Thaddeus Wasielewski

Thaddeus Francis Boleslaw Wasielewski (December 2, 1904 – April 25, 1976) was an American lawyer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who spent six years as a Democratic U.S. Representative from Wisconsin's 4th congressional district.[1]

Thaddeus Francis Boleslaw Wasielewski
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Wisconsin's 4th district
In office
January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1947
Preceded byJohn C. Schafer
Succeeded byJohn C. Brophy
Personal details
BornDecember 2, 1904
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
DiedApril 25, 1976(1976-04-25) (aged 71)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic
Alma materUniversity of Michigan
Marquette University Law School
ProfessionAttorney

Background

Wasielewski was born in Milwaukee, son of Dr. Frank S. and Felicia H. (Baranowski) Wasielewski. He attended SS. Cyril and Methodius Parochial School and South Division High School, and received degrees from the University of Michigan (B.A., 1927) and from Marquette University Law School (J.D., 1931) and practiced law in Milwaukee. On 28 October 1939, he married Stephanie M. Gorak, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Gorak of Milwaukee. He was active in many local Polish-American organizations and would make campaign speeches both in English and in the Polish language.

Congress

In 1938, Wasielewski unseated incumbent Congressman Raymond Joseph Cannon in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin's 4th congressional district, but was narrowly defeated in turn by a former incumbent, Republican John Schafer, with 33,559 votes (31.40%), to Schafer's 34,196 (32.00%), Progressive Paul Gauer's 30,817 (28.84%), 7,498 votes (7.02%) for Cannon (who ran as an independent) and 794 votes (0.74%) for a Union Party candidate.

Wasielewski was again nominated in 1940, and this time was elected to the 77th Congress. He served as part of the 77th, 78th and 79th Congresses. He lost the Democratic nomination in 1946 to Edmund Bobrowicz (he was accused of voting for anti-labor legislation), then ran unsuccessfully for his seat as an independent when accusations surfaced that Bobrowicz was a Communist Party member. As a result, they both lost to Republican John C. Brophy, who drew 49,144 votes to Bobrowicz' 44,398, Wasielewski's 38.502, and Socialist George Helberg's 2,470.

After Congress

Wasielewski returned to private life, although he served as a delegate to the 1948 Democratic National Convention and would make one more unsuccessful try for the Democratic nomination in 1950, losing 27,717 to 10,692 in an effort to unseat incumbent Clement Zablocki. He practiced law until his death in 1976.

His papers are owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, and are housed in the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee's Golda Meir Library Archives Department, in the Milwaukee Area Research Center.[2]

References
  1. 'Wisconsin Blue Book 1946,' Biographical Sketch of Thaddeus Wasielewski, pg. 20
  2. Wisconsin Historical Society. "Thaddeus F.B. Wasielewski Papers, 1932-1973" Archival Resources in Wisconsin: Descriptive Finding Aids University of Wisconsin Digital Collections
  • United States Congress. "Thaddeus Wasielewski (id: W000183)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
  • "Catholic Politicians in Wisconsin". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved 20 Feb 2010.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
John C. Schafer		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Wisconsin's 4th congressional district
1941 – 1947		 Succeeded by
John C. Brophy


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