Robert Marion La Follette, Sr.
| Robert M. La Follette | |
|---|---|
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United States Senator from Wisconsin |
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In office January 4, 1906 – June 18, 1925 |
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| Preceded by | Joseph V. Quarles |
| Succeeded by | Robert M. La Follette Jr. |
| 20th Governor of Wisconsin | |
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In office January 7, 1901 – January 1, 1906 |
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| Lieutenant |
Jesse Stone James O. Davidson |
| Preceded by | Edward Scofield |
| Succeeded by | James O. Davidson |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 3rd district |
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In office March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1891 |
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| Preceded by | Burr W. Jones |
| Succeeded by | Allen R. Bushnell |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Robert Marion La Follette June 14, 1855 Primrose, Wisconsin |
| Died | June 18, 1925 (aged 70) Washington, D.C. |
| Political party |
Republican Progressive |
| Spouse(s) | Belle Case La Follette |
| Children | Robert M. La Follette Jr., Philip La Follette, Fola La Follette, Mary La Follette |
| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin–Madison |
| Signature |  |
Robert Marion "Fighting Bob" La Follette Sr. (June 14, 1855 – June 18, 1925) was an American Republican and Progressive politician. He represented Wisconsin in both chambers of Congress and served as the Governor of Wisconsin. A Republican for most of his career, he ran for President of the United States as the nominee of his own Progressive Party in 1924.
Born and raised in Wisconsin, he obtained a law license and won election as the Dane County District Attorney. In 1884, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives, losing his seat in the 1890 Democratic wave election. La Follette returned to Wisconsin to build up his law practice but remained active in politics, seeking the Republican nomination for governor in 1896, 1898, and 1900. He won the nomination in 1900, defeated his Democratic opponent in the general election, and served as Wisconsin's governor from 1901 to 1906. He sought numerous progressive reforms as governor, including workers' compensation and women's suffrage. While serving as governor, he won election to the United States Senate, holding office from 1906 to 1925.
He became a national leader of the progressive movement and a vocal opponent of railroad trusts, bossism, World War I, and the League of Nations. He sought the Republican nomination for president in the 1912 election, but most of his supporters coalesced behind Theodore Roosevelt. La Follette ran for president again in 1924, creating the Progressive Party to challenge incumbent Republican President Calvin Coolidge and Democrat John W. Davis. Running on a ticket with Democratic Senator Burton K. Wheeler, La Follette carried Wisconsin and won 17% of the popular vote, one of the best third party performances in U.S. history. La Follette died shortly after the presidential election. His wife Belle Case La Follette and his sons Robert M. La Follette Jr. and Philip La Follette founded the Wisconsin Progressive Party and became the dominant power in the state in the 1930s.
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