Henry Allen Huber (November 6, 1869January 31, 1933) was an American lawyer and progressive

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

politician from

Stoughton, Wisconsin Stoughton is a city in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. It straddles the Yahara River about 20 miles southeast of the state capital, Madison. Stoughton is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the popula ...

. He was the 25th

lieutenant governor of Wisconsin The lieutenant governor of Wisconsin is the first person in the line of succession of Wisconsin's executive branch, thus serving as governor in the event of the death, resignation, removal, impeachment, absence from the state, or incapacity due to ...

, serving from 1925 through 1933. He also served 12 years in the

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

and two years in 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, ...

representing

Dane County Dane County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 561,504, making it the second-most populous county in Wisconsin. The county seat is Madison, which is also the state capital. Dane County is the ...

. Earlier in his career, he also served as an executive clerk to Wisconsin governor

Robert M. La Follette Robert Marion "Fighting Bob" La Follette Sr. (June 14, 1855June 18, 1925), was an American lawyer and politician. He represented Wisconsin in both chambers of Congress and served as the 20th Governor of Wisconsin. A Republican for most of his ...

. He is known for introducing the first form of state

unemployment insurance Unemployment benefits, also called unemployment insurance, unemployment payment, unemployment compensation, or simply unemployment, are payments made by authorized bodies to unemployed people. In the United States, benefits are funded by a comp ...

legislation in the United States, and is the namesake of the "Huber Law" which created Wisconsin's first

work release In prison systems, work release programs allow a prisoner who is sufficiently trusted or can be sufficiently monitored to go outside the prison and work at a place of employment, returning to prison when their shift is complete. Some work release ...

program for state prisoners.

Biography

Huber was born in Evergreen, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, in 1869. At age ten, he moved with his parents to

Pleasant Springs, Wisconsin The Town of Pleasant Springs is located in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,053 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated community of Kegonsa is located in the town. The unincorporated community of Hoffman Corners is als ...

. He graduated from the

University of Wisconsin 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, ...

in 1892 and set up a law practice in Stoughton. He was city attorney for Stoughton, Wisconsin, and served on the Dane County Board of Supervisors. He served as a

in the

from 1905 until 1906, and in the

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

from 1913 until 1924. During his time as a state senator, he gained national recognition for two landmark pieces of legislation. He introduced the first

legislation in American history, and was the author of Wisconsin's first

program—still referred to in Wisconsin as the "Huber Law". In 1924, incumbent Lieutenant Governor

George Comings George Fisher Comings (March 18, 1849 – June 10, 1942) was an American politician, a dairyman, an agricultural lecturer, and the 24th Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin. Early life Comings was born in Greensboro, Vermont, in 1849. He moved ...

announced he would run for Governor. Huber thus decided that rather than running for a fourth term in the State Senate, he would seek the office of

Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin The lieutenant governor of Wisconsin is the first person in the line of succession of Wisconsin's executive branch, thus serving as governor in the event of the death, resignation, removal, impeachment, absence from the state, or incapacity due to ...

in 1924. Huber ultimately faced no opposition in the Republican primary, and went on to win the general election with 60% of the vote. He went on to win re-election in 1926, 1928, and 1930, facing competitive primaries and general elections each time. During his four terms as lieutenant governor, he served alongside four different governors. He ran for a fifth term in 1932, but was defeated in the Republican primary by conservative Republican Harry Dahl, who went on to lose the general election to Democrat Thomas J. O'Malley.

Death

Huber died less than a month after leaving office, in January 1933. He was admitted to Madison General Hospital on January 30, suffering from a chronic heart condition, and died the next day. Biodata
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Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (1904)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 8, 1904

Wisconsin Senate (1912, 1916, 1920)

Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor (1924, 1926, 1928, 1930)

References

Sources

* 1869 births 1933 deaths People from Ross Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governors of Wisconsin Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Republican Party Wisconsin state senators County supervisors in Wisconsin People from Stoughton, Wisconsin Politicians from Madison, Wisconsin People from Pleasant Springs, Wisconsin University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni University of Wisconsin Law School alumni {{Wisconsin-politician-stub