Lycurgus James Rusk (March 13, 1851 – November 5, 1928) 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

Rusk was born on March 13, 1851, in Morgan County, Ohio. The following year, he moved with his parents to Viroqua, Wisconsin. His father, Jeremiah McLain Rusk, became a noted officer in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, a member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

Governor of Wisconsin The governor of Wisconsin is the head of government of Wisconsin and the commander-in-chief of the state's army and air forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Wiscons ...

and

United States Secretary of Agriculture The United States secretary of agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other governments. The department includes several organi ...

. Lycurgus' older sister, Charity Rusk Craig, served as the national president of the

Woman's Relief Corps The Woman's Relief Corps (WRC) is a charitable organization in the United States, originally founded as the official women's auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) in 1883. The organization was designed to assist the GAR and p ...

. The younger Rusk graduated from what is now the

University of Wisconsin-Madison A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

in 1870 and later attended

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

and began practicing law. Additionally, he served in the

Wisconsin National Guard The Wisconsin National Guard consists of the Wisconsin Army National Guard and the Wisconsin Air National Guard. It is a part of the Government of Wisconsin under the control of the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs. The Wisconsin Natio ...

, reaching the rank of

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

. In 1877, Rusk married Ada M. Robson. They had three daughters. In 1885, Rusk moved to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Rusk died on November 5, 1928, at St. Joseph's Hospital, in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, after a short illness.

Political career

Rusk was a member of the Assembly during the 1899 session. He was a Republican.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rusk, Lycurgus J. People from Morgan County, Ohio People from Viroqua, Wisconsin Politicians from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Military personnel from Wisconsin Wisconsin National Guard personnel National Guard (United States) colonels Wisconsin lawyers University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni Harvard Law School alumni 1851 births 1928 deaths 19th-century American lawyers