William F. Quick, Sr., (July 31, 1885December 12, 1966) was an American machinist,"Complete List of the Delegates Attending The Socialist National Convention Here." New York Times May 12, 1920; page 3. lawyer, and Socialist politician in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was the Socialist Party nominee for Governor of Wisconsin in 1924 and served one term (1923–1926) in the Wisconsin State Senate, representing the Milwaukee-based 7th District. After leaving the senate, he served as a civil court judge and city attorney in Milwaukee.
He is not to be confused with William F. Quick (born 1909) who served two terms as Sergeant at Arms of the Wisconsin State Assembly in the 1970s.
Background Quick was born in Milwaukee July 31, 1885. He was educated in the Milwaukee Public Schools and studied law in night school. He worked as a construction superintendent and a machinist, before becoming a lawyer practicing in Milwaukee.
Political activity and public office At the 1920 national convention of the Socialist Party, he was a delegate who supported the unsuccessful minority report, urging that the Socialist Party's affiliation with the Third International should be reaffirmed without reservations.Harry W. Laidler, "The Socialist Convention". The Socialist Review [New York] v. 9, no. 1 (June 1920), pp. 26-36.
Quick had never held public office before the November 1922 general election, in which he was elected to succeed fellow Socialist Louis A. Arnold in the 7th District (the 5th, 12th and 17th Wards of the City of Milwaukee, the Cities of Cudahy and South Milwaukee and the Towns of Lake and Oak Creek) with 5,823 votes, defeating Republican John S. Kanney (who polled 5,531 votes), with 747 votes for Democrat Albert A. Ullenberg. He was assigned to the standing committees on the judiciary and on contingent expenditures.The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1923 Madison: Compiled and published under the direction of The State Printing Board, 1923; pp. unnumbered (betw. 432 & 433), 584, 589, 608
In 1924 he was the Socialist candidate for Governor of Wisconsin, coming in third in a seven-way race with 5.68% of the vote, to Republican John J. Blaine's 51.76% and Democrat Martin L. Lueck's 39.87%. In the new Senate session, he was removed from the contingent expenditures committee, but remained on judiciary.Holmes, Fred L., ed. The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1925 Madison: Democrat Printing Company, State Printer, 1925; pp. 562-63, 626, 646
He did not run for re-election in 1926, and was succeeded by Republican Herbert H. Smith.
After the Senate Quick was appointed by his former foe, Governor Blaine, to serve as a civil court judge in 1926, when Judge Joseph Padway (also a former Socialist legislator) resigned; and served until 1927,"Judge Quick Faces Contest: Four Attorneys Will Seek Place Held by Blaine Appointee" Milwaukee Journal January 4, 1927; p. 15, col. 3 when he was defeated by a "Nonpartisan" candidate."Schultz Beats Cummings in Judicial Test: Defeat is First for Civil Court Incumbent Since 1927" Milwaukee Journal April 2, 1941; Local News p. 1, col. 4 In 1930 Quick was the Socialist nominee for Congress of the United States from Wisconsin's 4th congressional district, coming in second to Republican John C. Schafer with 36.22% of the vote, to Schafer's 46.63% and Democrat William J. Kershaw's 15.46%. William Tyler Page, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 1930," Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, January 1931.
He was first assistant city attorney for the City of Milwaukee from 1932-1936. When city attorney Max Raskin was defeated, Quick went back into private practice with Raskin as a partner. He would later blame the "wrecked" state of his practice and his finances on the time that he had spent working for the city."Former Judge Cited for Tax: Quick Tells Officials He is Trying to Rebuild His 'Wrecked' Law Practice". Milwaukee Journal May 13, 1938; p. 1, col. 4
In the September 1942 primary elections, Quick and his son William F. Quick, Jr., each got five write-in votes for Socialist city central committeeman from the 27th Ward; and William, Sr., got one vote as Socialist Wisconsin State Assembly nominee from the 17th Assembly district. William, Jr., a Progressive Party committeeman, withdrew from the committeeman race in favor of his father, and William Sr. withdrew from the Assembly race in favor of former Alderman Leonard K. Place."Tied Write-in Candidates Toss Their Chances Into the Hat" Milwaukee Journal September 25, 1942; p. 10, cols. 4-6
He died in 1966.Stevens, Michael E. and Ellen D. Goldlust-Gingrich, eds. The Family Letters of Victor and Meta Berger, 1894-1929 Madison: Center for Documentary History, State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1995; p. 403
Electoral history
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| Primary Election, September 2, 1924
| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 4, 1924
References
External links William F. Quick at Find a Grave