Fond du Lac's Forgotten Famous Son: F. Ryan Duffy
by Edie Birschbach

A climb up Bascom Hill on the University of Wisconsin campus rewards the effort with a magnificent view of the State Capitol and the City of Madison. Bascom Hall, built in 1860 atop the hill, houses the Chancellor and Dean of Students offices today. ¹ Former students may recall the tradition of sledding down Bascom Hill on a cafeteria tray, while others may remember the bronze plaque bolted to the left side of the main entrance of Bascom Hall. A few may know the history and meaning of those engraved words, penned over a hundred years ago. Probably long forgotten is the role that was played by a young Fond du Lac man, Francis Ryan Duffy, of the Class of 1910, in an event that helped to shape the University of Wisconsin's image.

Duffy made his mark at the University of Wisconsin when, as senior class president, he and the senior class memorial committee became involved in a controversy with the Board of Regents concerning where and when the bronze plaque should be displayed. ² It was tradition for each graduating class to leave a memorial to the University. As class president, Duffy appointed the committee that decided on the bronze plaque as a gift. It was presented to Professor William A. Scott on June 20, 1910, at the class day program. ³ However, the Regents refused to accept it, stating "The university grounds and buildings should not be defaced by having memorials placed on them.” The plaque, a 2.5 x 3 foot bronze tablet, was engraved with words about academic freedom taken from a Board of Regents report in 1894, following a hearing concerning econo-mist Richard T. Ely. ⁴

Now a hallowed and revered sentiment, the issue addressed on the plaque was at that time controversial. In an 1894 letter to the editor of the Nation, Regent Oliver E. Wells, “antagonist and violent public accuser of Professor Richard T. Ely,” had accused Ely of promoting labor unrest and “socialist propaganda” in his writings. ⁵ This created an embarrassing situation for the University, and the Regents appointed a committee to investigate the charges. ⁶ The hearing, which began on August 10, 1894, and culminated with the committee's report on September 18, 1894, completely exonerated Ely. The report also included an academic freedom statement. ⁷ The Regents stated that in some settings Ely might be considered “visionary.” Their report continued,

[if] no professor should teach anything which is not accepted by everybody as true. This would cut our curriculum to very small proportions. We must welcome . . . discussion as shall suggest the means and prepare the way by which knowledge may be extended . . . . In all lines of academic investigation it is of the utmost importance that the investigator should be absolutely free to follow the indications of truth wherever they may lead. Whatever may be the limitations, which trammel inquiry elsewhere, we believe the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found. ⁸

The final sentence was engraved on the bronze plaque, and the class of 1910 took credit for the plaque’s existence. Duffy claimed that “the committee alone was responsible for the inscription on the plaque and chose it that their class might leave a memorial that was really worth while.” ⁹ In a newspaper interview Duffy stated that the incident might be in the news in the coming months and indicated that Lincoln Steffens was preparing an article about it.

Steffens, a journalist, editor, and reformer, was a founder of the “muckraking” move-ment. Muckrakers, so named by Theodore Roosevelt, were early twentieth century writers who exposed corruption and social evils in government and in labor. The muckrakers thrived on ex-posing scandal. Steffens’ 1904 book Shame of the Cities, and his writing in McClure’s magazine “aroused America’s social conscience” and created support for reform movements. ¹⁰ The young men likely were influenced by these writings, and Duffy’s statement that Steffens was writing an article about the plaque suggests that Duffy had knowledge of Steffens’ activities.

The board believed that Steffens’ political agenda was behind the senior class decision to give the plaque and that the students were being used as a pawn to insult the Regents. ¹¹ The refusal to display the plaque may have been triggered by political divisions between Stalwart and Progressive wings within the Republican Party rather than by controversy over academic free-dom or the search for the truth. It appears that most members of the senior class were fervent supporters of the Progressives, and many students believed that the Regents were solidly Stalwarts. ¹² Duffy, who was among the students who supported the Progressives’ goals, was likely influenced by their liberal ideals.

Following the Regents’ rejection, the plaque gathered dust for several years. But class members Duffy, Milton J. Blair and William J. Meuer were not to be thwarted in their quest to have it displayed. To encourage good attendance at their five-year class reunion, they planned for the plaque to be “properly dedicated at Bascom Hall.” ¹³ They understood that the Regents’ approval was needed for the dedication and erection of the memorial, but there was disagreement as to how this was to be obtained.

Class President Duffy and General Reunion Chairman Meuer worked to negotiate with the Regents to try to change their minds, while Attendance Chair Blair, working alone, assumed the Regents would not change their minds and sought to challenge them through negative com-ments in the New Republic. ¹⁴ At the same time, posters appeared in Madison streetcars ques-tioning the Regents’ delay in displaying the plaque.

Duffy and Meuer followed their approach based on belief that, since Board membership had changed, the new members might be more agreeable to display of the plaque. They believed negotiation was the best approach. With the help of University of Wisconsin President Van Hise, they met with the Regents individually to state their case. However, when Blair’s article in the New Republic and the posters appeared, President Van Hise became angry, believing that the class members were not “dealing in good faith.” ¹⁵ It took much persuasion on the part of Duffy and Meuer in dealing with the Board, Van Hise, and their former classmate Blair to defuse pos-sible confrontation.

Duffy and Meuer found a compromise with a formula that enabled the Board to save face. The two agreed to write a letter to the Board stating, “upon careful investigation, we find that the events in the University during the school year 1909-10, were, in several instances, misrepresented at the time, and that, in fact, no action was taken by the Board of Regents which interfered with academic freedom at the University.” ¹⁶ This statement, which was read at the dedication on June 15, 1915, marked the end of the dispute. Twenty-one years after the famous “sifting and winnowing” words were written, the plaque, proclaiming academic freedom and search for the truth, was dedicated at the reunion. Duffy, a politician and jurist in the making, read a statement from “Joseph E. Davies, a rising young Democrat from Milwaukee,” who stated, “The class of 1910 has rendered a great service to the University and to those ideals in education and government, which the University of Wisconsin has come to stand for in so splendid a way, throughout the world.” ¹⁷

Duffy’s ability to speak and his negotiating skills were already evident in this conflict. He demonstrated traits of leadership, political acumen, problem solving, and dedication to search for truth throughout his life, which would embrace a remarkable career. Duffy was a man who walked with the famous, the infamous and not-so-famous; a man who was present when history was made and who was himself a significant participant in major events.

At the University of Wisconsin, Duffy was a member of the Phi Alpha Delta Law frater-nity that hosted a reception for Governor Woodrow Wilson when Wilson appeared at the Univer-sity of Wisconsin. ¹⁸ As a soldier, Duffy was present when President Wilson arrived in Paris at the end of World War I. As a charter member of the American Legion, he worked hard for bonus legislation for World War I veterans and became involved in politics. As a United States Senator, he became the friend of two Presidents and was present when much important legis-lation was passed in the Senate. He was a man who could make tough decisions, even at his own expense. He was regarded highly enough to be chosen to give the dedication address for the Allied military cemetery at Flanders Field in Belgium. And he was a man who, as a judge, held in his hands the lives of many. Many words have been printed in newspapers about various aspects of the career of Francis Ryan Duffy. To date, however, there has not been a full-length biography that explores his long and successful career as Fond du Lac lawyer, soldier in World War I, American Legion leader, United States Senator and Federal Judge.

Physically, Duffy was, “a large man, shaped like an athlete, weighing about 200 pounds, 5 feet 10 inches tall, with a powerful chest, horn rimmed spectacles and hair that bristled as a Irishman's hair should bristle.” ¹⁹ His deep bass voice and hearty laugh were still evident in an interview taped when he was 85 year old. ²⁰ Duffy prided himself on his patriotism. He was a loyal American, a leader, and a dedicated citizen who believed in service. A gifted orator and writer, he was often called upon to speak at public events. He is arguably the most prominent American to have been born and educated in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

Born in the city on June 23, 1888, Duffy practiced law in Fond du Lac from 1912 to 1939, served in the United States Senate from 1933 to 1939, was appointed a federal judge of the Eastern Wisconsin district in June 1939, and was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago in 1949, a post he held until 1966. He semi-retired at age 78, although he continued to serve as a senior judge on the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. While some may judge that his Senate years were the pinnacle of his career, Ryan Duffy “preferred the law.” In a 1967 interview, Duffy, then 78, said that he preferred the judiciary over the Senate. ²¹ He served for 39 distinguished years as a judge.

