Interview with Laurie Carlson, June 10, 1983, Waunakee, Wisconsin

Partial Transcript: Not a “pathological” liberal.

Partial Transcript: “You couldn't find five.”

Partial Transcript: Both Phil and Bob La Follette assisted by President Roosevelt's endorsement of Bob.

Partial Transcript: Carlson circulated petitions to help create the party.

Partial Transcript: Was interested in vocational education, especially as it pertained to agriculture.

Partial Transcript: Did not like Carlson. Was a Republican as late as 1940, when she was elected district attorney. Ran for Wisconsin Attorney General in 1944 on the Democratic ticket [Actually Hawkes did not run for Attorney General until 1946]. Called Carlson “a promising young upstart.” Politically “she didn't know where she was. She was not a liberal. How she ever got appointed to the Board of Regents, I don't know.” Got active in the Democratic Party in the Tenth District after 1944. An opportunist.

Partial Transcript: Felt Franklin Roosevelt took the “Wisconsin Idea” and the La Follettes' ideas and created the New Deal without giving proper credit. Carlson was close to Phil. Phil was too young, immature, ambitious. Would have been more successful if he had been more mature. Never recovered from his defeat in 1938.

Partial Transcript: He was harder on people in office who were his political allies than he was on the opposition. He was liberal until it came to his own pocket book. Pro-labor until his own newspaper and radio station were organized. Bill Walker told Carlson that Evjue resisted Carlson's advancement at WIBA radio because Carlson was too pro-employee.

Partial Transcript: His children were getting older and Evjue was providing him no advancement.

Partial Transcript: Wanted to make the capitalist system work. Therefore at odds with the socialists. Rural northern Wisconsin followed Bob La Follette into the Republican Party in 1946 while Milwaukee labor and socialists went into the Democratic Party.

Partial Transcript: Mainly the Milwaukee contingent and the labor people. Madison people mainly in favor of following Bob La Follette into the Republican Party.

Partial Transcript: Won and claimed later that he would never have run without Evjue's encouragement.

Partial Transcript: Thinks if the Party would have turned him loose to organize in 1946, he could have produced enough votes to give Bob La Follette victory over Joe McCarthy in the senatorial primary.

Partial Transcript: Defection of Progressives from the Republican Party began with Oscar Rennebohm's defeat of Ralph Immel in the Republican gubernatorial primary in 1948.

Partial Transcript: In 1946 and 1948 voted in the Republican primary but for Democrats in the general election. By 1950, pretty much had decided to go into the Democratic Party.

Partial Transcript: Strong Communist influence. Communists favored Republicans in the belief that the country would fall apart under Republicans and turn to Communists. In 1941 Carlson voted against Biemiller as floor leader because of his socialism. A strong character, a strong speaker.

Partial Transcript: Had people "scared to open their mouths." Election of McCarthy may have prompted some Republicans to switch to the Democratic Party.