Melvin Robert Laird Sr. (August 7, 1878March 19, 1946) was an American businessman,

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

minister, and Republican politician from

Wood County, Wisconsin Wood County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 74,207. Its county seat is Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Rapids. The county is ...

. He served five years as a member of the

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

, representing Wisconsin's 24th Senate district from 1941 until his death in 1946. He was succeeded by his son, Melvin R. Laird Jr., who went on to become United States Secretary of Defense and Domestic Policy Advisor to President

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

Biography

Melvin Laird was born on a farm in Maysville, Illinois, in 1878. He attended rural schools and high school, then went on to attend the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United ...

, where he earned his

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

. He continued his education, earning his master's from

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

and his

Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (DD or DDiv; ) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity (academic discipline), divinity (i.e., Christian theology and Christian ministry, ministry or other theologies. The term is more common in the Englis ...

from

Millikin University Millikin University is a private university in Decatur, Illinois, United States. It was founded in 1901 by prominent Decatur businessman James Millikin and is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). History Millikin was initially esta ...

. He taught school and later became principal of the

Barry, Illinois Barry is a city in Pike County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,303 at the 2020 census. History Barry was previously known as Worcester, which was platted in 1836. In 1839, residents petitioned to establish a post office, but b ...

, high school, and president of Lincoln College, Illinois. He then became a

minister at churches in

Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

Lincoln, Illinois Lincoln is a city in Logan County, Illinois, United States. First settled in the 1830s, it is the only town in the U.S. that was named for Abraham Lincoln before he became President of the United States, president; he practiced law there from 18 ...

, and

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, he was inducted into the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

as a

chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution (such as a hospital, prison, military unit, intellige ...

with the rank of

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...

. He was assigned to the 335th Infantry Regiment, 84th Division, and deployed to France for a year. After the war, he moved to

Marshfield, Wisconsin Marshfield is a city in Wood County, Wisconsin, Wood and Marathon County, Wisconsin, Marathon counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 18,929 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census; of this, 18,119 were in Wood County a ...

, where he worked as office manager for the Connor Lumber and Land Company. He was elected to the board of supervisors of

, and ultimately served 14 years on the board. In 1940, he was elected to the

, running on the Republican Party ticket. He represented the 24th Senate district and was re-elected in 1944. He died in

Rochester, Minnesota Rochester is a city in Olmsted County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. It is located along rolling bluffs on the Zumbro River's south fork in Southeast Minnesota. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a popul ...

. His son, Melvin R. Laird, was elected in a special election to succeed his father."Biographical Sketch of Melvin R. Laird Jr.", ''Wisconsin Blue Book 1948'', p. 36

References

1878 births 1946 deaths People from Pike County, Illinois People from Lincoln, Illinois People from Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin People from Omaha, Nebraska People from Marshfield, Wisconsin University of Illinois alumni Princeton University alumni Millikin University alumni Lincoln College (Illinois) American Presbyterian ministers Businesspeople from Wisconsin County supervisors in Wisconsin Republican Party Wisconsin state senators 20th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature {{Wisconsin-bio-stub