Robert Lynch (Wisconsin politician)

Robert E. Lynch
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Brown 2nd district
In office
January 3, 1955 – January 5, 1959
Preceded byHarvey Larsen
Succeeded byAdolph A. Deering
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Brown 1st district
In office
January 4, 1943 – January 3, 1955
Preceded byHarold A. Lytie
Succeeded byJerome Quinn
In office
January 2, 1933 – January 4, 1937
Preceded byHarold C. Malchow
Succeeded byHarold A. Lytie
Personal details
Born(1878-07-30)July 30, 1878
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedMay 1, 1959(1959-05-01) (aged 80)
Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.
Resting placeAllouez Catholic Cemetery, Green Bay
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseMarie J. Fischer
Children
  • Mary Jane (Murphy)
  • (b. 1918; died 1997)
  • Robert E. Lynch
  • (b. 1920; died 1982)
  • John Francis Lynch
  • (b. 1921; died 1991)
  • Eugene Michael Lynch
  • (b. 1923; died 2003)
Alma materUniversity of Notre Dame
ProfessionBaseball player, baseball manager, salesman
Baseball career
Shortstop, Third baseman
Batted: Unknown
Threw: Right
Western League debut
1902, for the Colorado Springs Millionaires
Last Central Association appearance
1915, for the Marshalltown Ansons
Minor League Baseball statistics
Games627
At bats2,267
Hits671
Teams
As player

As coach

Robert Emmett "Bobby" Lynch (July 30, 1878[1] – May 1, 1959) was an American baseball player and manager, salesman, and Democratic politician from Green Bay, Wisconsin. He represented Green Bay for ten terms as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, serving from 1933 to 1937, and then from 1943 to 1959.

Early life and baseball career[edit]

Robert E. Lynch was born in Chicago, Illinois,[2] in 1878, to an Irish Catholic family. He attended the University of Notre Dame and, after graduation, was hired as the baseball coach for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.[3] He went on to coach for Northwestern University, Northwestern Academy, and Clemson University. Between and after his years coaching, he had a 13-year career playing and managing for multiple minor league professional baseball clubs in the Wisconsin–Illinois League, the American Association, and the Western, Eastern, and Southern leagues.[4]

Political career[edit]

He settled in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he had played two seasons of minor league baseball, and went to work as a sales manager for a building materials company. He was an active and prominent member of the Irish American and Catholic communities in Green Bay. In 1932, he was elected president of the diocesan council in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Green Bay.[5]

Later that year, he was elected to his first term in the Wisconsin State Assembly, running on the Democratic Party ticket. He defeated one opponent in the Democratic primary and went on to defeat the incumbent, Republican Harold C. Malchow, in the November 1932 general election.[6] At the time, his district comprised just the city of Green Bay. He served in the 61st Wisconsin Legislature and was then re-elected in 1934, defeating Republican and Progressive challengers.[7]

In the summer of 1936, Lynch announced that he would not run for re-election and would retire from politics.[8] He remained active in the community for the next several years.

Just six years later, however, Lynch returned to active engagement in politics after the U.S. entry into World War II. He ran to reclaim his Assembly seat in 1942, after his successor, Harold A. Lytie, announced he would instead run for Congress that year.[9] Lynch defeated two opponents in the Democratic Primary, and went on to defeat the Republican nominee Frank Brazner, with 63% of the vote in the general election.[10] During this Assembly term, he also became involved in the war production effort as a spokesperson for the Kewaunee Shipbuilding and Engineering Corporation. After returning to office in 1943, he was re-elected five more times in this district before the 1954 redistricting.[11]

Under the 1954 redistricting plan, Lynch resided in the new 2nd Brown County district, which comprised roughly the eastern half of the city of Green Bay, along with two small neighboring towns. Nevertheless, Lynch won a ninth term in the new district, defeating Republican Emil Priewe with 53% of the vote in the November 1954 general election.[12] He won one final term in 1956, receiving 55% against Republican W. Tom White.[13]

Through his 20 years in the Assembly, he rose in the ranks of the Democratic caucus, serving as caucus chairman and assistant floor leader, and was the Democratic candidate for speaker in 1949.[14]

He announced in June 1958 that he would not seek an eleventh term in the Assembly, suffering from declining health. At the time of his announcement, he recalled the intense loyalty of his voters, who had returned him to office so many times.[15]

Lynch died less than a year later, on May 1, 1959.[16]

Personal life and family[edit]

Shortly after settling in Green Bay, Robert Lynch married Marie J. Fischer, who was then the private secretary to Joseph Martin, who was at that time a member of the Democratic National Committee. They were married September 12, 1917, at Eau Claire, Wisconsin.[17] They ultimately had four children together.

