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ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
Robert W. Kastenmeier
1924 - 2015
1924
Robert
William Kastenmeier was born in Beaver Dam, Wis., on
Jan. 24, 1924. After graduating from
public high school, he entered the Army in 1943. He was on his way to combat in the Pacific as
a second lieutenant when the war ended in 1945.
Discharged in 1946, he stayed on in the Philippines until 1948 as a
branch office director handling war claims.
1952-58
After
earning a bachelor’s degree from Carleton College in Minnesota and a law degree
at the University of Wisconsin in 1952, he practiced in Watertown for six years. He was elected to the House, on his second
try, in 1958. In a district centered in liberal Madison, he was re-elected 15
times.
1956
06 29 Robert W. Kastenmeier,
Watertown attorney, announced that he would seek the Democratic nomination for
Congress from the Second District. The
district is composed of Dane, Dodge, Jefferson, Columbia and Waukesha Counties;
presently represented by Glenn Davis who is seeking the GOP nomination for the
U.S. Senate.
Mr. Kastenmeier was born and reared in Beaver Dam. In 1941, he moved to Madison to attend the
University. He entered military service
in 1943 and, after three and a half years in the Army accepted a civil-service
appointment in the Philippines as War Department branch office director in
Claims Service. Two years later Kastenmeier resigned his appointment to return to Wisconsin
to pursue a law course at the University of Wisconsin. After admission to the State Bar he moved to
Watertown, where he has engaged in the practice of law for the past four years.
He has
been chairman of the Jefferson County Democratic party since 1953; presently is
Justice of the Peace for Jefferson and Dodge Counties. WDT
1958
08 23 Robert
W. Kastenmeier / Mr. Jaycee Speaks. Is there a realistic solution to the
problem of gifts and favors for government employees? Is it possible for the U.S. to create a long
range policy toward the Middle East or is it a day-to-day matter which requires
constant change? These and other
thought-provoking questions will confront candidate Robert W. Kastenmeier as “Mr. Jaycee Speaks” inaugurates its new
series of panel programs on politics this Saturday, Aug. 30, at 9:15 a.m. on
WTTN. In the belief that a well informed
electorate is one of democracy's strongest weapons, the Watertown Junior Chamber
of Commerce said it has invited candidates for major political office to air
their views on key issues before a panel of local residents, consisting of Mrs.
Lee Block, James Fitzpatrick, Paul Hibbard, David MacGregor and William Wonogrond. Their guest
Saturday will be the candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. House
of Representatives, Robert Kastenmeier of
Watertown. WDT
09 06 Attorney Robert W. Kastenmeier, 34, this
city, captured the Democratic Party nomination for the House of Representatives
in the Second Congressional District in yesterday's primary balloting. Kastenmeier
defeated his opponent, Thomas Amlie, 61, Madison, by
two to one. Kastenmeier
polled 20,692 votes to Amlie's 10,435. Rep. Don Tewes,
Waukesha, was unopposed in the Republican Party primary. He polled 29,921 votes. WDT
11 24 Congressman-elect
Robert Kastenmeier is in the process of assembling
his staff, and next week plans to spend several days in Washington on this and
other work preparatory to taking office early next year. The staff will consist
of five full time persons and three who will be employed on a part time
arrangement. The staff will include a home secretary and at least one professional
employee trained in staff work. WDT
12 11 Kastenmeier Staff.
Although Congressman Robert
W. Kastenmeier of Watertown who takes up his duties
in Washington next month has not yet announced his office staff, it is
understood that a Watertown young man, Joseph Checota,
Jr., who was active in the Kastenmeier campaign, has
been offered a position on the Washington staff of Mr. Kastenmeier. Checota, who has
been a student at the University of Wisconsin, is expected to accept the
appointment. WDT
12 22 Congressman-elect Robert W. Kastenmeier
of Watertown who will take his seat in the House next month is one of four
newly elected congressmen who as yet have no place to hang their hats as far as
office space in the national capital is concerned. Kastenmeier told
the Times, after his return from his
first Washington visit since his election, that he wasn't worried about finding
an apartment for himself and his wife but that he was concerned about office
space. He took up the matter with Speaker Sam Rayburn by correspondence. In a drawing
for office assignments Kastenmeier and the three
others came in last, and as of today there wasn't enough space to go
around. WDT
1959 MRS. ROBERT KASTENMEIER of Watertown,
Wis.
