John W. Reynolds Jr.

John Whitcome Reynolds Jr. (April 4, 1921 – January 6, 2002) was the 36th governor of Wisconsin (1963–1965) and served 21 years as a United States district judge in the Eastern District of Wisconsin (1965–1986). A Democrat, he previously served as the 34th attorney general of Wisconsin (1959–1963).

The Honorable
John W. Reynolds Jr.
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
In office
August 31, 1986 – January 6, 2002
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
In office
1971–1986
Preceded byRobert Emmet Tehan
Succeeded byRobert W. Warren
United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
In office
October 21, 1965 – August 31, 1986
Appointed byLyndon B. Johnson
Preceded byKenneth Philip Grubb
Succeeded byJoseph Peter Stadtmueller
36th Governor of Wisconsin
In office
January 7, 1963 – January 4, 1965
LieutenantJack B. Olson
Preceded byGaylord Nelson
Succeeded byWarren P. Knowles
34th Attorney General of Wisconsin
In office
January 5, 1959 – January 7, 1963
GovernorGaylord Nelson
Preceded byStewart G. Honeck
Succeeded byRobert W. Warren
Personal details
Born
John Whitcome Reynolds Jr.

(1921-04-04)April 4, 1921
Green Bay, Wisconsin, US
DiedJanuary 7, 2002(2002-01-07) (aged 80)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US
Political partyDemocratic
Spouses
  • Patricia Ann Brody
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1947⁠–⁠1967)​
  • Jane Conway
Children5
Parents
RelativesThomas Reynolds (grandfather)
Alma mater
Professionattorney, judge
Military service
AllegianceUnited States
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Years of service1942–1946
Rank1st Lieutenant
Battles/warsWorld War II

His father, John W. Reynolds Sr., was the 26th Attorney General of Wisconsin; his grandfather, Thomas Reynolds, was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.

Early life

John W. Reynolds Jr. was born April 4, 1921, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the son of Madge (Flatley) and John W. Reynolds Sr.[1] He was educated at Green Bay, and graduated from Green Bay East High School. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, but interrupted his studies in 1942 to enlist in the United States Army for service in World War II. He initially served in the infantry, rising to the rank of master sergeant by 1944. That year, he was commissioned as an officer and transferred to the Counterintelligence Corps, where he continued to serve until 1946. He was honorably discharged in 1946 as a first lieutenant, but remained in the United States Army Reserve into the 1950s. After leaving active duty, he completed his bachelor's degree at the University of Wisconsin. He immediately entered University of Wisconsin Law School, where he earned his LL.B. in 1949. While in law school, he became involved with the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and the Young Democrats and worked as a legal research assistant in the office of the Attorney General of Wisconsin. After graduation, he moved with his wife back to Green Bay, Wisconsin, and started a legal practice there.[2]

Political career
Reynolds as governor.

In 1950, Reynolds entered the race for United States House of Representatives in Wisconsin's 8th congressional district, challenging three-term incumbent Republican John W. Byrnes.[3] Reynolds unanimously received the Democratic nomination, but fell far short of Byrnes in the general election, taking only 38% of the vote.[4] Shortly after the election, however, he was appointed district director of the Office of Price Stabilization, where he served until 1953. He also remained influential in local politics and was chairman of the Brown County Democratic Party from 1952 to 1956. In 1955, he was appointed court commissioner for the northern region of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin,[5] where he served until beginning his campaign for Attorney General of Wisconsin in 1958.

At the urging of Democratic State Party Chairman Patrick Lucey, Reynolds entered the race for Attorney General in 1958, hoping to unseat incumbent Stewart G. Honeck.[6][7] Reynolds faced a difficult Democratic primary against Milwaukee County Democratic Chairman Christ T. Seraphim, who had the endorsement of the state AFL–CIO.[8] Reynolds, however, earned the enthusiastic endorsement of influential Madisonians, Arthur J. Altmeyer, known as the father of the Social Security Act,[9] and James Edward Doyle, the former chairman of the state party.[10] Reynolds went on to win the primary with a comfortable margin, taking over 60% of the vote.[11] He went on to defeat Honeck with nearly 54% of the general election vote.[11] He was reelected in 1960, and was elected Governor of Wisconsin in 1962. He was defeated seeking reelection in 1964.[12][13]

1960s redistricting

Following the 1960 United States census, the Wisconsin Legislature failed to pass a redistricting plan in the 1961–1962 session as required by the Wisconsin Constitution. In his capacity as Attorney General of Wisconsin, Reynolds brought a lawsuit in federal court to compel the Legislature to fulfill that obligation. The U.S. District Court appointed former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice Emmert L. Wingert as special master to investigate the issue and interview the relevant parties.[14] After completing his investigation, Judge Wingert reported that he believed the redistricting suit should be dismissed and found no evidence that the failure to redistrict would result in "discrimination".[15] The court accepted his recommendation and dismissed the suit, though they did warn that the issue could be renewed if no redistricting plan was passed by August 1963.[16]

