Walter Jodok Kohler Jr. (April 4, 1904 – March 21, 1976) was a member of the
Kohler family of Wisconsin
The Kohler family of Wisconsin is a family notable for its prominence in business, society, and politics in the US state of Wisconsin during the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. Its members include two Governors of Wisconsin, and the founder and e ...
and was the 33rd
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 Wiscon ...
, serving three terms from 1951 to 1957. He was a leading figure in state and national
Republican Party
Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party.
Republican Party may also refer to:
Africa
*Republican Party (Liberia)
* Republican Part ...
activities. His role in the clash between Senator
Joseph R. McCarthy and presidential candidate
Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952 has interested historians for decades. Kohler was for many years a sales executive at the
Kohler Company and served as president at
The Vollrath Company.
He was also a distinguished Naval officer in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. He had two children—a son,
Terry Jodok Kohler, and daughter, Charlotte Nicolette Kohler.
Kohler's father,
Walter J. Kohler Sr.
Walter Jodok Kohler Sr., (March 3, 1875April 21, 1940) was an American businessman and politician from the Kohler family of Wisconsin. He was an innovative and highly successful Wisconsin industrialist. The Kohler Company was founded by his fat ...
, was the 26th Governor of Wisconsin. His son
Terry Kohler
Terry Kohler (May 14, 1934 – September 20, 2016) was a member of the Kohler family of Wisconsin and an American businessman, Wisconsin Republican Party leader, sportsman, philanthropist, and conservationist.
Early life
Terry Kohler was born ...
ran for governor in
1982
Events January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C., Un ...
, but was defeated by
Anthony Earl
Anthony Scully Earl (born April 12, 1936) is an American politician and a member of the Democratic party and served as the 41st governor of Wisconsin from 1983 until 1987. He graduated from Michigan State University in 1958 and earned a J.D. from ...
.
Personal life
Walter Jodok Kohler Jr. was born on April 4, 1904, on his family's lavish estate in
Kohler, Wisconsin
Kohler is a village in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Sheboygan River. The population was 2,120 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Sheboygan, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Originally called Ri ...
.
His grandfather,
John Michael Kohler had founded the
Kohler Company in the late 19th century, and his father, Walter J. Kohler Sr. (1875–1940) was active in his family's plumbing supply business and served one term as the State's governor (1929–31). Walter Jr.'s mother was the former Henrietta "Lottie" Schroeder (1869–1947), and he had three brothers: John Michael Kohler III (1902–68), Carl James (1905–60), and Robert Eugene (1908–90).
Walter enjoyed many luxuries while growing up, but they were tempered by a strong-willed father who impressed his boys with the necessity of integrity, hard work, learning, good manners, frugality, and service to the community. Walter followed what was becoming a family tradition by graduating from
Phillips Academy
("Not for Self") la, Finis Origine Pendet ("The End Depends Upon the Beginning") Youth From Every Quarter Knowledge and Goodness
, address = 180 Main Street
, city = Andover
, state = M ...
in Andover, Massachusetts, and
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
.
In 1925, after college, Walter joined the Kohler Company. He knew much about the factory, having been employed there in a number of often grueling jobs during school breaks—another family tradition for males. In 1932, he married Chicago socialite Marie Celeste Holden (1900–74), a divorcée with a child. The couple had two children: Terry Jodok (1934–2016) and Charlotte Nicolette (1936–2012). In 1938, Walter and Celeste built a handsome estate, Windway, not far from the main plant; Walter lived there for the rest of his life. After World War II, he and Celeste divorced. In 1948 Walter married Charlotte McAleer (1912–95), a wealthy divorcée from Philadelphia.
In his last years, he and Charlotte traveled widely throughout the world and enjoyed long holidays in Antigua and Florida. He died in Sheboygan on March 21, 1976 following a heart attack. Obituaries emphasized Walter's character and integrity, noting his wartime service, his business success, and his three successive terms as governor.
Military service
In August 1942, Kohler joined the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
as a Lieutenant and was assigned duty as a combat intelligence officer in the
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its ca ...
. In January 1944 he became part of the crew of the
USS ''Hancock'', a huge new aircraft carrier of the
Essex class assigned to the South Pacific as part of the
Third Fleet. Kohler was the ship's air combat intelligence officer. The ''Hancock'' was in the thick of fierce fighting throughout the year. On December 3, Kohler was promoted to the rank of
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...
, receiving the highest recommendations.
