Robert M. La Follette Jr.

Robert M. La Follette Jr.
United States Senator
from Wisconsin
In office
September 30, 1925 – January 3, 1947
Preceded byRobert M. La Follette
Succeeded byJoseph McCarthy
Personal details
Born(1895-02-06)February 6, 1895
Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
DiedFebruary 24, 1953(1953-02-24) (aged 58)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Cause of deathSuicide by firearm
Resting placeForest Hill Cemetery
Political partyRepublican (before 1934 & after 1946)
Progressive (1934–1946)
Spouse
Rachel Wilson Young
(m. 1930)
Children2 (including Bronson La Follette)
Parents
Relatives

Robert Marion La Follette Jr. (February 6, 1895 – February 24, 1953) was an American politician who served as United States senator from Wisconsin from 1925 to 1947. A member of the La Follette family, he was often referred to by the nickname "Young Bob" to distinguish him from his father, Robert M. "Fighting Bob" La Follette, who had served as a U.S. senator and governor of Wisconsin. Robert Jr., along with his brother Philip La Follette, carried on their father's legacy of progressive politics and founded the Wisconsin Progressive Party. Robert Jr. was the last major Progressive Party politician in the U.S. Senate, ending in 1946 when the party disbanded. La Follette was defeated in the 1946 Republican Senate primary by Joseph McCarthy.[1][2]

His son, Bronson La Follette was also a prominent politician in Wisconsin, serving as the 36th & 39th attorney general of Wisconsin.

  1. ^ McCoy, Donald R. (December 1, 1964). "Robert M. La Follette, Jr. and the Decline of the Progressive Party in Wisconsin". Journal of American History. 51 (3): 524–525. doi:10.2307/1894927. ISSN 0021-8723. JSTOR 1894927.
  2. ^ Johnson, Roger T. (1964). Robert M. La Follette, Jr. and the decline of the Progressive Party in Wisconsin. State Historical Society of Wisconsin for the Dept. of History, University of Wisconsin. ISBN 9780208008473.