Following the ruling, Reynolds was elected Governor and resumed his push for a redistricting law. The Legislature passed a new map, but Reynolds rejected it as failing to provide equal representation for all Wisconsin voters. Finally, in July 1963, the Legislature attempted to circumvent Reynolds by passing their redistricting law as a joint resolution. Reynolds, in response, brought suit to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which ruled in State ex rel. Reynolds v. Zimmerman (22 Wis. 2d 544) that the Wisconsin Constitution did not permit the Legislature to bypass the Governor in redistricting. They further stated that if no redistricting law was passed by May 1, 1964, they would issue their own plan for the 1964 elections.[17]

A last-ditch effort was made by the Legislature, but their final attempt was again rejected by Governor Reynolds, who criticized the partisan bias of the map, calling it "a fraud upon the people".[18]

On May 14, 1964, the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued its plan in a filing in State ex rel. Reynolds v. Zimmerman (23 Wis. 2d 606).[19] The new plan was embraced by Governor Reynolds, who called it, "the culmination of my four-year fight for equal voting rights for the people of the state of Wisconsin."[20] This was the first time in United States history that a state court had stepped in to draw legislative districts.[21] Subsequent to 1964, three of the next four redistricting cycles in Wisconsin would result in court-ordered plans.

Presidential surrogate candidacy

Reynolds opposed segregationist George Wallace in the 1964 Democratic presidential primaries who would otherwise have run unopposed, as President Lyndon B. Johnson refused to say he was in the race. Like the other "favorite sons" who ran in Johnson's place (such as Matthew E. Welsh and Daniel Brewster), he won his state's primaries. As is required, Wisconsin delegates to the 1964 Democratic National Convention voted for Reynolds on the first ballot, then voted for Johnson.

Federal judicial service

Reynolds was nominated by President Lyndon B. Johnson on October 13, 1965, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin vacated by Judge Kenneth Philip Grubb. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 21, 1965, and received his commission on October 21, 1965. He served as Chief Judge from 1971 to 1986. He assumed senior status on August 31, 1986.[13] His service terminated on January 7, 2002, due to his death in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[22]

Notable case

As a judge, Reynolds ordered the desegregation of Milwaukee's schools in 1976.[23] That decision was appealed and appealed again to the Supreme Court in Brennan v. Armstrong (1977). The case was remanded to his court for reconsideration. Reynolds supervised the resulting five-year plan to integrate Milwaukee schools.

Personal life and family

Reynolds was the son of John W. Reynolds Sr., the 26th Attorney General of Wisconsin. His father was active in Wisconsin politics throughout his childhood as a member of Robert M. La Follette's Progressive Republican faction, and joined the Wisconsin Progressive Party after its split from the Republicans. His paternal grandfather was also active in politics and was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly from Door County in 1906.

John Reynolds Jr. married Patricia Ann Brody of La Crosse, Wisconsin, in 1947.[24] They met at a Young Democrats meeting at the University of Wisconsin while they were both students there. Brody's father, Lawrence, was also involved in politics and had been district attorney of La Crosse County in the 1920s and 1930s. John and Patricia had three children together, Kate, Molly, and Jim, before her death in 1967.[25] After Patricia's death, Reynolds married Jane Conway and had five more children.[2]

Electoral history

U.S. House of Representatives (1950)
Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District Election, 1950[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 7, 1950
Republican John W. Byrnes (incumbent) 71,908 62.10% +5.48%
Democratic John W. Reynolds 43,877 37.89% -4.82%
Socialist Lee Schaal 1 0.00% -0.19%
Plurality 28,031 24.21% +10.30%
Total votes 115,786 100.0% -7.54%
Republican hold

Wisconsin Attorney General (1958, 1960)
Wisconsin Attorney General Election, 1958[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Primary, September 9, 1958
Democratic John W. Reynolds 143,866 62.47%
Democratic Christ T. Seraphim 86,431 37.53%
Plurality 57,435 24.94%
Total votes 230,297 100.0%
General Election, November 4, 1958
Democratic John W. Reynolds 617,586 53.67% +11.19%
Republican Stewart G. Honeck (incumbent) 533,131 46.33% -7.98%
Plurality 84,455 7.34% -4.50%
Total votes 1,150,717 100.0% -22.40%
Democratic gain from Republican Swing 19.17%
Wisconsin Attorney General Election, 1960[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 8, 1960
Democratic John W. Reynolds (incumbent) 841,445 50.89% -2.78%
Republican George Thompson 811,959 49.11%
Plurality 29,486 1.78% -5.56%
Total votes 1,653,404 100.0% +43.68%
Democratic hold

