Henry Maier
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Henry Walter Maier (February 7, 1918 – July 17, 1994) was an American
politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...
and the longest-serving
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, 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 responsibilitie ...
of
Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
,
Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
, holding office from 1960 to 1988. A Democrat, Maier was a powerful and controversial figure, presiding over an era of economic and political turbulence for the city of Milwaukee.


Early life

Maier was born Henry Walter David Nelke in
Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...
. After his father died, he moved with his mother to
Springfield, Ohio Springfield is a city in Clark County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located in southwestern Ohio along the Mad River (Ohio), Mad River, Buck Creek, and Beaver Creek, about west of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus and northeast of ...
to live with his grandparents. He graduated from Springfield High School in 1936. When his mother moved to Milwaukee and married contractor Charles Maier, Nelke accompanied her. He changed his name to Henry Walter Maier in 1938. Maier served in the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. He earned a bachelor's degree from the
University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...
and a master's degree from University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. Maier was in the insurance business and taught
workers' compensation Workers' compensation or workers' comp is a form of insurance providing wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of employment in exchange for mandatory relinquishment of the employee's right to sue his or her emp ...
and general liability insurance at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.


Political career

A member of the Democratic Party, Maier was elected to the
Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after those o ...
in 1950. In 1960 he was elected Milwaukee's mayor, succeeding Frank Zeidler, the last of Milwaukee's
Socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...
mayors. Maier's term included the 1967 Milwaukee riot, a response by the African-American community to a host of issues including housing discrimination and
police brutality Police brutality is the excessive and unwarranted use of force by law enforcement against an individual or Public order policing, a group. It is an extreme form of police misconduct and is a civil rights violation. Police brutality includes, b ...
. (Maier's opposition to the Civil Rights Movement caused constant friction with his administration and Milwaukee's non-white residents). Maier remained in office for 28 years, succeeded by John Norquist in 1988. He was the longest-serving mayor in Milwaukee history. In 1971 and 1972, he served as president of the
United States Conference of Mayors The United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) is the official non-partisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. The cities are each represented by their mayors or other chief elected officials. The organization was founded ...
. A 1993 survey of historians, political scientists and urban experts conducted by Melvin G. Holli of the
University of Illinois at Chicago The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is a public research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, adjacent to the Chicago Loop. The second campus established under the Universi ...
ranked Maier as the fourteenth-best American big-city mayor to have served between the years 1820 and 1993.


Later life, death, and legacy

In 1993, Maier wrote a political memoir: ''The Mayor Who Made Milwaukee Famous''. He died of
pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...
at age 76 at his home in Delafield, Wisconsin.
Henry Maier Festival Park Henry Maier Festival Park is a 75-acre festival park located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on the shore Lake Michigan and is the site of the annual Summerfest musical festival and the home of the American Family Insurance Amphitheater. History Be ...
, where
Summerfest Summerfest is an annual music festival held in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. First held in 1968, Summerfest is located at Henry Maier Festival Park, adjacent to Lake Michigan and Milwaukee's Third Ward business district. Summerfest is known ...
is held, was named in his honor."Henry W. Maier: 1918-1994-Maier Leaves Mixed Legacy". ''Milwaukee Sentinel'', July 18, 1994, p. 11A.


See also

* List of mayors of Milwaukee


Notes


External links

*
Henry W. Maier
at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries
'Urban Statesman' Steps Down
in ''The Washington Post''
Henry Maier
at ''Milwaukee Magazine''

at CYC-Online , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Maier, Henry W. 1918 births 1994 deaths 20th-century American businesspeople Businesspeople from Milwaukee Deaths from pneumonia in Wisconsin Democratic Party Wisconsin state senators Mayors of Milwaukee Military personnel from Dayton, Ohio Military personnel from Milwaukee Politicians from Dayton, Ohio Politicians from Springfield, Ohio Presidents of the United States Conference of Mayors United States Navy personnel of World War II University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee alumni University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee faculty Writers from Dayton, Ohio Writers from Milwaukee 20th-century mayors of places in Wisconsin 20th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature