Walter J. Rush (April 22, 1871 – April 16, 1961) was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate. From 1929 to 1940, Rush represented the 24th district, which at the time included

Taylor Taylor, Taylors or Taylor's may refer to: People * Taylor (surname) **List of people with surname Taylor * Taylor (given name), including Tayla and Taylah * Taylor sept, a branch of Scottish clan Cameron * Justice Taylor (disambiguation) Plac ...

Wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin th ...

, and

Clark Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educate ...

counties. Rush was associated with the

Progressives Progressivism holds that it is possible to improve human societies through political action. As a political movement, progressivism seeks to advance the human condition through social reform based on purported advancements in science, techno ...

of the

La Follette family The La Follette family is a prominent family in the United States, especially in Wisconsin. Many of the family members have pursued political office. Members * Robert M. La Follette, Sr. (1855–1925), District Attorney of Dane County, Wisconsi ...

. Rush received his bachelor's degree from Valparaiso University. He then taught school and then received his law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1900. He then practiced law. Rush was district attorney of Clark County, Wisconsin from 1911 to 1918 and was a delegate to the

1928 Republican National Convention The 1928 Republican National Convention was held at Convention Hall in Kansas City, Missouri, from June 12 to June 15, 1928. Because President Coolidge had announced unexpectedly he would not run for re-election in 1928, Commerce Secretary Her ...

. He later helped organize the Wisconsin Progressive Party. Rush was born in Waterford, Wisconsin and later resided in

Neillsville, Wisconsin Neillsville is a city in Clark County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 2,384 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat. History The Ojibwa were the earliest known residents of the Neillsville area. The first settlers of Europe ...

for over 60 years. In 1931, Rush was chosen as chairman of the legislative interim committee on banking. In January 1937, Rush narrowly won the post of

president pro tempore A president pro tempore or speaker pro tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer. The phrase ''pro tempore'' is Latin "for the time being". ...

of the Senate, with a vote of 17–16. In 1937, Rush also served as chairman of the Senate committee on corporations and taxation.Governor Backs Commission Change; Hearings on Five-Man Board Arranged
(Feb. 4, 1937), ''Milwaukee Journal''.

References

People from Waterford, Wisconsin People from Neillsville, Wisconsin Valparaiso University alumni University of Wisconsin Law School alumni Republican Party Wisconsin state senators Progressive Party (1924) Wisconsin state senators District attorneys in Wisconsin Educators from Wisconsin 20th-century American legislators 1871 births 1961 deaths 20th-century Wisconsin politicians {{Wisconsin-WISenate-stub