Fond du Lac played an important part in F. Ryan Duffy's life. For 51 years he called 111 East First Street, the house where he was born, his home. The house is located at the corner of First Street and Park Avenue (formerly called Harney Street). ²² Calling himself a “Fond du Lac-er,” he always returned to Fond du Lac. ²³ He attended public schools in the city until he left for College at the University of Wisconsin. Upon graduation he returned to practice law. He left Fond du Lac again to serve in the military. Following his discharge, he returned to practice law. He visited Fond du Lac frequently during his Senate years, and he continued to return “home” during his federal judgeship. Upon his death on August 16, 1979, he was interred in Fond du Lac at Calvary Cemetery.

Francis Ryan Duffy was one of three children born to Harriet (Hattie) Ryan Duffy and Francis Fee Duffy. Hattie, the daughter of Kieran and Mary (Keys) Ryan, was born on the farm near Richwood in Dodge County where she spent her childhood. ²⁴ Francis F. Duffy was born in Castle Blaney, County Monahan, Ireland, although his parents had originally immigrated to the United States and settled in Virginia in 1820. They returned to Ireland for a visit, and Francis Fee was born there on February 2, 1851. ²⁵ Francis F. Duffy arrived in Fond du Lac on New Year's Day in 1876. ²⁶ Duffy was a businessman and a patner in one of the leading law firms of [Fond du Lac]. ²⁷ From 1878-1879, he was the Fond du Lac City-Attorney and served as District Attorney from 1880-1886.

The Duffys had three children, Francis Ryan, born on June 23, 1888 and baptized at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church on July 8, 1888, Lina N., born October 3, 1890, and Gladys Margaret, born October 6, 1892 and baptized November 20, 1892. ²⁸ On November 21 1901, Hattie Duffy died at the age of forty-three leaving Ryan, age 13, Lina, age 11, and Margaret, age 8, to be raised by their father. It appears from correspondence that Duffy had a close relationship with his father and two sisters. ²⁹

Duffy grew up in the city of Fond du Lac, attended public grade schools located on First and Second Streets, and graduated in 1906 from Fond du Lac High School, then located on Merrill Avenue. ³⁰ As a child, Duffy spent time at Lakeside Park. ³¹ He may have taken the streetcar to the end of the line at the north end of Main Street, where he could have watched the steamboats that were a common sight on the lake. He may have observed the development of the park when the bandstand and pavilion were built in the early 1900s. ³² He probably enjoyed swimming at the old Swimming School at Lakeside Park, which had a huge water slide. He may have witnessed the beginning of electric streetcar service in Fond du Lac. With a keen interest in sports, the eleven-year-old Duffy may have watched Fond du Lac’s “famed Company E” basketball team win the national basketball championship by defeating Yale University at the Armory E gym. ³³ Or perhaps the eleven-year-old caught a glimpse of Buffalo Bill Cody’s appearance in Fond du Lac on August 29, 1899. He probably attended the four-day Fond du Lac Street Fair in 1901, when thousands assembled for an event consisting of “parades, band con-certs, high wire artists, dancing and harness races.” ³⁴ And like many youngsters then and now, he was a newspaper boy for the then Daily Commonwealth.

Ryan Duffy’s speaking and leadership abilities, service to others, and involvement in organizations were evident early in his life. In high school, he was elected class president, participated in football, basketball and track, and was a member of the debate team. With other students, he formed the Inner Circle Debating Team, which was very successful in its com-petitions. In March 1906, Duffy and his teammates, John Crosby and Harold Wilkie, debated a Sheboygan team “in one of the most spirited debates ever witnessed in the city.” The topic was public ownership versus private ownership of street railways and lighting plans in cities with a population of 25,000. Duffy was the last speaker for the affirmative, and it was noted that “he possesses a style of oratory entirely different from the other speakers” and was described as “convincing, yet with a strain of humor.” ³⁵

The young Duffy enjoyed life but was not afraid of hard work. ³⁶ A 1906 newspaper article featuring recent high school graduates and their summer jobs included the eighteen year-old F. Ryan Duffy “as working for a cement contractor doing hard work in that line without flinching. These young men, though ambitious, are not ashamed of the work they are doing and someday they are likely to be at the top of their ladder.” ³⁷ This prophetic comment proved to be true, as Duffy's lifetime achievements and accomplishments were numerous.

Duffy continued debating as an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin, and his debating team was awarded the William F. Vilas Gold Medal. ³⁸ Described as a “witty Irishman” with a sense of humor, he apparently enjoyed telling jokes and stories. He also parti-cipated in cross-country on a team that won second place at the Big Ten Conference, and he was president of his senior class. ³⁹ Duffy graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a Bache-lor of Arts degree in 1910, and he then entered law school at the University.

Duffy handled his first case in April of 1912, even before he completed his law degree. It was noted in the local newspaper that he appeared before Justice Fairbanks for the plaintiff in the case, and that M. K. Reilly was the defense attorney. “Mr. Duffy handled the case in such a way that it brought forth praise on every side. He handled the witnesses with a deftness that is usu-ally found only in attorneys of considerable experience.” Duffy was credited “in the opening arguments of bringing out the principal facts with the same ability which he has shown in many debates.” He “picked out the weak spots and the flaws in the evidence of the adverse wit-nesses.” ⁴⁰ Once again, Duffy was credited with the ability to speak well.

Duffy graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a law degree in June 1912. ⁴¹ After receiving his degree, he joined his father's law firm, and they formed the partnership of Duffy and Duffy, where he worked until the United States entered World War I.

In July 1914, war was threatening in Europe, and within weeks it became a full-blown conflict, including all the major nations of Europe. The United States avoided involvement until, after three years, when it declared war on Germany in April 1917. Duffy, a member of the Officer's Reserve, was called to active duty when war was declared. ⁴² He entered active military service on May 9, 1917, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where he was commissioned as a Captain. ⁴³He was stationed at Fort Brown, Texas, on the Mexican border, prior to leaving for Europe.

Major F. Ryan Duffy in World War I Uniform, 1919

Two months before Duffy left for overseas duty in 1918, he requested a leave of absence, “on or about January 22, 1918,” to marry Anna Louise Haydon, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. G. L. Haydon of Springfield, Kentucky. ⁴⁴ Louise and Duffy had met through a college roommate, probably J. A. Barber of Springfield, Kentucky, whom Duffy visited in Louisville. Louise could verify Duffy's persuasive powers of speech. In a 1932 interview, she stated, “he argued me into marrying him and leaving Louisville to come up north, where it gets awfully cold.” ⁴⁵

On March 29, 1918, Ryan Duffy set sail for Europe aboard the USS President Lincoln, and he arrived in France on April 13, 1918. ⁴⁶ The Fond du Lac County War History records indicate he was in the Motor Transport Corps in support of the Meuse-Argonne offensive. ⁴⁷ Duffy was promoted to the rank of Major on October 7, 1918, and he served in France until his honorable discharge, May 29, 1919. ⁴⁸

During the month following the signing of the Armistice on November 11, 1918, Major Duffy, Assistant Chief Motor Transport Officer in Base Section No. 1, traveled through the war-torn areas of northern France, particularly those areas that had been involved in the American actions on the Marne. In a letter to his wife addressed “Dearest Weese,” he described President Woodrow Wilson's arrival in Paris in December 1918 and the devastation caused by the war. ⁴⁹

It appears that these impressions were firmly etched in Duffy’s mind, especially from his behavior in ensuing years, when he was called upon to give patriotic speeches. He appreciated his country and delighted in administering the oath of allegiance to new citizens. His experience was also apparent in judicial cases in which he dealt with draft evasion or with disloyalty.

In May 1919, Duffy, now thirty-one, returned to Fond du Lac, to his wife, Louise, and to the law practice in the partnership begun with his father in 1912, the firm of Duffy, Duffy and Hanson. ⁵⁰ He served two years as president of the Eighteenth Judicial District Bar Association and was appointed Circuit Court Commissioner. Duffy and Louise settled into their home on the corner of Park Avenue and First Street, joined by Ryan's father Francis. ⁵¹ In the years that followed, they had four children, Ann, F. Ryan Jr., Haydon and James. Ryan Duffy also became active in community affairs.

He was much sought after as an orator, speaking at dedications of war memorials and at many other events in surrounding communities. Many of his speeches were about patriotism and love of country. At the dedication of a bronze memorial tablet at the Waupun Library honoring those who gave their lives in World War I, he called on people to, “Learn to love America more. Keep ever engraved in your hearts that emblem of the Star Spangled Banner. Remember the sacrifices that these soldier boys made for it.” ⁵² On another occasion, he spoke about the League of Nations, from the Soldier’s point of view, in Springfield, Kentucky. It was said, “a more brilliant talk has not been heard in the Old Court House in Springfield, and those who failed to hear him missed a rare treat.” ⁵³At an Independence Day celebration in Fond du Lac, he ad-dressed the Rotary Club, “If there are grievances there are ways by which they may be adjusted without resorting to force. Just remember,” he said, “that these are the United States and that we must remain united if we are to endure.“ ⁵⁴ This was a recurring theme in his rhetoric.

Always a persuasive man with a quick wit and sense of humor, Duffy and other members of his bowling team were confined to a hotel because of bad weather while attending a Knights of Columbus tournament. Someone bet that Duffy could not select a name at random from the telephone book and sell them a dog. He did it, and the lady actually agreed to buy an Airedale dog. He appeared to enjoy a good time and was also a member of the “Four Leaf Clover Club,” which met at Oscar Ward’s Tavern–not a community service organization–where he enjoyed “lustily singing Irish ballads.” ⁵⁵

A more respectable organization that he joined was the American Legion. He was a charter member of the A. M. Trier Legion Post in Fond du Lac. As four million soldiers returned from war, the United States entered a short, sharp economic depression. Millions lost their jobs. The Legion became a sort of nationwide employment service. Many Veterans looked to the Legion for help finding jobs, and more than a million found work this way. The Legion also began its fight for the relief of wounded and disabled veterans, making claims for compensation. Many looked to the Legion for help, and Duffy became increasingly involved in its efforts.

He served in various Legion leadership posts at the state and national level, was elected state commander in 1922-23, national vice commander at the San Francisco convention in October 1923, and was a member of the national executive committee until 1925. ⁵⁶ Thirty-four years later, in June 1959, Duffy was honored by Trier Puddy Post 57 and presented with a life membership in the post. ⁵⁷ He was proud of his membership in the Legion. A 1968 photograph shows him proudly wearing his Past Department Commander’s ring. ⁵⁸

Service in the Legion led him naturally into politics, and the catalyst for this move was “the bonus.” The Adjusted Compensation Act of 1924 granted a $1,000 bonus to all military personnel who had served in World War I, in recognition of their war service. This bonus was to be distributed in 1945. By 1932, due to the Depression, veterans were demanding that the bonus be paid without further delay.

The bonus issue became explosive politics when fifteen thousand jobless World War I veterans, who formed the Bonus Expeditionary Forces (BEF), set up a protest camp in Washington, D.C. They wanted immediate payment of the bonus certificates. Some historians indicate that President Herbert Hoover ordered the military to drive the “bonus army” from the city. ⁵⁹ However, David Lisio, in The President and Protest, exonerates Hoover and shows that General Douglas MacArthur far exceeded his orders when his troops marched on the BEF. ⁶⁰ But Hoover was portrayed at the time as a villain. It seemed that Hoover was oblivious to the army and their needs, when in fact Hoover had been “exceptionally generous and patient with the veterans” and worked closely with Superintendent of Police Pelham Glassford. ⁶¹ Hoover’s aid to and support of the BEF was unrecognized, however, because initially he ignored the veterans. General MacArthur, who decided to drive them out, disobeyed presidential orders. Many Americans, including Duffy, who was sympathetic to the veterans’ plight, sided with the bonus marchers and were appalled that the veterans were fired on with tear gas. It was difficult for Hoover to regain the image of the man who was honored for saving thousands of Russians from starvation follow-ing World War I. Without a doubt, the Bonus Riot had a negative effect on the 1932 election.

Duffy toured 14 states, urging passage of bonus legislation. He identified with the veterans, because he, himself, had served. His work on the American veterans legislation helped develop in him a deep interest in national politics, and his work with the veterans and many contacts became a stepping-stone for entry into politics.

In 1932, the nation was in the throes of the Great Depression, with high unemployment, failing businesses, closing banks, and falling agricultural prices. Millions were unemployed, thirty million people were on welfare, and bankrupt local governments could not handle the load. Relief rolls continued to rise, but homes and possessions had to be sold before people could get assistance. People were desperate . Children missed school because there was no money for food. In Chicago, teachers went without pay for five of thirteen months. More than 20 per cent of the children in New York, and 90 per cent in the mining counties of Ohio, West Virginia, Illinois, Kentucky and Pennsylvania suffered from malnutrition. In Wisconsin during the 1930s, over half of the banks failed, about 1,500 businesses shut down, the value of manufacturing fell from $960 million to $375 million, and farm income fell from $350 million to $199 million. ⁶²

Descriptions of starvation and of destitute people appeared in the news on a daily basis. Reporters stated that President Hoover, isolated in the White House, told reporters, “Nobody is actually starving.” Other information suggests that Hoover was compassionate and concerned about his fellow man, but this isolation became a great issue against him in the 1932 election.

Ryan Duffy frequently stated that he was not interested in seeking political office; however, the “Depression” years changed his mind. Years later, in an interview, Duffy said, “When the banks began to close and hundreds of thousands of men lost their jobs, the country really was in a mess. I firmly believed that the then Governor of New York, Franklin D. Roosevelt, was the man who could lead us out of our miseries.” ⁶³

The Depression left its mark on the American people, and many wanted change in 1932. The Democrats offered that change. The Wisconsin State Democratic convention met in Fond du Lac on January 23, 1932, at the Retlaw Hotel and at the Armory. Duffy, chosen as the chair-man of Wisconsin's delegation to the Democratic Convention in Chicago in 1932, supported Franklin D. Roosevelt. Confident in his fellow Democrats’ support, he sought the Wisconsin United States Senate seat that was being contested as well.

The State Democratic Conference was held in Green Bay on June 11, 1932. Three candidates were endorsed for the U.S. Senate seat: F. Ryan Duffy from Fond du Lac, John M. Callahan from Milwaukee, and William H. Frawley from Eau Claire. Duffy, portrayed in his campaign literature as a family man and man of faith with strong principles that characterized his private and professional life, had been urged by a committee of Democrats to run for Governor instead. But Duffy wasn’t interested, and he preferred to seek the office of United States Senator. ⁶⁴ His friends argued that he could not defeat Senator John Blaine. Duffy’s response was he would “rather be defeated for United States Senator than to win the Governorship since the Governor’s two-year term was so short he would have to start campaigning for re-election before he even got the Governor’s chair warm.” ⁶⁵ He won the nomination for the Senate. It may have been the enthusiastic support he received at the Green Bay convention that prompted other Democratic candidates to drop out, thus giving Duffy the nomination by default. ⁶⁶

The Democrats were very optimistic about the election. They nominated New York Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt as their presidential candidate and Speaker of the House John Garner of Texas as his running mate. President Herbert Hoover and Vice President Charles Curtis were both nominated by the Republican Party. The Republicans knew they had a slim chance of winning the election. The campaign raised questions about political trends in Wisconsin, because the state had traditionally been strongly Republican. The Republicans, who had dominated Wisconsin politics for nearly eighty years, were engaged in a struggle between the “Progressives,” led by Philip La Follette, and the conservative “Stalwart” factions of the Republican Party.

