Anthony Scully Earl (April 12, 1936 – February 23, 2023) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician who served as the 41st governor of Wisconsin from 1983 until 1987.[1] Prior to his election as governor, he served as secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Administration and secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in the administration of Governor Patrick Lucey. He also served three terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Marathon County.
Tony Earl | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Earl in c. 1983 | |
| 41st Governor of Wisconsin | |
| In office January 3, 1983 – January 5, 1987 | |
| Lieutenant | James Flynn |
| Preceded by | Lee Dreyfus |
| Succeeded by | Tommy Thompson |
| Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | |
| In office December 15, 1975 – November 1, 1980 | |
| Governor | Patrick Lucey Martin J. Schreiber Lee S. Dreyfus |
| Preceded by | Lester P. Voigt |
| Succeeded by | Carroll Besadny |
| Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Administration | |
| In office January 6, 1975 – December 15, 1975 | |
| Governor | Patrick Lucey |
| Preceded by | Joe Nusbaum |
| Succeeded by | Robert Dunn |
| Member of the Wisconsin Assembly | |
| In office January 1, 1973 – January 6, 1975 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Edward F. McClain |
| Constituency | 85th district |
| In office October 14, 1969 – January 1, 1973 | |
| Preceded by | Dave Obey |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Constituency | Marathon 2nd district |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Anthony Scully Earl April 12, 1936 St. Ignace, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | February 23, 2023 (aged 86) Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Michigan State University (BA) University of Chicago (JD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
Early life and career
editEarl was born in St. Ignace, Michigan, the son of Ethlynne Julia (Scully) and Russell K. Earl.[2] He graduated from Michigan State University in 1958 and earned a J.D. from the University of Chicago.[3] After four years in the U.S. Navy, including two years as a legal officer, Earl made his way to Wisconsin in 1965.[3] He was the district attorney of Marathon County, Wisconsin from 1965 to 1966, and the city attorney of Wausau, Wisconsin from 1966 to 1969.[3] That year, he was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly, filling the seat vacated by David Obey, who was elected a member of the United States House of Representatives.[3]
In 1974, Earl left the Assembly to run for Wisconsin Attorney General, but was defeated in the primary by Bronson La Follette. Upon his defeat, then-Gov. Patrick Lucey named Earl secretary of the Department of Administration. Later, Earl became Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) where his list of accomplishments include addressing the State's surface water pollution.[4]
Governor of Wisconsin
editIn 1982, Earl ran for governor when Lee S. Dreyfus unexpectedly declined to run for re-election, and soon the Wisconsin Democratic Party's hopes of reclaiming the governor's mansion became very real. As head of the state Department of Natural Resources, Earl was well-received as a staunch defender of the environment and a problem-solver. Earl used that reputation to defeat former Acting Governor Martin J. Schreiber (1977–79) in the Democratic primary for governor. Earl went on to defeat the Republican candidate, Terry Jodok Kohler, in a landslide victory.[3]
However, Earl's tenure as governor was a challenge from the start. By the time he took office, Wisconsin was marred by a budget deficit of nearly $1 billion and a 12% unemployment rate.[3] Earl signed legislation making the 5% sales tax permanent and also added a 10% surtax on state income tax which was later reduced. Once the state was fiscally sound, Earl passed initiatives improving the environment, education, and equal opportunity.[3] Earl appointed Doris Hanson, the State's first female to hold the office of secretary of the Department of Administration and Howard Fuller, the first African-American appointed to a cabinet position heading the Department of Employee Relations. Due to disagreements over healthcare reform, prison staffing, wage freezes, and other matters, Earl's relations with state labor Unions soured and made his tenure as governor all the more complicated.
After restoring the state following one of the worst economic predicaments in state history, Governor Earl was ousted after one term. State Assembly Minority Leader Tommy Thompson, a Republican, staunchly opposed Earl's policies and was elected in 1986 to the first of four consecutive terms.[3] Earl Bricker wrote an essay, "goodbye to Wisconsin Governor Tony Earl" bemoaning that Tommy Thompson had defeated Earl in the 1986 election, and that his "pro-family" stance may have given him wider demographic appeal than Earl's defense of gay and lesbian rights.
Post-gubernatorial career
editEarl served on the governing board of "Common Cause Wisconsin" from 1995 until 2005.[5] a non-partisan, non-profit citizen's lobby affiliated with national Common Cause. In 1990, Earl was elected to the Common Cause National Governing Board and served until 1996. CC/WI promotes campaign finance reform, ethics and lobby reform, open meetings laws, voting rights, non-partisan redistricting, and other issues concerning the promotion and maintenance of accountable government. Earl also served on the board of the Chicago-based Joyce Foundation for many years until 2013.[6]
In July 2004, Earl was recognized at the 12th Annual Outreach Awards for his acknowledgment of the needs of the gay and lesbian community during his term in office; he received the organization's Political Courage Award. He served on the board of directors of the American Transmission Company which assumed ownership, operation, planning, maintenance, and monitoring of all the electrical transmission assets formerly owned by a number of Wisconsin utility companies, cooperatives, and municipal utilities. He was a past partner in one of the largest law firms (more than 400 lawyers) in Wisconsin, Quarles and Brady.[7] The Peshtigo River State Forest in Marinette and Oconto counties has been renamed Governor Earl Peshtigo State Forest according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. September 25, 2019, as reported in the Appleton Post-Crescent on September 26, 2019.
Personal life and death
editTony Earl married Sheila Rose Coyle of Chicago, in the summer of 1962. They met while he was a student at the University of Chicago Law School.[8] They had four daughters together, and were married for more than 30 years before separating in 1995. Their divorce was finalized in 2003.[9] In 2011, Earl married Jane Nemke.[10]
Earl had a stroke on February 19, 2023, and died four days later, on February 23, at the UW Health University Hospital, 48 days short of his 87th birthday.[4]
Electoral history
editWisconsin Assembly, Marathon 2nd district (1969, 1970)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special Election, October 7, 1969 | |||||
| Democratic | Anthony S. Earl | 4,716 | 54.30% | −3.75% | |
| Republican | Dorthea J. Baguhn | 3,969 | 45.70% | ||
| Plurality | 747 | 8.60% | -7.49% | ||
| Total votes | 8,685 | 100.0% | -52.62% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 3, 1970 | |||||
| Democratic | Anthony S. Earl (incumbent) | 11,182 | 70.85% | +16.55% | |
| Republican | Thomas L. Miler | 4,601 | 29.15% | ||
| Plurality | 6,581 | 41.70% | +33.10% | ||
| Total votes | 15,783 | 100.0% | +81.73% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
Wisconsin Assembly, 85th district (1972)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 7, 1972 | |||||
| Democratic | Anthony S. Earl | 14,432 | 100.0% | ||
| Total votes | 14,432 | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic win (new seat) | |||||
Wisconsin Attorney General (1974)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party Primary, September 10, 1974 | |||||
| Democratic | Bronson La Follette | 132,538 | 40.85% | ||
| Democratic | Anthony S. Earl | 106,041 | 32.69% | ||
| Democratic | Thomas M. Jacobson | 50,678 | 15.62% | ||
| Democratic | Gerald D. Lorge | 35,165 | 10.84% | ||
| Total votes | 324,422 | 100.0% | |||
Wisconsin Governor (1982, 1986)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party Primary, September 14, 1982 | |||||
| Democratic | Anthony S. Earl | 268,857 | 45.87% | ||
| Democratic | Martin J. Schreiber | 245,952 | 41.96% | ||
| Democratic | James B. Wood | 71,282 | 12.16% | ||
| Total votes | 586,091 | 100.0% | |||
| General Election, November 2, 1982 | |||||
| Democratic | Anthony S. Earl & James T. Flynn |
896,872 | 56.75% | +11.86% | |
| Republican | Terry J. Kohler & Russell A. Olson |
662,738 | 41.94% | −12.43% | |
| Libertarian | Larry Smiley & Gerald Shidell |
9,734 | 0.62% | ||
| Constitution | James P. Wickstrom & Diana K. Simonson |
7,721 | 0.49% | +0.07% | |
| Independent | Peter Seidman & Margo Storsteen |
3,025 | 0.19% | +0.09% | |
| Scattering | 254 | 0.02% | |||
| Plurality | 234,134 | 14.82% | +5.34% | ||
| Total votes | 1,580,344 | 100.0% | +5.29% | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | Swing | 24.29% | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party Primary, September 9, 1986 | |||||
| Democratic | Anthony S. Earl (incumbent) | 215,183 | 80.30% | ||
| Democratic | Edmond Hou-Seye | 52,784 | 19.70% | ||
| Total votes | 267,967 | 100.0% | |||
| General Election, November 4, 1986 | |||||
| Republican | Tommy Thompson & Scott McCallum |
805,090 | 52.74% | +10.80% | |
| Democratic | Anthony S. Earl (incumbent) & Sharon Metz |
705,578 | 46.22% | −10.53% | |
| Labor–Farm | Kathryn A. Christensen & John Ervin Bergum |
10,323 | 0.68% | ||
| Independent | Darold E. Wall & Irma L. Lotts |
3,913 | 0.26% | ||
| Independent | Sanford Knapp & Verdell Hallingstad |
1,668 | 0.11% | ||
| Scattering | 1 | 0.00% | |||
| Plurality | 99,512 | 6.52% | -8.30% | ||
| Total votes | 1,526,573 | 100.0% | -3.40% | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | Swing | 21.33% | |||
U.S. Senate (1988)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party Primary, September 13, 1988 | |||||
| Democratic | Herb Kohl | 249,226 | 46.78% | ||
| Democratic | Anthony S. Earl | 203,479 | 38.19% | ||
| Democratic | Edward R. Garvey | 55,225 | 10.37% | ||
| Democratic | Douglas La Follette | 19,819 | 3.72% | ||
| Democratic | Edmond Hou-Seye | 5,040 | 0.95% | ||
| Total votes | 532,789 | 100.0% | |||
References
edit- ^ Doug Moe (February 22, 2012). "Doug Moe: Former governor, new wife are 'giddy'". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved February 22, 2012.
- ^ Who's Who in the Midwest 2005. June 2004. ISBN 9780837907345.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Glauber, Bill (February 23, 2023). "Tony Earl, Wisconsin's 41st governor who championed the environment, equal rights, dies at age 86". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ a b Schmidt, Mitchell (February 23, 2023). "Former Gov. Tony Earl, a champion for equality and conservation, dies at 86". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ JAMES WIGDERSON (July 27, 2006). "Opinions: James Wigderson". Archived from the original on May 27, 2011. Retrieved September 14, 2008.
- ^ ANN RICHARDS (September 2, 2008). "Two Mott grantees honored by American Bar Association". Archived from the original on October 14, 2008. Retrieved September 14, 2008.
- ^ "Madison Public Library Board Meeting Minutes" (PDF). Retrieved September 14, 2008.
- ^ "Other Engagement News". Chicago Tribune. July 4, 1962. p. 26. Retrieved February 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Sheila Earl files for separation". The Capital Times. July 25, 1995. p. 3. Retrieved February 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Gov. Tony Earl through the years". WiscNews.com. February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1970). "Elections in Wisconsin". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1970 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 820. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1971). "Elections in Wisconsin". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1971 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 320. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1973). "Elections in Wisconsin". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1973 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 828. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1975). "Elections in Wisconsin". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1975 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 798. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1983). "Elections in Wisconsin". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1983–1984 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 876, 900. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Theobald, H. Rupert; Barish, Lawrence S., eds. (1983). "Elections in Wisconsin". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1987–1988 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 874, 896. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Barish, Lawrence S.; Theobald, H. Rupert, eds. (1989). "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1989–1990 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 904. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
External links
edit- Biography from the National Governors Association