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John C. Schafer

20th century American politician

John C. Schafer
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 4th district
In office January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1941
Preceded by	Raymond J. Cannon
Succeeded by	Thaddeus Wasielewski
In office March 4, 1923 – March 3, 1933
Preceded by	John C. Kleczka
Succeeded by	Raymond J. Cannon
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Milwaukee 16th district
In office January 3, 1921 – January 1, 1923
Preceded by	George A. Bowman
Succeeded by	Charles B. Perry
Personal details
Born	May 7, 1893 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died	June 9, 1962(1962-06-09) (aged 69) Pewaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Cause of death	Heart attack
Resting place	Arlington Park Cemetery, Greenfield, Wisconsin
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Elsie V. Webster ​ ​ (m. 1923⁠–⁠1962)​
Children	Shirley (Smith) Lorraine Janet (Purnell) Leslie (Lautenbach)
Occupation	Train driver, politician
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1917–1919
Unit	13th Reg. U.S. Engineers
Battles/wars	World War I

John Charles Schafer (May 7, 1893 – June 9, 1962) was an American railroad operator and progressive Republican politician from Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. He served six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Wisconsin's 4th congressional district from 1923 to 1933, and from 1939 to 1941. He previously served one term in the Wisconsin State Assembly (1921).

Early life[edit]

John C. Schafer was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1893.^[1] He attended West Allis High School until his junior year, when he dropped out to go to work as an office boy at the Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company, and eventually went to work on the assembly line.^[2]

When the United States entered World War I, Schafer enlisted in the United States Army with the 13th Engineer Regiment. He was deployed to France for 22 months; the 13th Engineer Regiment worked on railway engineering, and was initially attached to the French 4th ArmyatChampagne. Later they attached to the French 2nd ArmyatVerdun, Saint-Mihiel, and the Meuse–Argonne offensive.^[2][3]

After returning from the war, he was employed as a railroad fireman and engineman for the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad.^[4]

Political career[edit]

In 1920, he was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly^[2] before running for Congress two years later.^[3] Schafer was first elected to Congress as a Republican to the 68th Congress representing Wisconsin's 4th congressional district. He was then reelected to the four succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1923 – March 3, 1933).

He lost his reelection bids in 1932, and failed in 1934 and 1936 to regain his old seat. In 1938, with the Democrats divided, he regained his old seat for the Seventy-sixth Congress. In 1940 he was again ousted by Democrat Thaddeus Wasielewski (whom he'd narrowly beaten in 1938), coming in third behind Wasielewski and Progressive former state senator Leonard C. Fons (Wasielewski polled 57,381 votes [35.62%]; Fons 52,907 [32.84%] and Schafer 50,796 [31.53%]). Schafer unsuccessfully contested the election results.^{[citation needed]}

Schafer ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for the Senate in 1957 to fill the vacancy left by the death of Joseph McCarthy.^[1]

Personal life[edit]

On November 2, 1923, Schafer secretly married Mrs. Elsie Fay (née Webster) in Waukegan, Illinois.^[5]

Later in life, Schafer resided at his brother's home in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. He died there of a heart attack on June 9, 1962.^[1]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Media related to John C. Schafer at Wikimedia Commons

• United States Congress. "John C. Schafer (id: S000111)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

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