Caption to Life Magazine photo, 01 19 1959: “A 28-year-old native of Texas who once
modeled for Neiman-Marcus’ store, she met her husband at the University of
Wisconsin. An amateur painter, she
recently won an award in Watertown. Here
she is beside bronze lion in Milwaukee’s Pfister Hotel.”
1960
11 29 It was announced today that Attorney
David Fries will be engaged in the practice of law in the offices of Kastenmeier and Schultz at 300 Main Street, Watertown,
effective December 1. Mr. Fries has been
practicing law in Watertown for the past fifteen months. He is a graduate of the University of
Wisconsin with degrees in political science and law. Prior to coming to Watertown to practice law,
he was employed as an insurance claim adjustor in New Jersey and
Milwaukee. He is married and has one
son. According to Mr. Fries, U.S.
Representative Robert W. Kastenmeier will remain on
leave of absence to devote full attention to his congressional duties in
Washington. County Judge Joseph E.
Schultz of Dodge County continues to be associated with the office.
09 30 Joseph W. Checota,
Watertown, interviewed U.S. Ambassador to India John Kenneth Galbraith on
Monday at the ambassador’s office at the United States Embassy, New Delhi,
India, where Checota has been visiting. Mr. Galbraith served as a professor of
economics at Harvard University prior to his appointment as ambassador to
India. He is the author of several
bestselling books including “The Affluent Society,” “American Capitalism,” “The
Great Crash, 1929” and “The Liberal Hour.”
Mr. Checota visited in New Delhi from Aug. 20 to Sept. 1. He is a student at the University of
Wisconsin, Madison, and has been active in Wisconsin politics for the past
several years. He served as the 1958
campaign manager for Wisconsin’s second congressional congressman Robert W. Kastenmeier, Watertown, and joined his Washington staff in
January, 1959. In September, 1959, he
was named the state office manager for Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey in the Wisconsin
presidential preference primary. He
served as the executive director of the Citizen’s for Nelson Committee in Gov.
Gaylord Nelson’s 1960 gubernatorial campaign.
WDT
1969
04 08 FORT ATKINSON — Reform of the Electoral
College is one of the pressing needs facing this nation, Rep. Robert Kastenmeier (D), Watertown, told a $5 per plate dinner
gathering of the Jefferson County Democratic party held at The Fireside last
evening. He said a president must be
elected by the majority of the voters, and in the ancient
electoral system, a president could be elected by a minority of the
voters. The Second District congressman
feels that a president should be elected by popular vote. He said this will not destroy the potency and
importance of national party conventions, nor the two-party system, as some
feel.
1984
09 04 For the first time since he took office
in 1958, U.S. Rep. Robert W. Kastenmeier will face a
primary opponent for his second district congressional seat. Madison resident
and University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate Eileen C. Courtney is opposing Kastenmeier in the district which includes the western
section of Dodge County as well as most of south central Wisconsin. Courtney,
30, is making her first bid for public office. She lives and works as a
nutritionist out of her Madison apartment. She graduated from the Madison
campus in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree in nutritional sciences. WDT
1984
11 06 KASTENMEIER OUSTED
U.S. Rep. Robert W. Kastenmeier,
the dean of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation and a champion of liberal
causes, was ousted in a stunning victory engineered by a Republican novice with
an anti-incumbent message. But while Kastenmeier’s 32-year reign ended Tuesday, his eight
incumbent colleagues bucked public dissatisfaction with Congress’ recent
struggle to reduce the federal budget deficit to win re-election — three
without challenges. “It made people
angry. They wanted a change,” declared
Republican Scott Klug, who gave up his job as a television news anchor earlier
this year to begin a successful campaign to unseat Kastenmeier. WDT
2015
03 20 ROBERT
W. KASTENMEIER, 1924-2015
Robert W. Kastenmeier, a Wisconsin Democrat who in 32 years in the
House was an early opponent of the Vietnam War and in 1976 earned the gratitude
of authors when he managed the first general revision of copyright law since
1909, died on Friday at his home in Arlington, Va. He was 91.
Cross
References:
Kastenmeier
office, sign seen in image 1956c,
300 1/2 E Main, 1950s-70s city assessor image, WHS_006_034b
History of Watertown,
Wisconsin