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 34,659. Its county seat is Neillsville. History By the early 1800s, the land and streams that are now Clark County were the hunting grounds of ...

, before moving to

Collins, Wisconsin Collins is an unincorporated census-designated place in the town of Rockland, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, United States, in the east central part of the state. Its zip code is 54207, although its post office is being studied for closure. As of ...

. He moved to

Marathon City, Wisconsin Marathon City is a village in Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the Wausau, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,524 at the 2010 census. The village was incorporated from a part of the original ar ...

, in 1906 and opened a practice and later a

pharmacy Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links heal ...

. After serving as President of

Marathon, Wisconsin Marathon is a town in Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the Wausau, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,048 at the 2010 census. The village of Marathon City was incorporated from a part of the t ...

, Barber was elected to the Senate in 1922, where he served two terms. He was also a delegate to the

1920 Republican National Convention The 1920 Republican National Convention nominated Ohio Senator Warren G. Harding for president and Massachusetts Governor Calvin Coolidge for vice president. The convention was held in Chicago, Illinois, at the Chicago Coliseum from June 8 to J ...

. Barber was first elected to the Assembly in 1925 and was re-elected in 1928 and 1934. He was a member of the

Progressive Party Progressive Party may refer to: Active parties * Progressive Party, Brazil * Progressive Party (Chile) * Progressive Party of Working People, Cyprus * Dominica Progressive Party * Progressive Party (Iceland) * Progressive Party (Sardinia), Italy ...

. In addition, he was a member of the

Board of Supervisors from 1924 to 1925 and again from 1931 to 1932. He died at his home on April 6, 1940 and is buried in

Wausau, Wisconsin Wausau ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States. The Wisconsin River divides the city into east and west. The city's suburbs include Schofield, Weston, Mosinee, Maine, Rib Mountain, Kronenwetter, and ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Barber, Joseph L. 1864 births 1940 deaths People from Calumet County, Wisconsin People from Greenwood, Wisconsin People from Manitowoc County, Wisconsin People from Marathon, Wisconsin Republican Party Wisconsin state senators Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly County supervisors in Wisconsin American coroners Physicians from Wisconsin University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumni