William Coleman (housepainter)
Encyclopedia
William C. Coleman was a house painter and trade union
activist from Milwaukee, Wisconsin
who served two terms as a Socialist
member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
.
in Dodge County
; mother from Byron
in Fond du Lac County
) had settled in 1877. During the year his parents returned to Wisconsin, due to a grasshopper
plague and Indian disturbances, settling on a farm in Fond du Lac County, where he was educated in the public schools. He moved to Milwaukee in 1899, and became a house painter by trade, and an active member of the Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators and Paperhangers Union of America
. He worked as a union organizer
for the Painters' Union, the Milwaukee Federated Trades Council and the Wisconsin State Federation of Labor, and rose to be a member of the executive boards of the Council and the Federation.
-at-Large on the Milwaukee Common Council, and was serving as state secretary and organizer of the Socialist Party of Wisconsin. In 1920, Coleman was the Socialist candidate for governor, coming in third in a four-way race and receiving 71,104 votes, the highest vote ever cast for a Socialist candidate for that office to that date.
In 1924, he succeeded fellow Socialist Albert F. Woller
in the Twentieth Milwaukee County Assembly district (the 20th ward of the City of Milwaukee), defeating former Assemblyman Republican
Charles Meising
(whom Woller had unseated in 1922), 4232 to 3492. He was assigned to the standing committee
on labor.
In 1926, Coleman was re-elected with 3327 votes to 2679 for Meising and 2763 for Democrat
Gustin Schwarn.
Coleman did not run for re-election in 1928, and was succeeded by Republican Norman R. Klug.
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
activist from Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
who served two terms as a Socialist
Socialist Party of America
The Socialist Party of America was a multi-tendency democratic-socialist political party in the United States, formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party which had split from the main organization...
member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
Wisconsin State Assembly
The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin....
.
Background
Coleman was born July 6, 1878 on a farm at Sioux City, Iowa, where his parents (father from TheresaTheresa, Wisconsin
Theresa is a village in Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,252 at the 2000 census. The village is within the Town of Theresa.-Geography:Theresa is located at ....
in Dodge County
Dodge County, Wisconsin
Dodge County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2010, the population was 88,759. Its county seat is Juneau.-Geography:According to the U.S...
; mother from Byron
Byron, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin
Byron is a town in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 1,550. The unincorporated communities of Byron, Hamilton, and South Byron are located in the town.-Geography:...
in Fond du Lac County
Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin
Fond du Lac County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 97,296. Its county seat is Fond du Lac. The United States Census Bureau's Fond du Lac Metropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Fond du Lac County. The county name is French for "bottom of the...
) had settled in 1877. During the year his parents returned to Wisconsin, due to a grasshopper
Grasshopper
The grasshopper is an insect of the suborder Caelifera in the order Orthoptera. To distinguish it from bush crickets or katydids, it is sometimes referred to as the short-horned grasshopper...
plague and Indian disturbances, settling on a farm in Fond du Lac County, where he was educated in the public schools. He moved to Milwaukee in 1899, and became a house painter by trade, and an active member of the Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators and Paperhangers Union of America
International Union of Painters and Allied Trades
The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades is a union representing about 140,000 painters, glaziers, wall coverers, flooring installers, convention and trade show decorators, glassworkers, sign and display workers, and drywall finishers in the United States and Canada...
. He worked as a union organizer
Union organizer
A union organizer is a specific type of trade union member or an appointed union official. A majority of unions appoint rather than elect their organizers....
for the Painters' Union, the Milwaukee Federated Trades Council and the Wisconsin State Federation of Labor, and rose to be a member of the executive boards of the Council and the Federation.
Politics
When elected to the Assembly in 1924, he had already been an AldermanAlderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
-at-Large on the Milwaukee Common Council, and was serving as state secretary and organizer of the Socialist Party of Wisconsin. In 1920, Coleman was the Socialist candidate for governor, coming in third in a four-way race and receiving 71,104 votes, the highest vote ever cast for a Socialist candidate for that office to that date.
In 1924, he succeeded fellow Socialist Albert F. Woller
Albert F. Woller
Albert F. Woller was a machinist, auto mechanic and Socialist politician from Milwaukee who served three terms as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Twentieth Milwaukee County District .- Background :Woller was born in Germany December 12, 1886, and came to the United States with his...
in the Twentieth Milwaukee County Assembly district (the 20th ward of the City of Milwaukee), defeating former Assemblyman Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Charles Meising
Charles Meising
Charles Meising was a salesman from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who served one term as a Republican member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, and conducted several less successful campaigns.- Background :...
(whom Woller had unseated in 1922), 4232 to 3492. He was assigned to the standing committee
Standing Committee
In the United States Congress, standing committees are permanent legislative panels established by the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate rules. . Because they have legislative jurisdiction, standing committees consider bills and issues and recommend measures for...
on labor.
In 1926, Coleman was re-elected with 3327 votes to 2679 for Meising and 2763 for Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Gustin Schwarn.
Coleman did not run for re-election in 1928, and was succeeded by Republican Norman R. Klug.