Walter J. Kohler, Jr.

Who was Walter J. Kohler, Jr.?

Walter Jodok Kohler, Jr. was a member of the Kohler family of Wisconsin and was the 33rd Governor of Wisconsin, serving three terms from 1951 to 1957. He was a leading figure in state and national Republican Party activities. His role in the clash between Senator Joseph R. McCarthy and presidential candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952 has interested historians for decades. Kohler was for many years a sales executive at the Kohler Company and served as president at The Vollrath Company. He was also a distinguished Naval officer in World War II. He had two children - a son, Terry Jodok Kohler, and daughter, Charlotte Nicolette Kohler.

Kohler's father, Walter J. Kohler, Sr., was Governor of Wisconsin from 1929 to 1931. His son Terry Kohler ran for governor in 1982 against Anthony Earl, but lost.