Albert G. Schmedeman

Albert George Schmedeman ( born November 25, 1864 in Madison, Wisconsin, † November 26, 1946 ) was an American politician and from 1933 to 1935 the 28th Governor of Wisconsin.

Early years

Albert Schmedeman, the son of German immigrants, the Northwestern Commercial attended college in Madison, capital of Wisconsin. Since 1884, he worked in a clothing store. By the year 1892, he had brought it to the senior partner of the firm Schmedemann clothes and Baillie.

Political rise

Schmedeman was a member of the Democratic Party. Between 1903 and 1907 he sat on the city council of Madison. At the same time he was the School Council, fire, and police officer ( Fire and Police Commissioner) of the city. In 1910 he ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 1912 and failed in his attempt to be elected mayor of Madison. At that time he was treasurer of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. In 1912, he supported the successful presidential campaign of Woodrow Wilson. After his election victory he appointed Schmedeman to the United States Ambassador in Norway. A post he held until the end of the presidency of Wilson in 1921., In his capacity as ambassador, he took in 1919 on behalf of the President of the Nobel Peace prize.

After the end of his activities in Norway, he remained politically active. He was district leader of the Democratic Party in Madison. Between 1926 and 1932 he was mayor of that city. In 1928 he was the top candidate of his party for the upcoming gubernatorial election. However, he was defeated by Republican Walter Kohler.

Governor of Wisconsin

Four years after his unsuccessful candidacy for governor undertook Schmedeman 1932 another attempt to gain this office. This time he succeeded in the election against the incumbent Governor Philip La Follette. This election took place against the backdrop of a nationwide trend in favor of the Democrats, which culminated in the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt as U.S. president. Between January 2, 1933 and January 7, 1935 Schmedeman could now officiate as governor of Wisconsin. At the beginning of his term the global economic crisis had reached its peak. Similar to some other states, the governor let the banks close for a few days. He also came to the farmers and homeowners forward with subsidized loans. In addition, he also benefited from the federal policy of the President that it has made under the heading of the New Deal in American history. At the end of his two-year reign, the economic situation was clearly on the road to recovery. In 1934, he nevertheless lost in the gubernatorial election against his predecessor Philip La Follette, who thus became his successor.

Further CV

Even during the election campaign in 1934, he had contracted during the visit of a possible location for a national park a foot injury. This resulted in a gangrene infection, which led to the amputation of his leg developed. Nevertheless, he was still interested in political events. Between 1935 and 1942 he was commissioned by President Roosevelt with the support of the federal housing program ( Federal Housing Administration) in Wisconsin. After he retired into private life back to Madison. There he died in 1946. Albert Schedeman was married to Katherine Regan, with whom he had two children.