Duffy's opponent in the 1932 general election was Republican John B. Chapple, a young editor from Ashland, Wisconsin who had defeated incumbent John Blaine in the primary, which itself suggested what might happen to incumbents. Duffy’s issues in the election centered on whether Wisconsinites should elect a Senator who supported the record of the Hoover admini-stration and the Republicans, or a Democrat who wanted change. Chapple’s mistake was to continue to use the same challenges he had used against Blaine. The “Red Menace,” the central theme of his campaign, hardly applied to World War I veteran Duffy, who claimed he was “fighting to preserve America for Americans,” and touted his “strong family values,” and views as a “man of faith.” ⁶⁷ Duffy challenged Chapple “to stop fighting Blaine and the La Follettes, Karl Marx and Russia.” ⁶⁸

Beside Bonus legislation, Duffy’s campaign proposed few specifics. He did favor absolute repeal of the XVIII Amendment, Prohibition, and immediate modification of the Volstead Act, which banned the manufacture, sale or transport of intoxicating liquors. He supported an array of general concepts that were not likely to produce campaign negatives in Wisconsin: protective tariff, but not an embargo; “America for Americans,” and opposition to Hoover’s “internationalism.” Duffy also proposed no more exploitation of natural resources, as he wanted the public to derive the greatest benefit from them. He also wanted to eliminate use-less federal bureaucracy, to shorten the working week, and to help the farmers.

Perhaps more important than his message was his devotion to vigorous campaigning and his consistent message that he supported Roosevelt. Duffy traveled throughout the state, logging about 10,000 miles by train and automobile, delivering speeches in person and on the radio. He stressed the importance of Governor Roosevelt’s election more than his own, and this was an obvious tactic for such a political neophyte. ⁶⁹

Louise Duffy remained outside the political arena. In a rare 1932 interview she replied to a question about campaigning with her husband that “I've heard about Mrs. Kohler and Mrs. La Follette going out and campaigning for their husbands, but I don’t know how I’d find time for that, with four children to take care. No one has said anything bad about Ryan yet, so I guess there’s nothing for me to say anyhow.” ⁷⁰

Duffy was elected as part of the Democratic landslide, along with Madison Mayor A. G. Schmedeman, who was elected Governor, defeating Republican incumbent Walter J. Kohler. Duffy received 222,569 more votes than Chapple. ⁷¹ It was a surprise that such a political un-known would be nominated and elected to the Senate, having only previously run for District Attorney. A year before his election, Duffy had been a leading lawyer in Fond du Lac and was little known outside of American Legion circles, where he was a state commander. His rise to the Senate was certainly related to the desire of the electorate for change.

The question to consider in regard to Duffy’s victory is whether he was swept into office only on the coattails of Roosevelt, or whether his victory was due to his own merit. Certainly he campaigned as an extension of Roosevelt’s message, but several issues helped elect Duffy to the Senate in 1932: the political climate, the economic crisis which cried out for change, Duffy's charm, the impression he gave of a strong moral character, and the electorate’s frustration with Hoover. The disarray and divisions among Republicans and the lack of political savvy by his opponent sealed Duffy’s victory.

Having won as a member of the Roosevelt team, Duffy still asserted his independence. In an appearance in Neenah just before Inauguration, he stated that he would go to Washington with an open mind on the pressing questions of the day. “I will vote upon them as I see their merit, I will not be swayed by any hope or wish of re-election” ⁷²

When Duffy took his place in the Senate, he was seated in the front row on the Democratic side, with Senator Huey Long of Louisiana on his right and Senator Richard Russell immediately behind him. The infamous Long “was a man who had bitter enemies and many devoted friends.” ⁷³ Duffy told Long, “Huey, I don’t know that I like the idea of me sitting next to you.” Long suggested Duffy move. Duffy replied, “Some one up in the gallery might start shooting at you and hit me.” There was unconscious irony in Duffy’s words, because Senator Long was assassinated September 8, 1935, in the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge.

Though the Senate galleries were packed when Long spoke, Duffy believed the Louisiana Senator was a lonely person. Sometimes, when Duffy and his wife were leaving the Mayflower Hotel, where Long also stayed, he would ask to join the Duffys. They were happy to have his company. ⁷⁴ However, things were not always so congenial between the two men.

Duffy and Long were on opposite sides of the issue of a treaty with Canada dealing with the construction of a joint power and navigation project that would make the St. Lawrence sea-way better able to accommodate larger vessels. Duffy favored the 27-foot deep waterway that would connect the Atlantic Ocean and the head of Lake Superior, benefiting Wisconsin com-merce and industry. Duffy believed that the American mid-continent was within its rights to demand that its land-locked situation be changed. He considered it “petty sectional arguments” to delay the decision on the treaty. Long led the opposition against the treaty, even though his own state had benefited from $35,000,000 in federal funds for dredging to make New Orleans a seaport. ⁷⁵ The Senate failed to ratify the treaty when it came to a vote in 1934.

In the Senate, Duffy served on several important committees, including the Foreign Relations, Military Affairs, Appropriations, Patents, Interoceanic Canals, and Privileges and Elections Committees, although his primary areas of interest were national defense and copyright legislation. As a freshman Senator, he sponsored few pieces of legislation. He did sponsor the Duffy Copyright Bill, which proposed drastic revision of the copyright laws. After holding control of the floor for eight days, Duffy managed to get the bill passed by the Senate in the first session of 74th Congress. ⁷⁶

The bill’s primary purpose was to protect American authors, composers, songwriters, artists, and including dramatic and cinematographic producers. ⁷⁷ This would automatically extend copyright protection of an American’s work to fifty treaty nations. Another provision dealt with the rise of radio broadcasting and just compensation for the composers. The bill would have eliminated the $250 automatic minimum penalty for copyright infringement. ⁷⁸ Unfortunately, this legislation did not pass in the House of Representatives.

Despite the fact that isolationism prevailed in Wisconsin politics, Duffy supported “sub-stantial defense expenditures,” a not unexpected stance, in view of his military experience and ties to the American Legion. As a member of the Foreign Relations and Military Affairs Com-mittees, he also served as a member of an American economic and diplomatic mission to China, Japan, and the Philippines; once again, he was present when history was made. ⁷⁹

As guests of the Philippine government, a Congressional Good-Will Tour participated in the Commonwealth Government inauguration of President Manuel Quezon at Manila, held on November 15, 1935. Most members of the delegation served on the Foreign Affairs or Insular Relations Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives. Initially, Senator Alben Barkley of Kentucky had planned to go. When Barkley dropped out, Missouri Senator Harry B. Hawes, who represented the Philippines in legal matters, asked Duffy, who was in Chicago holding hearings for the Military Affairs committee, to go in his place.

Duffy at first declined the invitation, believing the time was too short, because he and his family were planning to leave that night to return to Washington and put the boys in school. ⁸⁰ However, after a whirlwind of activities, he made the necessary arrangements–the boys stayed in Fond du Lac–and Duffy and Louise left by train for Minneapolis and Seattle, where they boarded the American Mail Liner President Grant on October 16, 1935. The entourage included Vice President Garner, Speaker of the House Byrnes, seventeen Senators, twenty-five Congressmen, and a number of the “foremost newspaper men in America.” Vice President Garner and his wife were assigned chairs next to the Duffys, and they “enjoyed many pleasant visits and social hours during the long sea journey.” ⁸¹

When the party arrived in Yokohama, Japan, about fifty newspapermen boarded the ship, bringing with them a large number of carrier pigeons. They took many pictures, developed them on the ship, and attached the finished photos to the pigeons. The Tokyo papers published the pictures almost before the Americans got off the ship. The American delegation visited several cities in Japan, including Kamakura, Kobe, Tokyo, and Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan, where they visited an “Imperial Palace.” ⁸² Duffy easily adjusted to the Japanese custom of taking off his shoes indoors, but he had difficulty with chopsticks. Always a man with a sense of humor, he considered “whittling one down to a fine point and making a sort of spear out of it.”