On April 7, 1945 the ''Hancock'' was hit by a
Kamikaze
, officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending to ...
plane that caused major damage. Walter quietly vowed that if he survived the war, he would go into public service to put an end to such violence and destruction. Soon afterward, exhausted by intense battle, he sought an honorable discharge. On September 24, he left the Navy. Now 41, Kohler had served 37 months of active duty. The
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious a ...
and the
Asiatic theater ribbon with five battle stars were among his awards.
Business career
Walter discovered after the war that the entire Kohler Company was in the control of his uncle, Herbert V. Kohler. The industrialist told the veteran that he had no future in the company. Using inheritance funds and borrowed money, Walter made an effort to run the
Vollrath Company in
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Sheboygan () is a city in and the county seat of Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 49,929 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Sheboygan, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a populati ...
, a maker of kitchen utensils and dairy supply products. The Kohlers and Vollraths were related and had long enjoyed economic ties. With the aid of a key insider, Walter became president of Vollrath in April 1947. Under his energetic leadership, the company began almost immediately to increase its profits. Between 1945 and 1950, the net worth of the company virtually doubled, and an assortment of new products appeared. By early 1958 sales had doubled in a decade. Walter led the Vollrath Company until his death. A short time later,
Terry Kohler
Terry Kohler (May 14, 1934 – September 20, 2016) was a member of the Kohler family of Wisconsin and an American businessman, Wisconsin Republican Party leader, sportsman, philanthropist, and conservationist.
Early life
Terry Kohler was born ...
, Walter's son, assumed the reins of the highly expanded and profitable corporation. He had worked full-time for the company since 1963.
Political career
Walter J. Kohler Jr. decided to move into politics in 1948 and he joined Team
Stassen for the
presidential elections
A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President.
Elections by country
Albania
The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public.
Chile
The ...
. While this was unsuccessful, his networking and hard work in politics paid off when he became the
33rd 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 Wiscon ...
in 1951. Walter had experienced politics first hand, being active in his father's reelection campaign in 1932. After returning from the war, he thought of running for the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and ...
, but that was also the driving ambition of
Joseph R. McCarthy, an ex-Marine who had run for the Senate two years earlier. Walter had little choice but to step aside.
In the late 1940s, Walter rose within the
Wisconsin Republican Party by making friends, working for others, and winning the support of industrialist
Tom Coleman, a dominant force within the Party. In 1948, Kohler was a delegate to the
national convention
The National Convention (french: link=no, Convention nationale) was the parliament of the Kingdom of France for one day and the French First Republic for the rest of its existence during the French Revolution, following the two-year National ...
and made it clear that he was a moderate Republican in the mold of the Republican presidential candidate,
Thomas Dewey
Thomas Edmund Dewey (March 24, 1902 – March 16, 1971) was an American lawyer, prosecutor, and politician who served as the 47th governor of New York from 1943 to 1954. He was the Republican candidate for president in 1944 and 1948: althou ...
.
Dewey's unpredictable loss to
Harry S Truman prompted many Republicans for the next few years to employ "
Red Scare
A Red Scare is the promotion of a widespread fear of a potential rise of communism, anarchism or other leftist ideologies by a society or state. The term is most often used to refer to two periods in the history of the United States which a ...
" tactics. The practice of "irresponsibly" labeling Democratic opponents as Communists or pro-Communists would help many of them win office. Kohler was never sympathetic to the right-wing,
McCarthyite wing of the party. Still, he made infrequent gestures in that direction to appeal to the many Wisconsinites who were certain that their junior senator's charges were on target. Moreover, Kohler thought that at times, such as in the case against
Alger Hiss
Alger Hiss (November 11, 1904 – November 15, 1996) was an American government official accused in 1948 of having spied for the Soviet Union in the 1930s. Statutes of limitations had expired for espionage, but he was convicted of perjury in co ...
, McCarthy and his allies were on the right track.
Governor of Wisconsin
In 1950, Walter was elected governor, winning 59 of 71 counties in what was a Republican sweep of state offices. Legislators, journalists, and the public soon praised his friendliness, hard-work, and integrity. During the next two years, Wisconsin prospered economically, had a budget surplus, and enjoyed tax cuts. Of 55 specific gubernatorial proposals for legislation, 47 were passed. The package included two civil rights measures, a hike in old age pensions, and improved unemployment and workmen's compensation benefits.
