The Sixty-Third Wisconsin Legislature convened from to in regular session, and reconvened in a special session from to .

This was the high water mark for the power of the Wisconsin Progressive Party, as they controlled both chambers of the Legislature and the Governor's office.

Senators representing even-numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first two years of a four-year term. Assembly members were elected to a two-year term. Assembly members and even-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 3, 1936. Senators representing odd-numbered districts were serving the third and fourth year of a four-year term, having been elected in the general election of November 6, 1934.

The governor of Wisconsin during this entire term was Progressive Philip La Follette, of Dane County, serving his third two-year term, having won re-election in the 1936 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.

Major events January 4, 1937: Third inauguration of Philip La Follette as Governor of Wisconsin. January 20, 1937: Second inauguration of Franklin D. Roosevelt as President of the United States. The first presidential inauguration to take place on January 20. May 6, 1937: The commercial airship LZ 129 Hindenburg was destroyed in an accidental fire while attempting to dock at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, in New Jersey, killing 35 passengers and crew. July 7, 1937: The Marco Polo Bridge Incident between forces of the Empire of Japan and the Republic of China, ignited the Second Sino-Japanese War. July 22, 1937: The United States Senate rejected U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt's proposal to add seats to the United States Supreme Court. October 16, 1937: Wisconsin lieutenant governor Henry Gunderson resigned. March 13, 1938: German leader Adolf Hitler declared the annexation of Austria. May 16, 1938: Herman Ekern was appointed lieutenant governor of Wisconsin to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Henry Gunderson. September 29, 1938: The Munich Agreement was signed by German, Italian, French, and British delegates, resolving the Sudetenland crisis by allowing Germany to annex the contested territory from Czechoslovakia. November 8, 1938: 1938 United States general election: Julius P. Heil (R) elected Governor of Wisconsin. Alexander Wiley (R) elected United States senator from Wisconsin. November 9, 1938: Nazi activists and paramilitaries in Germany engaged in a nationwide pogrom against Jewish businesses and religious spaces, known as Kristallnacht. December 17, 1938: Otto Hahn discovered the nuclear fission of Uranium.

Major legislation 1937 Act 51: Created the Wisconsin Labor Relations Board.

Party summary Senate summary

Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) Total Dem. Prog. Rep. Vacant End of previous Legislature 14 13 6 33 0 Start of Reg. Session 9 16 8 33 0 Final voting share Beginning of the next Legislature 6 11 16 33 0

Assembly summary

Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) Total Dem. Soc. Prog. Rep. Vacant End of previous Legislature 35 3 43 17 98 2 Start of Reg. Session 31 0 48 21 100 0 From May 30, 1937Republican Nels Larson (Winnebago County) died. 20 99 1 Final voting share Beginning of the next Legislature 15 0 32 53 100 0

Sessions Regular session: January 13, 1937July 2, 1937 September 1937 special session: September 15, 1937October 16, 1937

Leaders Senate leadership President of the Senate: Henry Gunderson (P) Herman Ekern (P) President pro tempore: Walter J. Rush (P–Neillsville)

Assembly leadership Speaker of the Assembly: Paul Alfonsi (P–Pence)

Members Members of the Senate Members of the Senate for the Sixty-Third Wisconsin Legislature:

