William T. Evjue (October 10, 1882 – April 23, 1970; born Peder Wilhelm Theodor Evjue) was an American newspaper editor and radio broadcast executive. He founded ''

The Capital Times ''The Capital Times'' (or ''Cap Times'') is a digital-first newspaper published in Madison, Wisconsin by The Capital Times Company. The company also owns 50 percent of Capital Newspapers, which now does business as Madison Media Partners. The o ...

'' and also helped launch the radio station

WIBA (AM) WIBA (1310 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Madison, Wisconsin. Owned by iHeartMedia, the station airs a Conservative Talk format, under the slogan "Madison's News/Talk Station." WIBA operates at 5,000 watts around the clock. ...

, both in

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...

. He also served as a Wisconsin state legislator.

Biography

Peder Evjue was born to Norwegian emigrant parents in

Merrill, Wisconsin Merrill is a city in and the county seat of Lincoln County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located to the south of and adjacent to the Town of Merrill. The population was 9,347, according to the 2020 census. Merrill is part of the United Sta ...

. His name was later modified to William T. Evjue. Evjue first worked for the Citizens Bank of Merrill. He then went to

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, ...

. After graduating in 1905, Evjue became a reporter at the Milwaukee Sentinel and later worked for the

Wisconsin State Journal The ''Wisconsin State Journal'' is a daily newspaper published in Madison, Wisconsin by Lee Enterprises. The newspaper, the second largest in Wisconsin, is primarily distributed in a 19 county region in south-central Wisconsin. As of September ...

as the business manager. In 1917, Evjue served 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, ...

as a

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 ...

. He served as director of the Republican State Central Committee of Wisconsin from 1920 to 1924. The Wisconsin State Journal had opposed the anti-war views of United States Senator Robert M. La Follette, Sr. In 1917, Evjue left the Wisconsin State Journal. He started

and continued to support La Follette Sr. and the

Wisconsin Progressive Party The Wisconsin Progressive Party (1934–1946) was a political party that briefly held a dominant role in Wisconsin politics. History The Party was the brainchild of Philip La Follette and Robert M. La Follette, Jr., the sons of the famous Wisco ...

. Later Evjue and The Capital Times supported Democratic candidates. In 1925, he started the radio station, WIBA, and continued to serve as station president until his death. In 1934, he was appointed chairman of the

. Evjue died at his home in Madison, Wisconsin and was buried in Forest Hill Cemetery in Dane County, Wisconsin. Before his death, he established the Evjue Foundation and stipulated in his will that profits go to the foundation to be distributed to worthy causes in the community.

References

External links

Evjue Foundation websiteWIBA FM website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Evjue, William T. 1882 births 1970 deaths People from Merrill, Wisconsin Politicians from Madison, Wisconsin University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni Editors of Wisconsin newspapers Wisconsin Democrats Wisconsin Progressives (1924) Wisconsin Republicans Members of the Wisconsin State Assembly 20th-century American politicians American people of Norwegian descent Radio personalities from Milwaukee