Interview with Clifford Krueger and Carl Thompson, December 9, 1980, Madison, Wisconsin

Partial Transcript: Origins of Krueger family in Germany.

Partial Transcript: Father worked in cheese cooperative in town of Burke (Dane County), but soon moved back to Merrill.

Partial Transcript: Attended Merrill Public Schools; two years in commercial school in Wausau and Merrill.

Partial Transcript: Norwegian immigrants to Minnesota and Wisconsin. Father was Agriculture Professor in Minnesota and South Dakota, then with Agriculture Department in Washington, D.C. After father's death moved to Stoughton and was educated in Stoughton and at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

Partial Transcript: Courses and debating in high school important as well as father's extensive library in political science.

Partial Transcript: Republican family tradition (La Follette wing) but more important was the influence of grandparents and their lives as peasants in Germany.

Partial Transcript: Grandmother refused to raise her sons for the Kaiser's army and made the move to America a condition of marriage.

Partial Transcript: Ran for Lincoln County Treasurer as Progressive in 1940 but lost. In 1941 elected Alderman in Merrill. [Interviewer's note: Krueger was elected alderman in 1946].

Partial Transcript: Active as university student in organizational meetings of Progressive Party and Young Progressive Club on campus as well as in 1934 campaign.

Partial Transcript: Originally as custodian for Governor's garage and then as clerk in the Governor's office.

Partial Transcript: Took over independent political organization (i.e., non-fraternity) after struggle between progressives and communists. Dominated student government and newspaper for a time.

Partial Transcript: Ran for alderman in Madison and was opposed by Wisconsin State Journal as a carpetbagging student. Later became alderman, then City Attorney in Stoughton. After returning from the Army after World War II ran for Congress as a Democrat and then for Governor. Elected to the Assembly in 1952 and to the State Senate in 1959 special election.

Partial Transcript: Krueger joined Progressive Party largely because of the inspiration of the elder La Follette.

Partial Transcript: First time Thompson and Krueger met. Krueger presided and Thompson made a speech. Krueger pointed out that he was probably only one there without formal education.

Partial Transcript: Two delegations would arrive from Milwaukee, one Socialist, one Progressive, and both demand to be seated.

Partial Transcript: Socialism in Wisconsin due to German immigration after 1848. Progressives a coalition including farmers, laboring people and university people.

Partial Transcript: Lists influences including Robert La Follette Sr., World War I, the reforms of Gov. Francis McGovern, populism, the Depression, and the milk strike. Because of the variety of influences, party attracted a variety of people. The Farmer Labor Progressive Federation represented urban wing of Party. La Follette Sr.'s support had been largely rural.

Partial Transcript: Anecdote of Phil La Follette telling Thompson that when wallets were thick the “ins” stayed in, when wallets were thin the “ins” were out. Discontent with existing conditions was the base of Progressive support.

Partial Transcript: In 1937, Krueger's father elected sheriff on Progressive ticket. Practically entire courthouse turned Progressive and even in 1946 majority of county officers still Progressives.

Partial Transcript: Krueger saw Party not just as a political party. A sense of brotherhood permeated the party, though without the ritual associated with a regular lodge.

Partial Transcript: Krueger describes picture of himself and a friend sitting under Lincoln County standard at Portage convention. Lincoln County supported Robert La Follette Jr.'s decision to join Republican Party.

Partial Transcript: Swept courthouse in 1934. Progressives very strong in Dane County.

Partial Transcript: Bitterness from 1938 fusion movement on Progressive side, and fears of radicalism and La Follettism on stalwart side.

Partial Transcript: First ran for Senate in 1942 as Progressive and lost to Republican. In 1946, ran as Republican and won primary over the Republican who had won in 1942. That Republican then ran as independent in general election, but Krueger won.

Partial Transcript: In both his congressional and gubernatorial campaigns, Thompson owed more to Progressive support than to Democratic support.

Partial Transcript: Krueger's father attended the meeting in the Stock Pavilion. Time was not right to start the movement and trappings were controversial. Thompson claims Phil's desire to distance himself from Franklin Roosevelt's foreign policy helped motivate him to start movement.

Partial Transcript: Wisconsin was isolationist until Pearl Harbor, largely because of immigrant heritage. That tradition influenced Robert La Follette Jr.'s decision to return to the Republican Party.

Partial Transcript: Met Bob Jr. in Washington in summer of 1945 and discussed the situation. Bob Jr. felt Democrats were not yet strong enough and that Progressive Party almost dead. He acknowledged difficulty of running in Republican primary but overestimated his strength as incumbent. All in all a better statesman than politician.

Partial Transcript: A good speaker who knew how to excite a crowd; loved to campaign. At the same time, he wanted to put through meaningful programs, and understood how to govern.

Partial Transcript: He spoke like a lecturer and did not like politics, though he did like Washington and working in the Senate. Sharp contrast between the brothers.

Partial Transcript: Bob Jr. more sedate, probably the intellectual of the two. Phil very intelligent, but quite different from his brother.

Partial Transcript: Includes Ted Dammen (Secretary of State), Sol Levitan (State Treasurer), and John Reynolds (Attorney General). Progressive Party failed to develop cadre of leadership other than the La Follettes. Loomis's election and premature death a turning point in downfall of the party; had he lived, another group of leaders might have emerged.

Partial Transcript: Andy Biemiller (former Socialist and later head of AFL-CIO's COPE), Paul Alfonsi (Speaker of the Assembly), Merlin Hull, and Barney Gehrmann (Congressmen). Vernon Thomson a leader of the Stalwarts at the time.