Roland Joseph Steinle (March 21, 1896 – December 22, 1966) was an American lawyer, jurist, and Republican politician from the U.S. state of Wisconsin. He served four years on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and was the Republican nominee for United States Senator from Wisconsin in the 1958 election.[1]
The Honorable Roland J. Steinle | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court | |
| In office January 1, 1954 – March 2, 1958 | |
| Appointed by | Walter J. Kohler Jr. |
| Preceded by | Oscar M. Fritz |
| Succeeded by | E. Harold Hallows |
| Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the 2nd Circuit, Branch 3 | |
| In office January 2, 1940 – December 31, 1953 | |
| Appointed by | Julius P. Heil |
| Preceded by | John J. Gregory |
| Succeeded by | Elmer W. Roller |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 21, 1896 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | December 22, 1966 (aged 70) |
| Resting place | Calvary Cemetery, Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Helen Lucille Sharpe (died 1953) |
| Children | Roland J. Steinle Jr. |
| Alma mater | Marquette Law School |
| Profession | lawyer, judge |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Rank |  1st Lieutenant |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
Biography
editBorn in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Steinle served in the United States Army during World War I. He graduated from Marquette Law School, was in private law practice, and served as special district attorney. Steinle was appointed a Wisconsin circuit court judge in 1940, and was appointed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 1954. In 1958, he abruptly resigned from the court to run for election to the United States Senate as a Republican. After losing the election to William Proxmire, Steinle returned to private practice and served as a circuit court commissioner.[2]
Electoral history
editLieutenant Governor of Wisconsin (1936)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 7, 1936 | |||||
| Progressive | Henry Gunderson | 465,918 | 41.69% | +6.44% | |
| Republican | Roland J. Steinle | 355,340 | 31.79% | +9.72% | |
| Democratic | Edward Gervais | 289,964 | 25.95% | −10.33% | |
| Socialist Labor | Alfred Potter | 3,882 | 0.35% | +0.30% | |
| Prohibition | Vernon T. Groves | 2,496 | 0.22% | +0.10% | |
| Plurality | 110,578 | 9.89% | -8.86% | ||
| Total votes | 1,117,600 | 100.0% | +25.57% | ||
| Progressive gain from Democratic | |||||
Wisconsin Circuit Court (1940)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 5, 1940 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Roland J. Steinle (incumbent) | 131,959 | 50.15% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Leonard C. Fons | 131,190 | 49.85% | ||
| Plurality | 769 | 0.29% | |||
| Total votes | 263,149 | 100.0% | |||
Wisconsin Supreme Court (1954)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan Primary, March 9, 1954 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Roland J. Steinle (incumbent) | 125,530 | 61.74% | ||
| Nonpartisan | William H. Dieterich | 49,669 | 24.43% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Perry J. Stearns | 28,134 | 13.84% | ||
| Total votes | 203,333 | 100.0% | |||
| General Election, April 6, 1954 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Roland J. Steinle (incumbent) | 297,369 | 59.76% | ||
| Nonpartisan | William H. Dieterich | 200,224 | 40.24% | ||
| Plurality | 97,145 | 19.52% | |||
| Total votes | 497,593 | 100.0% | |||
U.S. Senate (1958)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 4, 1958 | |||||
| Democratic | William Proxmire (incumbent) | 682,440 | 57.13% | +0.69% | |
| Republican | Roland J. Steinle | 510,398 | 42.73% | +2.22% | |
| Socialist Workers | James E. Boulton | 1,226 | 0.10% | ||
| Socialist Labor | Georgia Cozzini | 537 | 0.04% | −0.05% | |
| Plurality | 172,042 | 14.40% | -1.53% | ||
| Total votes | 1,194,601 | 100.0% | +54.64% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
References
edit- ^ 'Wisconsin Blue Book 1958,' Biographical Sketch of Justice Roland Steinle, pg. 9
- ^ Justice Roland Steinle, Wisconsin Supreme Court
- ^ Ohm, Howard F.; Bryhan, Leone G., eds. (1937). "Parties and Elections: The General Election" (PDF). The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1937 (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 421. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ Ohm, Howard F.; Bryhan, Leone G., eds. (1942). "Parties and Elections: The Judicial and Nonpartisan Elections" (PDF). The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1942 (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 676. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1956). "Parties and Elections: The Judicial and Nonpartisan Elections" (PDF). The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1956 (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 757. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1960). "Wisconsin State Parties and Elections" (PDF). The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1960 (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 695. Retrieved June 3, 2021.