Levi Horace Bancroft (December 26, 1861September 5, 1948) was an American lawyer and progressive Republican politician from

Richland County, Wisconsin Richland County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,304. Its county seat is Richland Center. The county was created from the Wisconsin Territory in 1842 and organized in 1850. It is named f ...

. He was the 20th

attorney general of Wisconsin The attorney general of Wisconsin is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the government of Wisconsin, government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Forty-five individuals have held the office of attorney general since statehood. The ...

, the 43rd

speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly The Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly is the Speaker (politics), presiding officer of the Wisconsin Wisconsin State Assembly, State Assembly, the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Article IV of the Constitution of Wisconsin, ratifi ...

, and

United States Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal ...

for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. He also served as a Wisconsin circuit court judge and

district attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...

Biography

Levi H. Bancroft was born on December 26, 1861, to George I. and Helen M. Bancroft; reports have differed on the location. He attended high school in

Lone Rock, Wisconsin Lone Rock is a village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rura ...

, and later became a teacher. In 1884, he graduated from the

University of Wisconsin Law School The University of Wisconsin Law School is the Law school in the United States, law school of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, a Public university, public research university in Madison, Wisconsin. Founded in 1868, the school is guided by a ...

. On June 11, 1890, Bancroft married Myrtle DeLap. From 1907 to 1913, he was a

judge advocate Judge-advocates are military lawyers serving in different capacities in the military justice systems of different jurisdictions. Australia The Australian Army Legal Corps (AALC) consists of Regular and Reserve commissioned officers that prov ...

of what is now the

Wisconsin Army National Guard The Wisconsin Army National Guard has dual state and federal roles, and is jointly funded and maintained by both governments. Its federal mission is to provide trained units to the United States Army in time of war or national emergency. Its sta ...

. He died at his farm near Richland Center on September 5, 1948.

Political career

Bancroft served as the District Attorney of

, from 1886 to 1888,

Richland Center, Wisconsin Richland Center is a city in Richland County, Wisconsin, United States and is the county seat. The population was 5,114 at the 2020 census. History Richland Center was founded in 1851 by Ira S. Haseltine from Andover, Vermont, northwest of Br ...

City Attorney for six years, and City Supervisor. From 1897 to 1902, he was a county judge of Richland County. Bancroft was a delegate to the

1900 Republican National Convention The 1900 Republican National Convention was held June 19 to June 21 in the Exposition Auditorium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Exposition Auditorium was located south of the University of Pennsylvania, and the later Convention Hall was co ...

. In addition, he was delegate to a number of State Republican Conventions. He would serve as an Assistant Attorney General. Bancroft was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1907 to 1910, serving as Speaker in 1909–1910. He did not run for the Assembly in 1910, and was succeeded by fellow Republican Chris Monson. In 1910, he was elected

Attorney General of Wisconsin The attorney general of Wisconsin is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the government of Wisconsin, government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Forty-five individuals have held the office of attorney general since statehood. The ...

, with 114,939 votes to 104,551 for Democrat John Doherty; 48,693 for "Progressive Republican" Charles Crownhart, and 39,399 for

Social Democrat Social democracy is a Social philosophy, social, Economic ideology, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achi ...

Gerrit Thorn Jr. He was a

Wisconsin Circuit Court The Wisconsin circuit courts are the general trial courts in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. There are currently 69 circuits in the state, divided into 9 judicial administrative districts. Circuit court judges hear and decide both civil and crimina ...

judge. Sources are varied over his length of service. Later, he served as a U.S. Attorney in Wisconsin from 1927 to 1932. From 1934 to 1936, Bancroft was Mayor of Richland Center. He was again a county judge of Richland County from 1938 to 1948.

References

External links

The Political Graveyard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bancroft, Levi H. 1861 births 1948 deaths People from Richland Center, Wisconsin Politicians from Richland County, Wisconsin Wisconsin attorneys general District attorneys in Wisconsin Wisconsin city attorneys Wisconsin circuit court judges County judges in the United States Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Mayors of places in Wisconsin Military personnel from Wisconsin National Guard (United States) officers Schoolteachers from Wisconsin United States attorneys for the Eastern District of Wisconsin University of Wisconsin Law School alumni 20th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature

Biography

Political career

See also

References

External links