Martin James Schreiber ( ; born April 8, 1939) is an American politician, publisher, author, and

lobbyist Lobbying is a form of advocacy, which lawfully attempts to directly influence legislators or government officials, such as regulatory agencies or judiciary. Lobbying involves direct, face-to-face contact and is carried out by various entities, in ...

who served as the 38th

lieutenant governor of Wisconsin The lieutenant governor of Wisconsin is the first person in the Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Wisconsin, line of succession of Wisconsin's executive branch, thus serving as governor in the event of the death, resignation, ...

from 1971 to 1977, and (following the resignation of

Patrick Lucey Patrick Joseph Lucey (March 21, 1918 – May 10, 2014) was an American politician. A member of the United States Democratic Party, Democratic Party, he served as the 38th governor of Wisconsin from 1971 to 1977. He was also independent president ...

) as the 39th

governor of Wisconsin The governor of Wisconsin is the head of government of Wisconsin and the commander-in-chief of the state's Wisconsin Army National Guard, army and Wisconsin Air National Guard, air forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the ...

from 1977 to 1979. Schreiber has become an advocate on issues related to

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

and

dementia Dementia is a syndrome associated with many neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by a general decline in cognitive abilities that affects a person's ability to perform activities of daily living, everyday activities. This typically invo ...

Early life and education

Schreiber was born in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

. His father Martin E. Schreiber was a Republican member of the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...

(1941–1944), and later a member of the

Milwaukee Common Council The municipal government of the U.S. city of Milwaukee, located in the state of Wisconsin, consists of a mayor and common council. Traditionally supporting progressive politicians and movements, this community has consistently proved to be a stro ...

(1944 to 1976). The younger Schreiber attended the youth government and leadership program

Badger Boys State The American Legion Boys State and American Legion Auxiliary Girls State are summer leadership and citizenship programs for high school juniors, which focus on exploring the mechanics of American government and politics. The programs are sponsored ...

in 1956 as a representative chosen from

Milwaukee Lutheran High School Milwaukee Lutheran Middle & High School is a school located in Milwaukee, in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The school was originally known as Lutheran High School (Milwaukee), Lutheran High School, established in 1903, making Milwaukee Lutheran o ...

. He attended

Valparaiso University Valparaiso University (Valpo) is a private university in Valparaiso, Indiana, United States. It is an independent Lutheran university with five colleges. It enrolls nearly 2,300 students and has a campus. The university is known for its Luthe ...

and the

University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UW–Milwaukee, UWM, or Milwaukee) is a Public university, public Urban university, urban research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It is the largest university in the Milwaukee metropo ...

, where he was a member of

Tau Kappa Epsilon Tau Kappa Epsilon (), commonly known as or Teke, is a social college fraternities and sororities, fraternity founded on January 10, 1899, at Illinois Wesleyan University. The organization has chapters throughout the United States and Canada, maki ...

fraternity, majoring in

urban studies Urban studies is based on the study of the urban development of cities and regions—it makes up the theory portion of the field of urban planning. This includes studying the history of city development from an architectural point of view, to th ...

. He later earned a J.D. degree from

Marquette University Law School Marquette University Law School is the Law school in the United States, 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 Mil ...

in 1964.

Political career

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

, Schreiber served in the

Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after those o ...

from 1963 to 1971. During his political career, Schreiber focused on education, children's issues, consumer protection, and the rights of workers and the elderly. Schreiber was the youngest senator in state history, having been elected at age 23. In 1970, Schreiber was elected

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

on the Lucey-Schreiber ticket. He was elected the youngest chairperson for the

National Lieutenant Governors Association The National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) is the non-profit, nonpartisan professional association for elected or appointed officials who are first in line of succession to the governors in the 50 U.S. states and the five organized ter ...

in 1972.

Governor of Wisconsin

In July 1977, following the resignation of Lucey to become the

United States ambassador to Mexico The United States has maintained diplomatic relations with Mexico since 1823, when Andrew Jackson was appointed Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to that country. Jackson declined the appointment, however, and Joel R. Poinsett bec ...

, Schreiber succeeded him as Governor for the remainder of their four-year term. In the 1978 election, Schreiber faced a divisive

primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Work ...

challenge by developer David Carley. In the general election, political newcomer Lee S. Dreyfus, a populist Republican and skilled orator, waged an unconventional campaign and successfully attacked the Lucey-Schreiber record on taxes and big government. Schreiber lost 54% to 44%. Following the election, Schreiber moved to

Stevens Point, Wisconsin Stevens Point is a city in Portage County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. Its population was 25,666 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It forms the core of the Stevens Point micropolitan statistical area, which had a p ...

and became vice-president of

Sentry Insurance Sentry Insurance is a mutual insurance company specializing in business insurance. The company’s home office is in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, where about half the company’s approximately 4,500 employees are located. Sentry offers property and ...

. He ran for the governor's office again in 1982, campaigning against Anthony S. Earl, former head of the

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) is a government agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin charged with conserving and managing Wisconsin's natural resources. The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board has the authority to set polic ...

. He did not get past the Democratic primary election and returned to Sentry Insurance. Schreiber ran again for office in 1988, seeking the Mayoralty of Milwaukee, but was defeated by

John Norquist John Olof Norquist (born October 22, 1949) is a retired American politician, urbanist consultant, and author. He served as the 43rd mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, winning four terms (1988–2004). He previously represented Milwaukee's south ...

. In 1988, after leaving state government, Schreiber formed his own public affairs consulting firm, becoming a successful lobbyist.

Personal life

In 1961 Schreiber married Elaine Thaney and they had four children. Schreiber also serves on the

Milwaukee Public Library Milwaukee Public Library (MPL) is the public library system in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, consisting of a central library and 13 branches, all part of the Milwaukee County Federated Library System. MPL is the largest public library sy ...

Board of Trustees. His wife, Elaine, was a former Milwaukee public-school teacher. Elaine died of Alzheimer's Disease on April 25, 2022.

Dementia and Alzheimer's advocacy

Schreiber is the author of ''My Two Elaines: Learning, Coping, and Surviving as an Alzheimer's Caregiver'', detailing his experiences in caring for his wife, who battled Alzheimer's Disease. Schreiber helped to found the "Elaine and Friends Caregiver Help Center" and is a frequent speaker on issues relating to Alzheimer's. His book was recognized by Caring.com as one of its "Best Caregiving Books of 2018." Schreiber helped the

Alzheimer's Association The Alzheimer's Association is a nonprofit voluntary health organization that focuses on Alzheimer's disease care, support and research. History Jerome H. Stone founded the Alzheimer's Association with the help of several family support groups ...

launch its "Operation: Stronger Together" awareness program. He also collaborated with Wisconsin's state government and business groups to help create the "Dementia-Friendly Employers" Toolkit, which has been used by human resources departments and employee assistance programs.

Works

*''My Two Elaines: Learning, Coping, and Surviving as an Alzheimer's Caregiver with Cathy Breitenbucher'' (Newark, Book Publishers Network, 2016 and Harper Horizon, 2022)

References

External links

Governor Martin Schreiber, Wisconsin State Historical SocietyMartin Schreiber & Associates, Inc. Public Affairs Consulting
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Schreiber, Martin J. 1939 births Living people 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century Wisconsin politicians 21st-century American lawyers 21st-century American memoirists Candidates in the 1988 United States elections Democratic Party Wisconsin state senators Democratic Party governors of Wisconsin Lieutenant governors of Wisconsin Lutherans from Wisconsin Marquette University alumni Politicians from Milwaukee University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee alumni Valparaiso University alumni Writers from Wisconsin 20th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature