Arthur J. Balzer
Arthur J. Balzer (March 6, 1895 - January 31, 1962) was an American merchant and lecturer from West Allis, Wisconsin, who served several terms as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from Milwaukee County, first in the 1930s and again for a single term in the 1950s.[1]
Early life and education
Balzer was born March 6, 1895, in
Career
In 1924, he became a resident of West Allis. He went into what he described as "general merchandising business", and became a part-time lecturer.
He was first elected to the Assembly's 3rd Milwaukee County district in 1932, at which time he was in the
Busby in turn defeated Balzer in 1934 by 65 votes, running as a candidate of the newly organized Wisconsin Progressive Party, with 4,793 votes to Balzer's 4,728, Puncer's 2,740, and Republican Bruce Randolph's 965.[3] Balzer reclaimed the seat in 1936 (still describing himself as a "Progressive Democrat") and was re-elected in 1938, in each case over a Progressive Party candidate. (In the 1938 election, he actually tied the Progressive, but under the existing law was seated after his name was drawn from a hat.[4]) This time, he listed himself as a "Liberal Democrat" in the Blue Book.
In 1940, he ran for the
He was elected once more in 1954 from the newly created 21st Milwaukee County Assembly district (the 3rd
Since Balzer was no longer in the Assembly, in 1957 Robert Heider announced that a speech on the Assembly floor in commemoration of Abraham Lincoln's birthday, a custom which the sometime Democrat Balzer had long observed when he was in office, would be needed. He then yielded the floor to fellow Republican Elmer L. Genzmer for that purpose.[8]
Death
Balzer died January 31, 1962, in the Wood Veteran's Hospital in Milwaukee.[9]
References
- ^ "Members of the Wisconsin Legislature 1848–1999 State of Wisconsin Legislative Bureau. Information Bulletin 99-1, September 1999. p. 25 Archived December 9, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Witte, Edwin E.; Kelly, Alice, eds. The Wisconsin blue book, 1933 Madison: Democrat Printing Company, State Printer, 1933; p. 553
- ^ Ohm, Howard F.; Bryhan, Leone G., eds. The Wisconsin blue book, 1935 Madison: Democrat Printing Company, State Printer, 1935; p. 627
- Milwaukee JournalJanuary 27, 1939; p. 3, col. 1
- ^ Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., ed. The Wisconsin blue book, 1956 Madison: State of Wisconsin, 1956; pp. 57, 753
- ^ Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., ed. The Wisconsin blue book, 1958 Madison: State of Wisconsin, 1958; pp. 676, 778
- ^ "Members of the Wisconsin Legislature 1848–1999 State of Wisconsin Legislative Bureau. Information Bulletin 99-1, September 1999. p. 78 Archived December 9, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- Daily NorthwesternFebruary 12, 1957; p. 10, col. 2
- Janesville Daily GazetteFebruary 1, 1962; p. 8, col. 8