Dist. Counties Senator Residence Party 01 Door, Kewaunee, Denmark Prog. 02 Brown Green Bay Prog. 03 Milwaukee (South City) Milwaukee Dem. 04 Milwaukee (Northeast County Milwaukee Rep. 05 Milwaukee Milwaukee Dem. 06 Milwaukee Milwaukee Prog. 07 Milwaukee (Southeast County Milwaukee Dem. 08 Milwaukee West Milwaukee Prog. 09 Milwaukee Milwaukee Dem. 10 Buffalo, Pepin, Pierce, River FallsRep. 11 Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, MapleRep. 12 Ashland, Iron, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, LadysmithProg. 13 Dodge OakfieldProg. 14 Outagamie ShioctonRep. 15 Rock BeloitRep. 16 Crawford, Grant, FennimoreRep. 17 Green, Iowa, South WayneProg. 18 , Fond du LacRep. 19 Calumet Rush LakeDem. 20 Ozaukee Port WashingtonDem. 21 Racine RacineDem. 22 Kenosha Kenosha Rep. 23 Portage Iola Prog. 24 Clark, Taylor, Neillsville Prog. 25 Lincoln Wausau Prog. 26 Dane Madison Prog. 27 Columbia, Richland, Cambria Prog. 28 Chippewa Eau Claire Prog. 29 Barron, Dunn, Barron Prog. 30 Florence, Forest, Langlade, Marinette, Pembine Dem. 31 Adams, Juneau, Monroe, Sparta Prog. 32 Jackson, La Crosse, La Crosse Prog. 33 Jefferson Dem.

Members of the Assembly Members of the Assembly for the Sixty-Third Wisconsin Legislature:

SenateDist. County Dist. Representative Party Residence 31 Adams Prog. Adams 12 Ashland Prog. Ashland 29 Barron Prog. Rice Lake 11 Bayfield Prog. Bayfield 02 Brown 1 Dem. Green Bay 2 Dem. De Pere 10 Buffalo Prog. Alma 11 Burnett Prog. Siren 19 Calumet Dem. Harrison 28 Chippewa Rep. Stanley 24 Clark Prog. Neillsville 27 Columbia Dem. Portage 16 Crawford Rep. Soldiers Grove 26 Dane 1 Prog. Madison 2 Prog. Deerfield 3 Prog. Mount Horeb 13 Dodge 1 Dem. Mayville 2 Dem. Beaver Dam 01 Door Rep. Sturgeon Bay 11 Douglas 1 Prog. Superior 2 Prog. Poplar 29 Dunn Prog. Menomonie 28 Eau Claire Prog. Eau Claire 30 Florence, Forest, Prog. Rhinelander 18 Fond du Lac 1 Dem. Fond du Lac 2 Rep. Ripon 16 Grant 1 Rep. Cuba City 2 Rep. Lancaster 17 Green Prog. New Glarus 18 Green Lake Rep. Berlin 17 Iowa Prog. Mineral Point 12 Iron Prog. Pence 32 Jackson Prog. Humbird 33 Jefferson Dem. Fort Atkinson 31 Juneau Prog. New Lisbon 22 Kenosha 1 Dem. Kenosha 2 Prog. Kenosha 01 Kewaunee Dem. Algoma 32 La Crosse 1 Prog. La Crosse 2 Prog. Onalaska 17 Lafayette Rep. Wiota 30 Langlade Dem. Antigo 25 Lincoln Prog. Merrill 01 Manitowoc 1 Dem. Manitowoc 2 Prog. Two Rivers 25 Marathon 1 Prog. Marathon 2 Dem. Wausau 30 Marinette Rep. Marinette 09 Milwaukee 1 Dem. Milwaukee 06 2 Prog. Milwaukee 08 3 Prog.Dem. Milwaukee 09 4 Dem. Milwaukee 03 5 Dem. Milwaukee 09 6 Prog. Milwaukee 06 7 Prog. Milwaukee 08 8 Dem. Milwaukee 05 9 Prog. Milwaukee 07 10 Prog. South Milwaukee 03 11 Dem. Milwaukee 07 12 Dem. Milwaukee 04 13 Dem. Milwaukee 14 Rep. Milwaukee 05 15 Dem. Milwaukee 06 16 Prog. Milwaukee 07 17 Dem. Milwaukee 06 18 Prog. Milwaukee 05 19 Dem. West Milwaukee 08 20 Rep. Wauwatosa 31 Monroe Prog. Greenfield 02 Oconto Dem. Oconto 14 Outagamie 1 Rep. Appleton 2 Dem. Kaukauna 20 Ozaukee Dem. Belgium 10 Pierce Prog. Ellsworth 29 Polk Prog. Amery 23 Portage Prog. Stevens Point 12 Price Prog. Phillips 21 Racine 1 Prog. Racine 2 Prog. Racine 3 Dem. Burlington 27 Richland Rep. Richland Center 15 Rock 1 Rep. Edgerton 2 Rep. Beloit 12 Rusk Prog. Hayward 27 Sauk Prog. Sauk City 14 Shawano Prog. Bowler 20 Sheboygan 1 Dem. Sheboygan 2 Dem. Plymouth 10 St. Croix Prog. Hudson 24 Taylor Rep. Medford 32 Trempealeau Prog. Osseo 16 Vernon Prog. Westby 22 Walworth Rep. Delavan 13 Washington Dem. West Bend 33 Waukesha 1 Rep. Waukesha 2 Rep. Pewaukee 23 Waupaca Prog. Manawa 19 Winnebago 1 Rep. Oshkosh 2 Rep. Neenah 24 Wood Prog. Wisconsin Rapids