The group stayed in the Philippines for twelve days, and each member was provided with a guide, many of whom were graduates of American universities. The Duffys were among the few who were invited to Manuel Quezon’s home for dinner. Duffy described Quezon as a “brilliant, capable statesman,” the inauguration as an “inspiring sight,” and the inaugural parade, representing all parts of the islands, as “very colorful.”

The final leg of the journey included a visit to Hong Kong and a train trip to Canton. On their return to the United States, many declared, “in spite of the many attractions of the Orient, they were convinced that there was no place on ‘God’s green footstool’ like our good old USA.”

In news reports that followed the trip, Duffy described his observations. “Senator Duffy arrived in Fond du Lac Friday with a conviction that Japan is intent on capturing the commercial markets of the world.” He continued, “Japan, intensely nationalistic and highly geared indus-trially, is one of the busiest nations in the world and there is a purpose behind it.” ⁸³ Duffy shared the sentiments of many Americans who were increasingly critical of Japan. “The Japanese gave the Americans a cold reception; whereas the Chinese were more cordial and I was much im-pressed with the great resources of the Philippines.” ⁸⁴

Duffy continued to be regarded as a self-confident and a gifted orator, and it may have been this gift of speech, coupled to his military service in World War I, that gave Duffy and his wife the opportunity, in 1937, to join United States Ambassadors Hugh S. Gibson and Josephus Daniels to make yet another trip abroad. They were among those representing the United States at the dedication of an American Chapel in Flanders Field, Belgium and at American monuments in France dedicated to fallen U.S. servicemen. ⁸⁵ According to Duffy, dignitaries included, “General John Pershing of the United States; commanding generals from France and Belgium, Sir Admiral Beatty, commander of the British fleet; Paul von Zelland, Prime Minister of Belgium; and other high officials from France and Belgium.” ⁸⁶ Duffy gave an address at Flanders Field on August 8, 1937. As part of his speech, he made a call for the resolution of disputes without recourse to another war, a sentiment held by many at the time:

The hope of our soldiers in entering into the conflict was that they might assist in bringing about enduring peace. But in retrospect comes once again the realization of the futility of war. It has very rarely solved permanently any great question. If the soldiers who are buried out here could sit up in their graves and speak to us today, it would be to give voice to the agonizing question, ‘Cannot some other means be found to settle international disputes?’ ⁸⁷

Soon after his return from Europe, Duffy began his campaign for reelection to the Senate. In preparation for the fall election, a testimonial for Duffy was held in Fond du Lac in February 1938. Many dignitaries came to the city, including keynote speaker Alben Barkley of Kentucky, who became Vice President under Harry Truman. President Roosevelt sent his en-dorsement in a letter to Leo Crowley, dated February 4, 1938, stating he was glad Crowley was planning to attend the testimonial for “our good friend F. Ryan Duffy.” Roosevelt continued, “You know what we think of Ryan, and I want his home folks to know it too. By his loyalty, his unswerving devotion to what he thinks right, and his liberal viewpoint on all the great problems confronting us, he is rendering a great public service. I know that they are as proud of him as we are.” ⁸⁸

Duffy’s liberal views often put him in disagreement with conservatives who dominated the Wisconsin Democratic party in the 1930s. His relations with his party became even more complicated when, in 1934, the Progressives first appeared on the ballot, signaling that he was unlikely to obtain their support, as he had in 1932.

One week before the election President Roosevelt confirmed his support of Duffy again by means of a telegram that was read at a rally held for Duffy at the Eagles Club. Roosevelt wired,

As you know, I have previously indicated my interest in the campaign of Senator Duffy. Ryan always has co-operated loyally. He is a real friend of liberal government. I sincerely hope that the great liberal state of Wisconsin will not diminish its strength in the Senate of the United States by entrusting to one [Wiley or Ekern] who is neither liberal in heart nor in mind the vitally important duty of representing Wisconsin in the Senate.” ⁸⁹

Despite the President’s endorsement, Duffy still was not well known nationally. In fact, such an astute historian of American politics as Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., in his The Politics of Upheaval, could inaccurately identify Duffy as a “conservative Democrat.” ⁹⁰ But President Roosevelt’s endorsement was not enough to counter the effects of the La Follettes and the Progressives. It was clear that the 1938 election would be difficult for Duffy to win.

The national Democratic Party understood the situation. Prior to the 1938 election, Presi-dent Roosevelt offered Duffy a seat on the United States Court of Appeals in Chicago. ⁹¹ Duffy declined, because of his commitment to the Wisconsin electorate, even though he felt his chances for reelection were slim. The La Follette Progressives planned to run a complete ticket in the 1938 election, including Herman Ekern, a candidate for the United States Senate. ⁹² Until 1934, the Progressives had been a group within the Republican Party, but in 1934, the Wisconsin Progressive Party first appeared on the ballot as a political organization that was independent of the two major parties. ⁹³ Duffy’s assessment was that this would split the liberal vote and probably ensure his defeat.

Duffy's assumption turned out to be correct. Not only was he defeated by his Republican opponent, Alexander Wiley, but he was also outpolled by the Progressive candidate, Herman Ekern. His third place finish garnered Duffy only 231,976 votes in 1938, whereas he had received 610,236 votes in 1932.

Even in Fond du Lac County, Wiley received nearly twice Duffy’s vote, despite the Fond du Lac Commonwealth Reporter’s endorsement of Duffy. The editorial endorsing Duffy cre-dited him for “working earnestly, ably, diligently and faithfully at all times in a constant effort to best perform the multiplicity of duties and meet the responsibilities the position involved,” and cited his “ability and training in offices of public trust.” ⁹⁴

Were there other reasons for Duffy’s defeat, apart from the decision of the Progressives, who had supported Duffy in 1932, to run their own candidate for the Senate in 1938? What else might have caused such a significant shift in voter support away from Duffy? Republicans cer-tainly received some support from conservative Democrats, and some dissatisfied Democrats supported the Progressives. ⁹⁵ The huge shift in the number of votes cast for Duffy might partly be attributable to the adverse publicity he received when “the income tax reports of his law firm during his six years of office were compared with his pre-senatorial years. In Fond du Lac, his home county, his law firm practically enjoyed a monopoly in Home Owner Loan corporation mortgage foreclosures,” a form of business that was likely to inflame the passions of many ordinary people who lost their homes in the depression. ⁹⁶ In 1932, his firm also reported an income of $18,000, with Duffy’s salary standing at $5,100, and in 1936, he received $8,000, while the firm earned $41,000. In the preceding years, when many lost all they had, this evidence of personal financial gain may have contributed significantly to his electoral defeat.

Duffy’s voting record may also have played a role in his defeat. The Republican can-didate, Wiley, charged that Duffy was having difficulty explaining his votes in the Senate. ⁹⁷ He accused Duffy of being a “yes man” to President Roosevelt, stating that he looked to Hyde Park so much that he might as well represent the President’s home state. ⁹⁸ The implied suggestion that Duffy was not alert to local Wisconsin interests may have hit home with some voters.

