Laurie E. Carlson (January 12, 1908 – March 26, 1999) was a member of 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, ...

Biography

Carlson was born Laurie Edwin Carlson on January 12, 1908, in

Bayfield, Wisconsin Bayfield is a city in Bayfield County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 584 at the 2020 census. This makes it the city with the smallest population in Wisconsin. In fact, for a new city to be incorporated today, state regulations re ...

. He attended Northland College, where he was a member of the varsity

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

team, and the

University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin. Founded when Wisconsin achieved statehood in 1848, UW–Madison ...

. Carlson was also active in promoting the sport of curling. He married Helen Whipple and have four children. Carlson died on March 26, 1999. After his death, a

joint resolution In the United States Congress, a joint resolution is a legislative measure that requires passage by the Senate and the House of Representatives and is presented to the President for their approval or disapproval. Generally, there is no legal differ ...

by the

Wisconsin State 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 the State Assembly was created to honor his life and was presented to his children. To honor Carlson's lifelong commitment to progressive laws, regulations and policies, his family established The Laurie Carlson Progressive Ideas Forum at the UW-Madison, and the Forum brings speakers and guests to Madison on a regular basis.

Political career

Carlson was a founding member of the

Wisconsin Progressive Party The Wisconsin Progressive Party (1934–1946) was a political party that briefly held a dominant role in Wisconsin politics. History The Party was the brainchild of Philip La Follette and Robert M. La Follette, Jr., the sons of the famous Wiscon ...

. He won the party's nomination over John C. Sibbald in 1936 and was elected to the Assembly that year, taking office the following year. He served until 1942. Later, he served as Clerk of Courts of

Dane County, Wisconsin Dane County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 561,504, making it the second-most populous county in Wisconsin. The county seat is Madison, which is also the state capital. Dane County is the ...

from 1968 to 1976.

References

People from Bayfield, Wisconsin Members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Wisconsin Progressives (1924) Basketball players from Wisconsin Northland College (Wisconsin) alumni University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni American male curlers 1908 births 1999 deaths 20th-century American legislators American men's basketball players 20th-century Wisconsin politicians {{US-curling-bio-stub