Vernon Wallace Thomson (November 5, 1905 – April 2, 1988) was an American attorney and politician who served as the
34th Governor of
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 ...
from 1957 to 1959.
Early life and education
Vernon Thomson was born in
Richland Center, Wisconsin
Richland Center is a city in Richland County, Wisconsin, United States that also serves as the county seat. The population was 5,114 at the 2020 census.
History
Richland Center was founded in 1851 by Ira Sherwin Hazeltine, a native of Andover, Ve ...
. He attended what is now
Carroll University
Carroll University is a private university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and located in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Established in 1846, Carroll was Wisconsin's first four-year institution of higher learning.
History
Prior to its esta ...
, in 1925, but graduated from what is now the
University of Wisconsin–Madison
A university () is an educational institution, institution of higher education, higher (or Tertiary education, tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. Universities ty ...
, in 1927, where he was a member of the
Chi Phi Fraternity
Chi Phi () is considered by some as the oldest American men's college social fraternity that was established as the result of the merger of three separate organizations that were each known as Chi Phi. The earliest of these organizations was for ...
. In 1932, he received his law degree and practiced law.
Career
![Vernon Wallace Thomson (1905-1988) (8276634634) (1)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Vernon_Wallace_Thomson_%281905-1988%29_%288276634634%29_%281%29.jpg)
Thomson became involved in the
Republican Party. He was
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
of
Richland Center from 1944 to 1951 and 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, ...
from 1935 to 1951, and served as Speaker of the Assembly from 1939 to 1945. He served as
Attorney General of Wisconsin
The Attorney General of Wisconsin is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Forty-five individuals have held the office of Attorney General since statehood. The incumbent is Josh Kaul, ...
from 1951 to 1957. In 1956, he was elected governor of Wisconsin, defeating
William Proxmire
Edward William Proxmire (November 11, 1915 – December 15, 2005) was an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a United States Senator from Wisconsin from 1957 to 1989. He holds the record for being the longest-servi ...
; he was defeated for reelection as governor in 1958 by
Gaylord Nelson
Gaylord Anton Nelson (June 4, 1916July 3, 2005) was an American politician and environmentalist from Wisconsin who served as a United States senator and governor. He was a member of the Democratic Party and the founder of Earth Day, which launche ...
.
![Vernon W](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Vernon_W._Thomson_%28WI%29.png)
In 1960, he was elected to 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 ...
representing
Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district
Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district covers most of the Driftless Area in southwestern and western Wisconsin. The district includes the cities of Eau Claire, La Crosse, and Stevens Point, as well as many Wisconsin-based exurbs of the Minneap ...
. He served in the
87th and was reelected to the six succeeding congresses. He was defeated for
reelection in 1974, losing to
Alvin Baldus
Alvin James Baldus (April 27, 1926 – February 2, 2017) was an American Democratic politician who served as a member of Congress for Wisconsin from 1975 to 1981 as well as two tenures as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly (1966–1975 and ...
. He resigned before the official end of his term, overall serving from January 3, 1961 till December 31, 1974. Thomson was a member of the
Federal Elections Commission
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency of the United States whose purpose is to enforce campaign finance law in United States federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Camp ...
.
Thomson died 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, ...
and was buried in
Richland Center, Wisconsin
Richland Center is a city in Richland County, Wisconsin, United States that also serves as the county seat. The population was 5,114 at the 2020 census.
History
Richland Center was founded in 1851 by Ira Sherwin Hazeltine, a native of Andover, Ve ...
.
Thomson, Vernon W. 1905
Wisconsinhistory.org. Retrieved on 2016-01-22.
Notes
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomson, Vernon Wallace
1905 births
1988 deaths
Governors of Wisconsin
Members of the Wisconsin State Assembly
Speakers of the Wisconsin State Assembly
Wisconsin Attorneys General
Mayors of places in Wisconsin
People from Richland Center, Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni
University of Wisconsin Law School alumni
Members of the Federal Election Commission
Washington, D.C., Republicans
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin
Republican Party governors of Wisconsin
20th-century American politicians
Burials in Wisconsin
Ford administration personnel
Carter administration personnel
Reagan administration personnel