Henry Huber

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Henry A. Huber
25th Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
In office
January 5, 1925 – January 2, 1933
Governor
Preceded byGeorge Comings
Succeeded byThomas J. O'Malley
Member of the Wisconsin Senate
from the 26th district
In office
January 6, 1913 – January 5, 1925
Preceded byJohn S. Donald
Succeeded byHarry Sauthoff
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Dane 2nd district
In office
January 2, 1905 – January 7, 1907
Preceded byTorger G. Thompson
Succeeded byOle P. Sorenson
Personal details
Born(1869-11-06)November 6, 1869
Evergreen, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedJanuary 31, 1933(1933-01-31) (aged 63)
Madison General Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Resting placeRiverside Cemetery, Stoughton, Wisconsin
Political partyRepublican
SpouseMinnie P. Pratt (died 1934)
EducationAlbion Academy
University of Wisconsin Law School
ProfessionLawyer

Henry Allen Huber (November 6, 1869 – January 31, 1933) was an American lawyer and progressive Republican politician from Stoughton, Wisconsin. He was the 25th lieutenant governor of Wisconsin, serving from 1925 through 1933. He also served 12 years in the Wisconsin Senate and two years in the Wisconsin State Assembly representing Dane County. Earlier in his career, he also served as an executive clerk to Wisconsin governor Robert M. La Follette. He is known for introducing the first form of state unemployment insurance legislation in the United States, and is the namesake of the "Huber Law" which created Wisconsin's first work release program for state prisoners.

Biography[edit]

Huber was born in Evergreen, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, in 1869. At age ten, he moved with his parents to Pleasant Springs, Wisconsin.[1] He graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1892 and set up a law practice in Stoughton. He was city attorney for Stoughton, Wisconsin, and served on the Dane County Board of Supervisors. He served as a Republican in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1905 until 1906, and in the Wisconsin State Senate from 1913 until 1924.

During his time as a state senator, he gained national recognition for two landmark pieces of legislation. He introduced the first unemployment insurance legislation in American history,[2] and was the author of Wisconsin's first work release program—still referred to in Wisconsin as the "Huber Law".

In 1924, incumbent Lieutenant Governor George Comings announced he would run for Governor. Huber thus decided that rather than running for a fourth term in the State Senate, he would seek the office of Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin in 1924.[3] Huber ultimately faced no opposition in the Republican primary, and went on to win the general election with 60% of the vote.[4] He went on to win re-election in 1926, 1928, and 1930, facing competitive primaries and general elections each time. During his four terms as lieutenant governor, he served alongside four different governors.[1][2]

He ran for a fifth term in 1932, but was defeated in the Republican primary by conservative Republican Harry Dahl,[5] who went on to lose the general election to Democrat Thomas J. O'Malley.

Death[edit]

Huber died less than a month after leaving office, in January 1933. He was admitted to Madison General Hospital on January 30, suffering from a chronic heart condition, and died the next day.[6][7]

Electoral history[edit]

Wisconsin Assembly (1904)[edit]

Wisconsin Assembly, Dane 2nd District Election, 1904[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 8, 1904
Republican Henry Huber 3,413 62.76% +26.26%
Democratic Peter N. Johnson 1,740 32.00% -31.46%
Prohibition Robert S. Pearsall 173 3.18%
Scattering 112 2.06%
Plurality 1,673 30.76% +3.81%
Total votes 5,438 100.0% +29.72%
Republican gain from Democratic Swing 57.72%

Wisconsin Senate (1912, 1916, 1920)[edit]

Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality
1912[9] General Nov. 5 Henry Huber Republican 8,140 52.86% J. G. O. Zehnter Dem. 6,918 44.92% 15,400 1,222
William M. McCarthy Proh. 338 2.19%
1916[10] General Nov. 7 Henry Huber (inc) Republican 9,554 61.32% John C. Kenny Dem. 6,023 38.66% 15,580 3,531
1920[11] General Nov. 2 Henry Huber (inc) Republican 31,345 99.94% 31,363 31,327

Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor (1924, 1926, 1928, 1930)[edit]

Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality
1924[4] General Nov. 4 Henry Huber Republican 433,106 60.27% Karl Mathie Dem. 215,327 29.96% 718,669 217,779
Peter Gilles Soc. 46,660 6.49%
Maria I. A. Nelson Proh. 11,170 1.55%
John E. Ferris Ind.R. 8,301 1.16%
Steve Fisher Soc.Lab. 2,025 0.28%
Charles Kuzdas Work. 1,978 0.28%
1926[12] Primary Sep. 7 Henry Huber (inc) Republican 200,514 49.73% J. N. Tittemore Rep. 106,807 26.49% 403,206 93,707
Conrad Hansen Rep. 95,885 23.78%
General Nov. 2 Henry Huber (inc) Republican 395,235 78.92% William G. Evenson Dem. 61,865 12.35% 500,831 333,370
Peter Gilles Soc. 34,283 6.85%
Henry H. Tubbs Proh. 9,448 1.89%
1928[13] Primary Sep. 4 Henry Huber (inc) Republican 261,913 60.52% Chester Werden Rep. 101,472 23.45% 432,795 160,441
Harold L. Plummer Rep. 69,410 16.04%
General Nov. 6 Henry Huber (inc) Republican 582,456 64.48% Leo P. Fox Dem. 277,497 30.72% 903,254 304,959
S. S. Walkup Soc. 34,162 3.78%
Oliver Needham Proh. 6,621 0.73%
Henry Koski Work. 1,314 0.15%
Emil Wagner Ind.Lab. 1,204 0.13%
1930[14] Primary Sep. 16 Henry Huber (inc) Republican 318,225 54.87% Harry Dahl Rep. 261,722 45.13% 579,947 56,503
General Nov. 4 Henry Huber (inc) Republican 370,075 66.04% Bert Husting Dem. 141,632 25.27% 560,373 228,443
John R. Severin Soc. 32,107 5.73%
Otto D. Kahl Proh. 13,404 2.39%
William Clark Comm. 3,155 0.56%
1932[5] Primary Sep. 20 Harry Dahl Republican 379,060 56.74% Henry Huber (inc) Rep. 288,971 43.26% 668,031 90,089

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Henry A. Huber Dies of Heart Ailment: Funeral Rites to Be Held Here Friday (continued)". Wisconsin State Journal. February 1, 1933. p. 5. Retrieved August 26, 2019 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ^ a b "Huber, Henry Allen 1869 - 1933". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  3. ^ "Senator Huber will be a Candidate for Lieutenant Governor". Oshkosh Northwestern. April 9, 1924. p. 12. Retrieved April 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b Holmes, Fred L., ed. (1925). "Election Statistics". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1925 (Report). Wisconsin State Printing Board. pp. –565. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Witte, Edwin E.; Kelly, Alice, eds. (1933). "Parties and Election". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1933 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 516. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  6. ^ "Henry A. Huber Dies of Heart Ailment: Funeral Rites to Be Held Here Friday". Wisconsin State Journal. February 1, 1933. p. 1. Retrieved August 26, 2019 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  7. ^ Biodata
  8. ^ Erickson, Halford; Beck, J. D., eds. (1905). "Election Statistics". The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin 1905 (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 462. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  9. ^ "Election Statistics". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1913 (Report). Industrial Commission of Wisconsin. 1913. p. 277. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  10. ^ "Election Statistics". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1917 (Report). Industrial Commission of Wisconsin. 1917. p. 293. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  11. ^ "Election Statistics". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1921 (Report). Wisconsin State Printing Board. 1921. p. 229. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  12. ^ Holmes, Fred L., ed. (1927). "Election Statistics". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1927 (Report). Wisconsin State Printing Board. pp. 495, 574. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  13. ^ Anderson, William J.; Anderson, William A., eds. (1929). "Election Statistics". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1929 (Report). Wisconsin State Printing Board. pp. 737, 818. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  14. ^ Witte, Edwin E.; Kelly, Alice, eds. (1931). "Parties and Election". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1931 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 464, 468. Retrieved April 21, 2023.

Sources[edit]

Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
1924, 1926, 1928, 1930 		Succeeded by
Harry Dahl
Wisconsin State Assembly
Preceded by Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Dane 2nd district
January 2, 1905 – January 7, 1907 		Succeeded by
Wisconsin Senate
Preceded by Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 26th district
January 6, 1913 – January 5, 1925 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
January 5, 1925 – January 2, 1933 		Succeeded by


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