During his re-election bid in 1952, Kohler worked successfully for the
nomination
Nomination is part of the process of selecting a candidate for either election to a public office, or the bestowing of an honor or award. A collection of nominees narrowed from the full list of candidates is a short list.
Political office
In th ...
of moderate
Dwight D. Eisenhower. When the candidate was about to campaign in Wisconsin, Kohler privately asked Eisenhower to alter a proposed Milwaukee speech that was critical of McCarthy. At the heart of the request was the desire to unify Republican Party and to carry Wisconsin at the polls. Eisenhower reluctantly agreed, and the strategy largely paid off. Republicans won the White House and control of
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
, McCarthy and Kohler (they officially supported each other) were reelected, and Republicans retained control of the state legislature.
Walter admitted to being offered various positions in Washington, D.C., including at least one on the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington, D.C., NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. preside ...
staff during his second term as governor. He turned them all down largely because of the resistance of his wife to further political activity.
The Republican sweep intensified the commitment of local Democrats to gain power.
Bill Proxmire, the man Kohler defeated handily, began to campaign the day after the election to win the governorship in 1954. Kohler defeated Proxmire again in 1954. At the conclusion of his third two-year term in 1956, he had built an impressive record that included advances in higher education, redistricting, highway construction, public welfare, conservation, and the criminal and children's law codes. During his terms in office, 89 of the governor's 92 vetoes were sustained by the Republican-dominated legislatures. State government under Walter's watch was efficient, clean, and fiscally responsible.
Senate campaign
In the meantime, Anti-McCarthy forces from the political center and left stepped up their nationwide efforts to bring down the Wisconsin Senator and end the Second Red Scare. In May 1957, Senator McCarthy died unexpectedly. A special election was called to fill the remaining years of his term and, for the third time in five years, Walter Kohler Jr. faced off against William Proxmire in a Wisconsin statewide election.
Kohler and Proxmire campaigned diligently for the vacant Senate seat. The McCarthyite wing of the GOP in large part turned against Walter (as it had against Eisenhower), and this lack of support, accompanied by Proxmire's populist rhetoric and financial support from labor unions, prompted a dramatic upset win for the tireless Democrat. Proxmire would represent Wisconsin in the United States Senate for the next 32 years.
Later years and death
Kohler played a role in the
1960 Republican National Convention, but he then saw himself primarily as a businessman and fundraiser for the
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. Established in 1913, the society is organized into six geographical regions of both medical and lay volunteers operating in more tha ...
.
Walter's health declined in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He had
shingles
Shingles, also known as zoster or herpes zoster, is a viral disease characterized by a painful skin rash with blisters in a localized area. Typically the rash occurs in a single, wide mark either on the left or right side of the body or face. ...
and was diagnosed with
skin cancer
Skin cancers are cancers that arise from the skin. They are due to the development of abnormal cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. There are three main types of skin cancers: basal-cell skin cancer (BC ...
and had an operation to remove some cancerous tissue in 1972 at the
Mayo Clinic. Then in 1975, Walter underwent
heart surgery
Cardiac surgery, or cardiovascular surgery, is surgery on the heart or great vessels performed by cardiac surgeons. It is often used to treat complications of ischemic heart disease (for example, with coronary artery bypass grafting); to c ...
, which did nothing to improve his condition. He continued to deteriorate until he died of a
massive heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may ...
at
Sheboygan Memorial Hospital on March 21, 1976, at the age of 71.
He is buried in Kohler's Woodland Cemetery.
Notes
References
* ''1960 Wisconsin Blue Book''
* ''2003–2004 Wisconsin Blue Book''
* ''2006 Distinguished Service: The Life of Gov. Walter J. Kohler Jr.'' by
Thomas C. Reeves
* ''Haney, Richard, C., A Concise History of the Modern Republican Party of Wisconsin (The Republican Party of Wisconsin (The Republican Party of Wisconsin, 1976)''
* ''Reeves, Thomas C., The Life and Times of Joe McCarthy, a Biography (Stein and Day, 1982)''
* ''Sykes, Jay G., Proxmire (Robert B. Luce, 1972)''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kohler, Walter J. Jr.
Kohler Company
1904 births
1976 deaths
Military personnel from Wisconsin
United States Navy personnel of World War II
American people of Austrian descent
Businesspeople from Wisconsin
Republican Party governors of Wisconsin
Politicians from Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Kohler family of Wisconsin
20th-century American naval officers
Yale University alumni
20th-century American businesspeople
20th-century American politicians
Burials in Wisconsin
People from Kohler, Wisconsin