Charges of campaign irregularities also bedeviled Duffy’s campaign. He was accused of misuse of his franking privileges in mailing postcards that contained extracts from a speech printed in the Congressional Record. Edward A. Bacon, Vice-Chairman of the Wisconsin Republican State Central Committee, wired the Senate Campaign Expenses Committee that a campaign postcard was in violation, because it contained comments on Duffy’s behalf. Bacon charged that the postcard bore an excerpt from the speech given by Alben Barkley at the testimonial dinner for Duffy in Fond du Lac. Duffy responded that Bacon’s charge was a “last ditch effort to discredit a clean campaign which I have carried on without any resort to mud-slinging. There is nothing illegal or unlawful in circulating extracts of a speech which has been printed in the Congressional Record.” He continued, “Mr. Bacon knows that.” ⁹⁹ The Senate Campaign Expenditures Committee took no action on the complaint and ruled in Duffy’s favor. ¹⁰⁰ However, this type of publicity certainly must have had a negative effect on voters.

Yet another issue that may have affected the election was a charge brought against Duffy by former Representative William H. Stafford of Milwaukee, an unsuccessful Republican sena-torial candidate who had been defeated in the primary. WPA workers were sent letters from the “DUFFY FOR SENATE CLUB,” and they responded with contributions. Stafford alleged that Duffy violated federal law by soliciting campaign funds from federal employees. The charges were brought before a senatorial campaign fund investigating committee in Washington, D.C. The committee ruled there was no evidence that Senator Duffy had any personal knowledge of the letters and ruled, after the election was completed, that the former U.S. Senator did not violate federal law. ¹⁰¹ Despite his personal exoneration, these charges also might have had some negative impact during the campaign.

A more serious issue concerned Duffy’s voting record on veterans’ affairs. In 1932, Duffy had run on a platform of support for veterans, but he subsequently voted against veterans’ economic interests by voting for the governmental economy bill that slashed veterans’ compen-sation, including the long-promised “bonus.” In an appearance at the State American Legion convention held in Janesville in August 1933, Duffy defended his position:

My years of effort in behalf of the service man naturally caused me to have a great interest in any veteran legislation proposed. [However,] . . . the affairs of the nation were desperate . . . the welfare of the veteran was at stake, but also all the people of our nation. A drastic cut in the cost of operating the government was essential. ¹⁰²

Duffy was not afraid to make a tough decision and held to the promise he had made in Neenah, that he would “vote upon [issues] as I see their merit.” While some might have judged Duffy’s action as a vote against the veterans, others probably agreed with him that his decision was a vote for all Americans.

His vote against the Bonus bill probably was not as significant a factor in the outcome of the election as was the emergence of the Progressives as a separate political force. But, regard-less of the cost to him personally, he cast his vote for what he saw as the good of the nation, not just for a special interest group, no matter how close it was to him. In the Senate, Duffy had grown from his initial political role as advocate for veterans’ groups. His appearance before the State Legion convention showed that he was not afraid to vote his conscience and was willing to defend it, regardless of the cost to him politically. His actions showed the strength of his character, even though they probably cost him politically.

In fact, Duffy was not alone in his defeat, for the 1938 election was a Wisconsin Repub-lican landslide. Another Fond du Lac resident, Democratic U.S. Representative Michael. K. Reilly, was also defeated. Reilly had served in Congress from 1913 to 1917 and later had been elected to fill the unexpired term of deceased Congressman Florian Lampert. The Progressive Governor, Philip La Follette, was also denied a fourth term, as he was defeated by Republican Julius P. Heil, a Milwaukee industrialist. The Republicans won all the major state offices and eight of ten congressional seats. ¹⁰³ It thus appears that a combination of factors in Wisconsin politics at large led to Duffy’s defeat rather than any issue related to his individual candidacy.

Following his defeat, Duffy briefly returned to his law practice with Russell E. Hanson in Fond du Lac. In June 1939, he was appointed by President Roosevelt as United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin in Milwaukee (the District Court hears most federal cases and ranks below the Court of Appeals), replacing Ferdinand A. Geiger, who had served on the bench for twenty-seven years. ¹⁰⁴ As a result, the Duffy family made plans to relocate to Milwaukee and purchased a home on Hackett Street. The law firm of Duffy, Duffy and Hanson was dissolved. ¹⁰⁵ F. Ryan Duffy began another phase of his career, as a judge. In 1949, Presi-dent Truman elevated Duffy to the six-judge Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit–ranked next to the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land.

As a judge, Duffy dealt with many different cases, but one case that received much notoriety was the appeal of the infamous Teamster President James R. Hoffa, who argued that “excessive publicity prevented him from a fair trial [in Chicago] in 1964.” ¹⁰⁶ On June 26, 1964, Hoffa was convicted of mail fraud and conspiracy involving the Teamsters Union’s pension fund. Hoffa’s June 1966 appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals charged that the pretrial publicity had been unfair. Hoffa’s Lawyer, Maurice J. Walsh, claimed that “widespread publicity about Hoffa’s previous conviction for jury tampering in Tennessee and his feud with U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy made it impossible to select an unbiased jury.” He maintained that, in questioning the jurors, more than 100 were aware of the Kennedy-Hoffa feud. The rebuttal from the Justice Department contended that some of the publicity had been generated by Hoffa himself, and the jurors had not been aware of it because they were sequestered. Duffy and two Appeals judges, Lathan Castle and Luther Swygert, heard arguments for five hours from the six defense lawyers. Duffy said, “It was the most [arguments] he recall[ed] in 17 years on the appeals bench.” ¹⁰⁷

The then seventy-eight-year old Judge Duffy wrote the majority opinion on October 4, 1966, with Judge Castle in agreement. Duffy “rejected the defense’s contention that publicity prejudiced Hoffa’s chance for a fair trial,” stating “Whenever any person of prominence is charged with a crime, the story usually will receive wide distribution through various news media. The fact that a juror may have read or heard accounts relative to a criminal charge is alone not sufficient ground for excusing a prospective juror.” ¹⁰⁸ Judge Swygert wrote a dis-senting opinion that in part said, “every defendant in a criminal case is entitled to the funda-mentals of a fair trial, free of the prejudicial errors that occurred in this case.” ¹⁰⁹

Duffy became a chief judge in 1954 and served until 1959, assigning tasks to the other judges within his jurisdiction. ¹¹⁰ He semi-retired from the court in 1966, assuming the status of senior judge. Duffy continued to hear cases on a part-time basis for several more years and fully retired in 1978. ¹¹¹

Duffy’s last public appearance in Fond du Lac may have occurred on March 12, 1974, when he presented the Public Library with an autographed painting of former President Harry Truman, bearing the inscription, “To my good friend, Ryan Duffy, senator, federal district judge, judge of the court of appeals, with kindest regards and happy memories of our association. Independence, Mo., July 1,1957.” ¹¹²

Duffy died at the age of 91 on August 16, 1979, only a year after he retired and stopped going to his office. He was returned to his native Fond du Lac and buried in Calvary Cemetery, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. ¹¹³ The Trier Puddy Post 75 American Legion firing squad offered a final salute. ¹¹⁴ Reverend James Duffy presided at the burial service for his father, saying, “He always considered Fond du Lac his true home. Even when we lived in Washington, we came back here to home. When he was a federal judge, we came back here. This was and is his home.

In returning his remains to Fond du Lac, we are coming home.” ¹¹⁵ The man, who had walked with the famous, had judged the infamous and had many friends among the not-so-famous, the man who is perhaps Fond du Lac’s most famous political favorite son, was home again.