Their youngest son, Eugene Michael Lynch, enlisted in the United States Army in February 1943, in the midst of World War II, and was assigned to the 14th U.S. Armored Division. He was promoted to sergeant after training and then deployed for 21 months overseas, rising to the rank of platoon sergeant before being granted a battlefield commission as a second lieutenant in March 1945. He was promoted to first lieutenant in late 1945 and earned a purple heart and a silver star after fighting in southern France, central Europe, and the Rhineland.[18] He returned to the Army and went on to serve in the Korean War and the Vietnam War, where he earned a Distinguished Service Cross while commanding a brigade of the 25th U.S. Infantry Division in 1968.[19] He retired as a brigadier general and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Electoral history[edit]

Wisconsin Assembly (1932, 1934)[edit]

Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality
1932 Primary[6] Sep. 20 Robert E. Lynch Democratic 1,914 56.91% Harold La Luzerne Dem. 1,449 43.09% 3,363 465
General[6] Nov. 8 Robert E. Lynch Democratic 7,752 52.80% Harold C. Malchow (inc) Rep. 6,929 47.20% 14,681 823
1934 General[7] Nov. 6 Robert E. Lynch (inc) Democratic 5,260 47.46% Charles P. Badger Prog. 3,255 29.37% 11,083 2,005
Earl J. Jacobs Rep. 2,202 19.87%
Watson Lison Soc. 169 0.16%

Wisconsin Assembly (1942–1952)[edit]

Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality
1942 Primary[10] Sep. 15 Robert E. Lynch Democratic 1,809 51.36% Thomas F. Clabots Dem. 902 25.61% 3,522 907
Fred Tibbetts Dem. 811 23.03%
General[10] Nov. 3 Robert E. Lynch Democratic 7,058 63.54% Frank Brazner Rep. 4,050 36.46% 11,108 3,008
1944 General[11] Nov. 7 Robert E. Lynch (inc) Democratic 11,953 64.39% Louis Holthausen Rep. 6,610 35.61% 18,563 5,343
1946 General[20] Nov. 5 Robert E. Lynch (inc) Democratic 10,214 58.13% Louis Holthausen Rep. 7,358 41.87% 17,572 2,856
1948 General[21] Nov. 2 Robert E. Lynch (inc) Democratic 13,345 67.02% Stanley Lontkowski Rep. 6,567 32.98% 19,912 6,778
1950 Primary[22] Sep. 19 Robert E. Lynch (inc) Democratic 2,911 78.55% Jacob J. Blahnik Dem. 795 21.45% 3,706 2,116
General[22] Nov. 7 Robert E. Lynch (inc) Democratic 11,096 59.86% Peter F. Duveneck Rep. 7,440 40.14% 18,536 3,656
1952 General[23] Nov. 4 Robert E. Lynch (inc) Democratic 12,437 52.43% Peter F. Duveneck Rep. 11,282 47.57% 23,719 1,155

Wisconsin Assembly (1954, 1956)[edit]

Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality
1954 General[12] Nov. 2 Robert E. Lynch Democratic 6,512 53.77% Emil Priewe Rep. 5,599 46.23% 12,111 913
1956 General[12] Nov. 6 Robert E. Lynch (inc) Democratic 8,597 54.55% W. Tom White Rep. 7,163 45.45% 15,760 1,434

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Illinois, Cook County, Birth Certificates, 1871-1949".
  2. ^ "Politicians Who Were Involved in Professional Sports in Wisconsin". Political Graveyard. Retrieved 2013-12-23.
  3. ^ Gagnon, Cappy (2004). Notre Dame Baseball Greats: From Anson to Yaz. Charleston, SC: Arcadia. pp. 26, 47. ISBN 0738532622.
  4. ^ Frazer, Paul (December 1, 2013). "The founders and custodians of Green Bay baseball". Scene. Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  5. ^ "Holy Namers Will Sponsor a Boys' Camp". Green Bay Press-Gazette. May 9, 1932. p. 8. Retrieved July 31, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b c Witte, Edwin E.; Kelly, Alice, eds. (1931). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1933 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. pp. 543, 552. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Ohm, Howard F.; Bryhan, Leone G., eds. (1935). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1935 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. p. 624. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  8. ^ "Assemblyman Lynch Won't Seek Re-Election". The Capital Times. July 17, 1936. p. 9. Retrieved July 31, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Party Delegates Named Monday". Green Bay Press-Gazette. June 16, 1942. p. 25. Retrieved July 31, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ a b c Ohm, Howard F.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1944). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1944 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. pp. 514, 582. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Ohm, Howard F.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1946). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1946 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. pp. 601, 675. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  12. ^ a b c Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1956). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1956 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. pp. 710, 752. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  13. ^ Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1958). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1958 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. pp. 673, 777. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  14. ^ Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1958). "Biographies". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1958 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. pp. 34. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  15. ^ "Robert E. Lynch Leaves the Field". Green Bay Press-Gazette. June 30, 1958. p. 6. Retrieved July 31, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Robert Lynch, Assemblyman 20 Years, Dies". Green Bay Press-Gazette. May 2, 1959. p. 1. Retrieved July 31, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "State News". Oshkosh Northwestern. September 10, 1917. p. 6. Retrieved July 31, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Lt. Lynch Put on Inactive Status". Green Bay Press-Gazette. August 23, 1946. p. 5. Retrieved July 31, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Eugene M. Lynch". Military Times. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  20. ^ Ohm, Howard F.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1948). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1948 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. pp. 610, 681. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  21. ^ Ohm, Howard F.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1950). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1950 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. pp. 658, 759. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  22. ^ a b Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1952). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1952 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. pp. 680, 749. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  23. ^ Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1954). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1954 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. pp. 662, 762. Retrieved July 31, 2023.

External links[edit]

Wisconsin State Assembly
Preceded by Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Brown 1st district
January 2, 1933 – January 4, 1937 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Harold A. Lytie
 Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Brown 1st district
January 4, 1943 – January 3, 1955 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Brown 2nd district
January 3, 1955 – January 5, 1959 		Succeeded by
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