Committees Senate committees Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and LaborJ. E. Leverich, chair Senate Standing Committee on CommitteesE. M. Rowlands, chair Senate Standing Committee on Contingent ExpendituresR. E. Kannenberg, chair Senate Standing Committee on Corporations and TaxationW. J. Rush, chair Senate Standing Committee on Education and Public WelfareP. E. Nelson, chair Senate Standing Committee on HighwaysF. E. Panzer, chair Senate Standing Committee on the JudiciaryH. J. Severson, chair Senate Standing Committee on Legislative ProcedureW. J. Rush, chair Senate Standing Committee on State and Local GovernmentA. L. Zimny, chair

Assembly committees Assembly Standing Committee on AgricultureH. W. Schilling, chair Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce and ManufacturesE. W. Blomquist, chair Assembly Standing Committee on ConservationP. A. Hemmy, chair Assembly Standing Committee on Contingent ExpendituresJ. L. Sieb, chair Assembly Standing Committee on EducationA. A. Hitt, chair Assembly Standing Committee on ElectionsA. D. Kelly, chair Assembly Standing Committee on Engrossed BillsB. B. Kroenke, chair Assembly Standing Committee on Enrolled BillsM. Franzkowiak, chair Assembly Standing Committee on Excise and FeesA. J. Balzer, chair Assembly Standing Committee on HighwaysE. D. Hall, chair Assembly Standing Committee on Insurance and BankingJ. W. Grobschmidt, chair Assembly Standing Committee on the JudiciaryB. M. Vaughan, chair Assembly Standing Committee on LaborD. Sigman, chair Assembly Standing Committee on MunicipalitiesM. H. Hall, chair Assembly Standing Committee on PrintingT. Swanson, chair Assembly Standing Committee on Public WelfareE. H. Kiefer, chair Assembly Standing Committee on RevisionJ. L. Barber, chair Assembly Standing Committee on RulesH. B. Wegner, chair Assembly Standing Committee on State AffairsJ. D. Millar, chair Assembly Standing Committee on TaxationH. S. Halvorsen, chair Assembly Standing Committee on Third ReadingM. O. Kryszak, chair Assembly Standing Committee on TransportationJ. T. Pritchard, chair

Joint committees Joint Standing Committee on FinanceE. M. Rowlands (Sen.) & E. J. Hoesly (Asm.), co-chairs

Employees Senate employees Chief Clerk: Lawrence R. Larsen Assistant Chief Clerk: Arno C. Handel Sergeant-at-Arms: Emil A. Hartman Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Albert E. Daley

Assembly employees Chief Clerk: Lester R. Johnson Sergeant-at-Arms: Gustave Rheingans Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Phillip K. Lalor

Notes

References

External links 1937: Related Documents from Wisconsin Legislature