1 - Merle Curti and Vernon Carstensen, The University of Wisconsin: A History, 1848-1925, v. I (Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1949), 141. return

2 - Francis R. Duffy, Class President, Fond du Lac Commonwealth Reporter, (undated), “Francis Ryan Duffy, son of Attorney F. F. Duffy of this city, has been elected president of the senior class of the University of Wisconsin, the first time that such an honor has been awarded to a Fond du Lac Student.” Cardinal. F. R. Duffy ’10, President letter to Editor Cardinal, undated. F. Ryan Duffy Papers, State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Scrapbook v. I. return

3 - “President Duffy Tells of Memorial,” Fond du Lac Commonwealth Reporter, [Undated, approximately June 1910]. return

4 - Theodore Herfurth, “Sifting and Winnowing: A Chapter in the History of Academic Freedom at the University of Wisconsin,” in W. Lee Hansen, ed., Academic Freedom on Trial (Office of University Publications, University of Wisconsin, 1998), 63. return

5 - The Nation, 59 (July 12, 1894), 27. return

6 - Herfurth, 63. return

7 - Herfurth, 66. return

8 - Madison Democrat, September 19, 1894. return

9 - “President Duffy Tells of Memorial,” Fond du Lac Daily Commonwealth. June 30, 1910. return

10 - George B. Tindall, America: A Narrative History, v. II (New York: W. W. Norton, 1988), 942. return

11 - Herfurth, 74. return

12 - Herfurth, 69. return

13 - Merle Curti & Vernon Carstensen, The University of Wisconsin: A History, 1848-1925, v. II (Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1974), 70. return

14 - New Republic 3, May 15, 1915. return

15 - Madison Democrat, September 19, 1894. return

16 - Herfurth, p. 85 return

17 - Davies ran and was defeated in the special election for U.S. Senator in the spring of 1918 to fill the seat vacated by the death of Democrat Paul O. Husting, who had been killed in a hunting accident. Wisconsin State Journal, June 14, 1915. return

18 - Duffy Papers, “Wilson banqueted by Fraternity.” News clipping from unidentified paper (Oct 26, n.y.d). return

19 - “F. Ryan Duffy Finds Time in Busy Life to Be a ‘Family Man,’” Duffy for U.S. Senator, Pamphlet, 1932, Fond du Lac County Historical Society. return

20 - Duffy Papers, Tape UC992A, Tape 1 Winter/1973. return

21 - “US Judge Duffy Prefers Bench to Seat in Senate,” by Richard Bradee, Milwaukee Sentinel. May 4, 1967. return

22 - Ruth S. Worthing, The History of Fond du Lac County As Told by Its Place-Names, 1976, 76. “Harney Street was changed to Park Avenue when Lakeside Park was developed and the street extended into the park.” The house number was subsequently changed to 213 East First St. return

23 - F. Ryan Duffy's Memoirs. Duffy to William Draves, Managing Editor, Fond du Lac Reporter. April 2, 1970. On July 30, 1969, Wm. A. Draves, Managing Editor of the Fond du Lac Commonwealth Reporter wrote to Duffy requesting him to “recount his political life.” Several letters passed between Mr. Draves and Judge Duffy, culminating in the completion of a memoir. Subsequently, a series of articles on Duffy’s career appeared in the newspaper, April 11-May 8, 1970. Mrs. Alice Draves generously shared her late husband’s file on Francis Ryan Duffy. The file remains in her possession. “US Judge Duffy Prefers Bench to Seat in Senate,” by Richard Bradee, Milwaukee Sentinel. May 4, 1967. return

24 - “Major Duffy May Give Address in City Next Month,” Times (Watertown, Wisconsin), June 17, 1932. return

25 - “Senator Back to Flanders Fields,” Fond du Lac Commonwealth Reporter, April 10, 1970. return

26 - The four years between F. F. Duffy leaving Virginia and his arrival in Fond du Lac on New Year's Day in 1876 remain undocumented. return

27 - Portrait and Biographical Album of Wisconsin, Acme Publishing Company, 1885. return

28 - Registrum Baptizatorum in Ecclesia, St. Joseph Catholic Church Baptism Records, Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The child's name was recorded as Francis Fee, not Francis Ryan, as he was known all his life. All other information, including parents and dates, is identical. Probably the priest baptizing F. Ryan chose not to use the name Ryan because it was not a “Catholic” name. Milwaukee Archdiocese indicated that pages are missing from St. Joseph, Fond du Lac Baptism, v. 2 1870-1901, 241-244, 245-246, and 249-250. No record was found for Lina or for Margaret Duffy. return

29 - Duffy Papers, Scrapbook #1, family photographs and letters. return

30 - Maurice J. McKenna, ed., History of Fond du Lac County (Chicago: The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1912), v. I, 353. The Second Street School was a small wooden building, but the First Street School was larger. Neither building exists today. The Second Street School is the site of a playground. Fond du Lac 150 Years 1836-1986, Official booklet honoring the Sesquicentennial Celebration, Action Printing, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. The booklet states that the Fond du Lac Senior High School was built in 1873. In 1925, it became Roosevelt Junior High School. return

31 - Duffy Papers, Scrapbook #1, undated photographs of Duffy. Caption indicates Lakeside Park as the location. return

32 - Lakeside Park: Past Present Future. June 1976. League of Women Voters of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. return

33 - Michael Mentzer, Fond du Lac County: Gift of the Glacier (Fond du Lac: Action Printing, 1991), 118. The armory on East Second St was demolished in 1980 as part of an urban renewal project. return

34 - Mentzer, 123. return

35 - Duffy Papers, Scrapbooks, Unidentified newspaper clipping, Saturday, March 31, 1906 return

36 - “Hardships, Humor Recalled As Graduates of 1906 Gather,” Fond du Lac Commonwealth Reporter, June 9, 1956. return

37 - Duffy Papers, Newspaper article, 1906, Wisconsin State Historical Society, Micro Reel 1086, Reel 1. return

38 - “Judge Duffy Recalls 1932 Convention of Democrats,” Fond du Lac Commonwealth Reporter, April 8, 1970. return

39 - “Ryan Duffy Heads Seniors,” Fond du Lac Reporter, March, 1910. return

40 - “Ryan Duffy Tries His First Case,” Fond du Lac Commonwealth Reporter, April 26, 1912. return

41 - Duffy Papers, Citation by Prof. Weaver, 1952 Univ. Wisconsin Commencement, June 20, 1952, Box 5, Folder 2. return

42 - Duffy Papers, Scrapbook 2, War Department to F. Ryan Duffy, January 5, 1917, “Letter appealing to your patriotism and join The Quartermaster Officers’ Reserve Corps, U.S. Army.” return

43 - “Duffy Receives U.S. Captaincy,” The Reporter, April 12, 1917. return

44 - “Capt. F.R. Duffy, to C.O. Brownsville District, Brownsville, Texas, December 18, 1917.” return

45 - Duffy for U.S. Senator, “Boys Trained by Candidate,” Campaign literature, 1932. Fond du Lac County Historical Society. return

46 - Duffy Papers, Madison, Scrapbook v. 2. German torpedoes sank the USS President Lincoln on May 31, 1918. Statement of Edward Victor Isaacs, U.S.N., November 13, 1918, taken prisoner from the Lincoln. U.S. Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, USS Melville, London, England. F. Ryan Duffy Papers, Scrapbook 2, v. I of the War Record of F. Ryan Duffy. return

47 - Fond du Lac County War History Committee, Adams House, Fond du Lac Historical Society; Tindall, v. 2, 1009. “The Meuse-Argonne offensive involved 1.2 million American troops, and was the largest American action of the war, in a drive toward Sedan and its railroad that supplied the entire German front.” return

48 - Duffy Papers, Scrapbook v. 2, “War Department Office of the Chief, Motor Transport Corps, Washington,” May 27, 1919. return

49 - Duffy Papers, Scrapbook v. 2, F. Ryan Duffy to Louise Duffy, December 24, 1918. return

50 - Duffy for U.S. Senator Literature. Duffy United Choice of Party at State Meet, 1932. Fond du Lac Historical Society. Russell Hanson joined the law firm when Ryan Duffy was in the army. return

51- “FDL’s First B & B is still its best kept secret,” Fond du Lac Reporter, July 19, 2000. The home was designated an historic site by the Fond du Lac Historic Preservation Commission and called the Bissell-Duffy House. return

52 - Duffy Papers, Scrapbook 1, “Shun Agitators, Love Country, Pleas of Duffy,” unidentified, undated newspaper. return

53 - Newspaper article, Sunday, October 14, unidentified newspaper. In all likelihood Duffy was visiting his wife’s family. return

54 - “Patriotic meet for Rotary Club,” Fond du Lac Reporter, July (1923?). return

55 - The Circuit Rider, “Activities of Francis Ryan Duffy,” Vol. The First and Last, May 6, 1959. (Humorous paper written for a Duffy event). return

56 - Wisconsin Blue Book 1937, Wisconsin Members of 73rd Congress, 440. “Biographical Sketch of Judge F. Ryan Duffy,” November 8, 1944, Duffy papers, Box 1, Folder 1. return

57 - Wisconsin Department Adjutant’s Weekly Notes, Judge F. Ryan Duffy. June 3, 1959, v. 5. No., 2. return

58 - Badger Legionnaire, August 1968. Duffy Papers, Scrapbook v. 3, #17. return

59 - Tindall, v. II, 1106. return

60 - Donald J. Lisio, The President and Protest: Hoover, MacArthur, and the Bonus Riot (N.Y.: Fordham University Press, 1994), 167. return

61 - Lisio, 55, 297. Glassford, the son of a career officer, was a West Point graduate who rose to the rank of general, had a distinguished military career, and received the Distinguished Service Cross following World War .I. return

62 - Sheila Reaves, Wisconsin, a Story of Progress (Windsor Publications, Inc., 1988), 167. return

63 - “Duffy–‘Faith in Franklin D. Roosevelt,’” Fond du Lac Commonwealth Reporter, April 8, 1970. return

64 - “Duffy Their Man,” Fond du Lac Commonwealth Reporter, September 17, 1932. return

65 - F. Ryan Duffy Memoirs. Duffy to Wm. Draves, 6 return

66 - “Duffy Not Spectacular But His Public Rise Is,” Milwaukee Journal, Nov. 9, 1932. return

67 - “Pledge 100% to Roosevelt Platform,” F. Ryan Duffy for U.S. Senate, 1932. Election campaign material. Fond du Lac County Historical Society. return

68 - “Whom is Chapple Fighting?” The Milwaukee Journal, October 7, 1932. return

69 - “Duffy Bases His Drives on National Issues.” Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin, October 12, 1932. return

70 - Duffy for U.S. Senate, 1932 Campaign Literature, “F. Ryan Duffy Finds Time in Busy Life to be ‘Family Man.’” return

71 - James R. Donoghue, How Wisconsin Voted, 1848-1954 (Madison: Bureau of Government, University Extension Division, 1956). return

72 - “Dollar is No Longer Trade Medium-Duffy,” News Times, January 31, 1933. return

73 - Duffy Memoirs to Draves. 7. return

74 - Duffy Memoirs to Draves. 10. return

75 - The Journal, Antigo, Wisconsin, September 18, 1933. return

76 - “Roosevelt Appoints Duffy Judge for This District,” Sheboygan Press, June 21, 1954. return

77 - “The Copyright Bill,” Washington Post, Editorial, January 4, 1936. return

78 - “Senator Duffy Accomplished Notable Feat,” Milwaukee Journal, August 11, 1935. return

79 - “Duffy Accepts Invitation for Insular Tour,” Fond du Lac Reporter, October 12, 1935. return

80 - “Duffy Is Invited for Manila Trip,” Milwaukee Journal, October 12, 1935. return

81 - “Senator F. Ryan Duffy to Editor,” Sheboygan Press, (ca, January, 1936). Duffy prepared an account of the trip to Japan, China and the Philippines, at the request of the newspaper. Unless otherwise indicated, subsequent references to this trip are taken from this account. return

82 - Duffy’s reference to an Imperial Palace may have been an Imperial residence, he does not specify in his account of the trip which of the several Imperial residences he visited in Kyoto. return

83 - “Senator Duffy Returns After 2-Month Trip,” Sheboygan Press, December 21, 1935. return

84 - “Japan Declared Keen Competitor,” Milwaukee Journal, December 24, 1935. return

85 - “U.S. Chapel is Dedicated in Flanders; Belgian Honor Heroes at Waereghem,” New York Times, August 9, 1937. return

86 - “Senator Back to Flanders Field,” Fond du Lac Reporter, April 10, 1970, 5. The reference to Admiral. Beatty, who commanded the British fleet, is inaccurate. First Earl David Beatty of the North Sea and Brooksby became commander-in-chief of the Grand Fleet in December 1916, Admiral of the Fleet November 1, 1919, and served in that position until July 30, 1927. He died in 1936. In 1937, the First Sea Lord was Admiral Sir A. Ernle M. Chatfield. Stephen Roskill, in Naval Policy Between the Wars (N.Y.: Walker and Co., 1968), 44, described Beatty at the end of World War I as “the best-known Admiral in the world and a figure of international as well as national standing.” Duffy’s memory, at age 82, may have failed him, and he misspoke, or else he may have been misquoted. return

87 - Duffy, Memoirs to Draves. 15. return

88 - Franklin Roosevelt to Leo T. Crowley, February 4, 1938, Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, P.P.F 443. return

89 - “Senator Duffy Wins Approval of Roosevelt,” Fond du Lac Reporter, November 2, 1938. return

90 - Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., The Politics of Upheaval. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1960), 139. return

91 - Fond du Lac Reporter, April 1970. return

92 - Wisconsin Blue Book, The General Election Summary Vote for United States Senator by Counties, November 1938, 611. return

93 - Donoghue, 2. return

94 - “Reelect Them,” Fond du Lac Reporter, November 2, 1938. return

95 - “Heavy Vote Cast in Wisconsin,” Fond du Lac Reporter, November 8, 1938. return

96 - Tribune (Chicago, Illinois), May 28, 1939. return

97 - “Candidates in Closing Drive to Line Up Vote,” Fond du Lac Reporter, November 3, 1938. return

98 - “Help for State Agriculture Is Told by Duffy,” Fond du Lac Reporter, November 1, 1938. return

99 - “Duffy Replies to Charges by G.O.P. Officer,” Fond du Lac Reporter, November 1, 1938. return

100 - “Franked Cards for Duffy are Legal, Ruling,” Fond du Lac Reporter, November 3, 1938. return

101 - “Campaign Quiz Clear Duffy,” Milwaukee Journal, January 3, 1939. return

102 - “Veterans’ Compensation Vote is Defended by Senator Duffy,” Sheboygan Press, August 22, 1933. return

103 - “Progressive Forces Swept from Office, Senator Duffy 3rd,” Fond du Lac Reporter, November 9, 1938. return

104 - “F. Ryan Duffy Confirmed as Federal Judge,” Fond du Lac Commonwealth Reporter, June 27, 1939. return

105 - “Judge Duffy to Move Family to Milwaukee,” Appleton Post Crescent, June 28, 1939. return

106 - “Bad Publicity City in Hoffa Case,” Milwaukee Journal, June 16, 1966. return

107 - “Publicity Made Hoffa Trial Unfair, Says Lawyer,” Chicago Daily News, June 15, 1966. return

108 - “Hoffa Loses Appeal on Fraud Conviction,” Milwaukee Journal, October 5, 1966. return

109 - “Court Upholds Conviction of Hoffa, 6 Others,” Milwaukee Sentinel, October 5, 1966. return

110 - “Judge R. Ryan Duffy Steps Down From His Appeals Court Post,” Appleton Post Crescent, August 8, 1959. return

111 - Biographical Directory of the United States Congress 1774-1989, Bicentennial Edition, 1989, 934. return

112 - “A True Fond du Lac-er!” William A. Draves, unpublished manuscript, April 11, 1988. return

113 - Biographical Directory of the United States Congress 1774-1989. Bicentennial Edition, 934. return

114 - “Famed City son F. Ryan Duffy dies at age 91,” Fond du Lac Reporter, August, 1979. return

115 - “F. Ryan Duffy in final trip home,” Fond du Lac Reporter, Thomas Guenther, August 21, 1979. return

Copyright 2002 by Clarence B. Davis. All Rights Reserved. Printed by Action Printing, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
Electronic publication by Fond du Lac Public Library has been approved by Clarence B. Davis.

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