John W. Reynolds Sr.
26th Attorney General of Wisconsin
In office
January 3, 1927 – January 2, 1933
Governor
Preceded byHerman L. Ekern
Succeeded byJames E. Finnegan
District Attorney of Brown County
In office
January 1, 1907 – January 1, 1911
Preceded byJ. A. Kittell
Succeeded byM. E. Davis
Personal details
Born
John Whitcome Reynolds

(1876-10-01)October 1, 1876
Jacksonport, Wisconsin
DiedFebruary 4, 1958(1958-02-04) (aged 81)
Resting placeAllouez Catholic Cemetery And Chapel Mausoleum
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Political partyRepublican
Spouses
  • Madge Flately
  • (m. 1906; died 1937)
Children
Parents
RelativesCharles Reynolds (uncle)

John Whitcome Reynolds Sr., (October 1, 1876 – February 4, 1958) was an American lawyer and politician. He was the 26th Attorney General of Wisconsin from 1927 to 1933.[1][2] He was elected as a Republican.[1]

Biography

Reynolds was born in Jacksonport, in Door County, Wisconsin, the son of Jennie (Foley) and Thomas Reynolds.[3] He graduated from the University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin Law School. Reynolds was admitted to the bar in 1902. After becoming a lawyer, he worked in Ashland, Wisconsin, for a short time before setting up a practice in Green Bay, Wisconsin, which remained his home for the rest of his life. Reynolds served as district attorney for Brown County from 1906 to 1910. He was a delegate to the 1924 Republican National Convention, supporting Senator Robert M. La Follette. When La Follette ran for President of the United States as a Progressive in the general election that year, Reynolds was one of thirteen electors who voted for him.[4][5]

Reynolds was elected attorney general in November 1926, and won re-election in 1928 and 1930.[6]

His son John W. Reynolds Jr. also served as Attorney General and was elected Governor of Wisconsin.[7]

Electoral history

Wisconsin attorney general (1926, 1928, 1930)

Wisconsin Attorney General Election, 1926[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Primary Election, September 7, 1926
Republican John W. Reynolds 201,342 49.86%
Republican George M. Sheldon 96,697 23.94%
Republican Albert T. Twesme 77,814 19.27%
Democratic David Gardner Jr. 15,702 3.89%
Socialist Ben W. Reynolds 11,042 2.73%
Prohibition Burton S. Hawley 1,235 0.31%
Total votes '403,832' '100.0%'
General Election, November 2, 1926
Republican John W. Reynolds 389,519 85.53%
Socialist Ben W. Reynolds 35,066 7.70%
Independent Democrat David Gardner Jr. 18,888 4.15%
Prohibition Burton S. Hawley 11,931 2.62%
Total votes '455,404' '100.0%'
Republican hold
Wisconsin Attorney General Election, 1928[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Primary Election, September 4, 1928
Republican John W. Reynolds (incumbent) 221,540 46.31%
Republican Kelley 118,746 24.82%
Republican George M. Sheldon 85,254 17.82%
Democratic John J. Boyle 20,486 4.28%
Democratic Finnegan 19,869 4.15%
Socialist George Mensing 11,668 2.44%
Prohibition Burton S. Hawley 831 0.17%
Total votes '478,394' '100.0%'
General Election, November 6, 1928
Republican John W. Reynolds (incumbent) 589,730 68.29% -17.25%
Democratic John J. Boyle 234,779 26.78% +22.63%
Socialist George Mensing 36,028 4.11% -3.59%
Prohibition Burton S. Hawley 7,244 0.83% -1.79%
Total votes '876,781' '100.0%' +92.53%
Republican hold
Wisconsin Attorney General Election, 1930[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, April 1930
Republican John W. Reynolds (incumbent) 258,469 43.35%
Republican Michael Eberlein 175,147 29.37%
Republican Alvin C. Reis 133,739 22.43%
Democratic John J. Boyle 16,138 2.71%
Socialist Glenn P. Turner 11,549 1.94%
Prohibition Burton S. Hawley 1,218 0.20%
General Election, November 4, 1930
Republican John W. Reynolds (incumbent) 375,616 68.10% -0.19%
Democratic John J. Boyle 125,315 22.72% -4.06%
Socialist Glenn P. Turner 35,169 6.38% +2.27%
Prohibition Burton S. Hawley 12,636 2.29% +1.46%
Communist William Martilla 2,827 0.51%
Total votes '551,563' '100.0%' -37.09%
Republican hold

Wisconsin Supreme Court (1930, 1931)

Wisconsin Supreme Court Election, 1930[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, April 1, 1930
Independent Chester A. Fowler (incumbent) 198,572 41.39%
Independent John W. Reynolds Sr. 184,317 38.42%
Independent Ray J. Cannon 96,908 20.20%
Scattering 433 0.09%
Total votes '480,230' '100.0%'
Wisconsin Supreme Court Election, 1931[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, April 7, 1931
Independent Chester A. Fowler (incumbent) 254,534 46.87% +5.52%
Independent John W. Reynolds Sr. 230,902 42.52% +4.14%
Independent George L. Mensing 57,590 10.61%
Total votes '543,026' '100.0%' +13.08%

References

  1. ^ a b "Former Wisconsin Officer Succumbs". The Rhinelander Daily News. February 5, 1958. p. 1. Retrieved April 25, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ^ "WI Department of Justice". Archived from the original on 2012-03-03. Retrieved 2010-01-31.
  3. ^ "The Political Graveyard: Moose, politicians, Wisconsin".
  4. ^ "wi.wibluebk1929.i0013.pdf" (PDF). UW-Madison Libraries. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  5. ^ "The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Reynolds".
  6. ^ "The State: The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1927: Election statistics: State candidates in the primary, judicial election tables, primary election tables, platforms and state central committees, general election tables, summary vote for president, constitutional amendments, county officers".
  7. ^ Wolfgang Saxon, "John W. Reynolds, 80, Judge In Milwaukee School Integration, New York Times, January 12, 2008 at C18.
  8. ^ Holmes, Fred L., ed. (1927). "Election statistics". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1927 (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. pp. 498, 577. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  9. ^ Anderson, William J.; Anderson, William A., eds. (1929). "1928 election statistics". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1929 (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. pp. 740, 821. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  10. ^ a b Kelly, Alice, ed. (1931). "Parties and elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1931 (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. pp. 465, 471, 580. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  11. ^ Witte, Edwin E.; Kelly, Alice, eds. (1933). "Parties and elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1933 (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 505. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
Party political offices Preceded byHerman Ekern Republican nominee for Attorney General of Wisconsin 1926, 1928, 1930 Succeeded byLevi H. Bancroft Legal offices Preceded byJ. A. Kittell District Attorney of Brown County, Wisconsin 1907 – 1911 Succeeded byM. E. Davis Preceded byHerman L. Ekern Attorney General of Wisconsin 1927 – 1933 Succeeded byJames E. Finnegan
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