Wisconsin Governor (1962, 1964)
Wisconsin Gubernatorial Election, 1962[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 6, 1962
Democratic John W. Reynolds 637,491 50.36% -1.20%
Republican Philip G. Kuehn 625,536 49.41% +0.97%
Independent Adolf Wiggert 2,477 0.20%
Scattering 396 0.03%
Plurality 11,955 0.94% -2.17%
Total votes 1,265,900 100.0% -26.74%
Democratic hold
Wisconsin Gubernatorial Election, 1964[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Primary, September 8, 1964
Democratic John W. Reynolds (incumbent) 241,170 70.26%
Democratic Dominic H. Frinzi 102,066 29.74%
Plurality 139,104 40.53%
Total votes 343,236 100.0%
General Election, November 3, 1964
Republican Warren P. Knowles 856,779 50.55% +1.14%
Democratic John W. Reynolds (incumbent) 837,901 49.44% -0.92%
Scattering 207 0.01%
Plurality 18,878 1.11% +0.17%
Total votes 1,694,887 100.0% +33.89%
Republican gain from Democratic Swing 2.06%

References
  1. "Reynolds, John W. 1921". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  2. Wisconsin Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. Hamburg, Michigan: State History Publications, LLC. 2008. pp. 232–233. ISBN 978-1-8785926-1-3. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  3. "Atty. Reynolds Bids for Congress Seat". Wisconsin State Journal. June 15, 1950. p. 7. Retrieved February 14, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. Toepel, M. G. (1952). "Parties and Elections: The General Election" (PDF). In Kuehn, Hazel L. (ed.). The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1952 (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 746. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  5. "Green Bay Man Named to Post". Green Bay Press-Gazette. August 26, 1955. p. 1. Retrieved February 14, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Not Backing Reynolds for Attorney General: Lucey". The Capital Times. May 14, 1958. p. 11. Retrieved February 14, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "John Reynolds In Race for State Office". Green Bay Press-Gazette. June 2, 1958. p. 13. Retrieved February 14, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Union Backs Nelson and Proxmire". Green Bay Press-Gazette. July 26, 1958. p. 2. Retrieved February 14, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Altmeyer for Reynolds". The Capital Times. July 24, 1958. p. 6. Retrieved February 14, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. Bystrom, Arthur (September 3, 1958). "State Dems Hope to Gain 2 or 3 Seats in Congress". The Capital Times. p. 9. Retrieved February 14, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. Toepel, M. G. (1960). "Wisconsin State Party Platforms and Elections" (PDF). In Kuehn, Hazel L. (ed.). The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1960 (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 651–652, 694. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  12. "Former Wisconsin Officer Succumbs". The Rhinelander Daily News. February 5, 1958. p. 1. Retrieved April 25, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  13. John W. Reynolds at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  14. Robbins, William C. (July 20, 1962). "Two Districting Foes Air Sides Before Wingert". Wisconsin State Journal. p. 3. Retrieved February 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. Revell, Aldric (August 2, 1962). "Wingert Finds Justification For Present Districting". The Capital Times. p. 9. Retrieved February 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. Wisconsin v. Zimmerman, 209 F. Supp. 183 (W.D. Wis. August 14, 1962).
  17. State ex rel. Reynolds v. Zimmerman, 22 Wis. 2d 544 (Wisconsin Supreme Court February 28, 1964).
  18. Revell, Aldric (May 4, 1964). "Reynolds on Top". The Capital Times. p. 28. Retrieved February 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. State ex rel. Reynolds v. Zimmerman, 23 Wis. 2d 606 (Wisconsin Supreme Court May 14, 1964).
  20. Brissee, William (May 15, 1964). "High Court Remap Gives 25 Seats to Milwaukee County". Wisconsin State Journal. p. 2. Retrieved February 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. "Court Remapping Due Today". Wisconsin State Journal. May 14, 1964. p. 7. Retrieved February 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. Reynolds, John W. 1921 Archived August 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Wisconsinhistory.org. Retrieved on January 22, 2016.
  23. "This Town Was Built Segregated". Wisconsin State Journal. February 29, 1976. p. 35. Retrieved April 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  24. "Mrs. Lawrence John Brody". La Crosse Tribune. April 28, 1946. p. 6. Retrieved February 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. "Mrs. John Reynolds Dies in Milwaukee". La Crosse Tribune. December 21, 1967. p. 1. Retrieved February 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. Toepel, M. G. (1962). "Wisconsin Elections" (PDF). In Theobald, H. Rupert (ed.). The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1962 (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 788, 864. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  27. Kuehn, Hazel L., ed. (1964). "Elections in Wisconsin" (PDF). The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1964 (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 709, 758. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  28. Kuehn, Hazel L., ed. (1966). "Elections in Wisconsin" (PDF). The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1966 (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 731, 749. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
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