Gerald John Boileau (January 15, 1900 – January 30, 1981) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. Born in

Woodruff, Wisconsin Woodruff ( oj, Daashkiboojiganing) is a town in Oneida County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,055 at the 2010 census. The census-designated place of Woodruff is located in the town. Geography According to the United States Cens ...

, Boileau graduated from Minocqua High School and served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

, in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

, during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. He enlisted as a private February 25, 1918 and was honorably discharged as a corporal on July 16, 1919. Boileau graduated from

Marquette University Law School Marquette University Law School is the professional graduate law school of Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is one of two law schools in Wisconsin and the only private law school in the state. Founded in 1892 as the Milwaukee Law ...

, in 1922, and was subsequently admitted to the bar. He married Monica McKeon on August 25, 1925 in Superior, Wisconsin. They had two daughters, Nancy and Mary. He returned to Marathon County and became district attorney in 1926, a position he held until his election to Congress in 1931. Boileau was first elected a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

to the

Seventy-second United States Congress The 72nd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 193 ...

as the representative of Wisconsin's 8th congressional district. For his next term he redistricted to Wisconsin's 7th district and was reelected to the Seventy-third Congress. He was then reelected to the Seventy-fourth and

Seventy-fifth Congress The 75th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1937 ...

but ran as a member of the

Wisconsin Progressive Party The Wisconsin Progressive Party (1934–1946) was a political party that briefly held a dominant role in Wisconsin politics. History The Party was the brainchild of Philip La Follette and Robert M. La Follette, Jr., the sons of the famous Wisco ...

still representing Wisconsin's 7th district. After his defeat for reelection in 1938, he returned to

Wausau, Wisconsin Wausau ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States. The Wisconsin River divides the city into east and west. The city's suburbs include Schofield, Weston, Mosinee, Maine, Rib Mountain, Kronenwetter, an ...

to practice law. He soon after returned to public service as a circuit judge, a position he held from 1942 to 1970 when he retired. He died in Wausau on January 30, 1981.Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library (comp.).
The Wisconsin Blue Book 1937
'. Madison: State of Wisconsin, 1937, p. 21. He was the last surviving man elected to Congress as a member of the Wisconsin Progressive Party.

References

External links

* 1900 births 1974 deaths People from Woodruff, Wisconsin Military personnel from Wisconsin District attorneys in Wisconsin Wisconsin state court judges American expatriates in France Marquette University Law School alumni Wisconsin Progressives (1924) Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin Progressive Party (1924) members of the United States House of Representatives 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American judges Politicians from Wausau, Wisconsin {{Wisconsin-Representative-stub