The Honorable
Bruce F. Beilfuss
22nd Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
In office
May 24, 1976  July 31, 1983
Preceded byHorace W. Wilkie
Succeeded byNathan Heffernan
Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
In office
January 1, 1964  July 31, 1983
Preceded byTimothy Brown
Succeeded byWilliam A. Bablitch
Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the 17th Circuit
In office
April 15, 1948  January 1, 1964
Appointed byOscar Rennebohm
Preceded byEmery Crosby
Succeeded byLowell D. Schoengarth
District Attorney of Clark County, Wisconsin
In office
January 2, 1941  April 15, 1948
Preceded byHugh F. Gwin
Succeeded byClarence Gorsegner
Personal details
Born(1915-01-08)January 8, 1915
Withee, Wisconsin, U.S.
DiedAugust 18, 1986(1986-08-18) (aged 71)
Middleton, Wisconsin, U.S.
Cause of deathCancer
Resting placeMiddleton Junction Cemetery, Middleton, Wisconsin
Political partyProgressive
Spouses
  • Helen B. Hendrickson
    (m. 1941; died 1960)
  • De Ette H. Knowlton
    (m. 1961; died 2016)
Children
  • Mark Beilfuss
  • (b. 1950)
  • Karen Johnson
  • (b. 1940, died 2015)
Alma materUniversity of Wisconsin (B.S., LL.B.)
ProfessionLawyer
Military service
AllegianceUnited States
Branch/serviceUnited States Navy
Years of service19431946
RankLieutenant J.G.
Battles/warsWorld War II

Bruce Frederich Beilfuss (January 8, 1915  August 18, 1986) was an American lawyer and jurist from Clark County, Wisconsin. He was the 22nd chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, from 1976 to 1983, and served a total of 20 years on the high court. He previously served 16 years as a Wisconsin circuit court judge, and 7 years as district attorney.

Early life and career

Bruce Beilfuss was born in Withee, Wisconsin, in January 1915. He spent his childhood in that area until moving to the nearby city of Neillsville, Wisconsin, with his parents and siblings in 1927;[1] he graduated from Neillsville High School in 1932. He immediately went on to the University of Wisconsin, where he earned his bachelor's degree in economics in 1936, and his LL.B. in 1938.[2] He was admitted to the bar in July of 1938, and began practicing law at Abbotsford, Wisconsin, as a member of the law firm of the former district attorney, Hugh G. Haight.[3][4] He was helped along in his legal career by his uncle, Oscar W. Schoengarth, who was county judge of Clark County for 50 years.

As a young man, Beilfuss was involved in local highway safety efforts after the death of his brother, Wayne, in a 1935 car accident.[1] He was elected chairman of the Clark County Safety Council in January 1939.[5]

He entered politics in 1940, challenging incumbent village president Charles Hoffman for his seat on the county board. Beilfuss won the election 132 to 119.[6] Later that year, Beilfuss entered the race for district attorney, challenging the incumbent, Hugh F. Gwin, in the Wisconsin Progressive Party primary election. He narrowly defeated Gwin, taking 54% of the primary vote,[7] and went on to win the general election in November.[8] After winning the election, Beilfuss largely relocated to Neillsville, the county seat, but still kept up his Abbotsford office, saying that his partner, the former district attorney Hugh Haight, would attend to the district attorney's business in Neillsville on the days when Beilfuss was out of town.[9]

One of his early accomplishments as district attorney was rounding up a gang that had committed several robberies in the area. Beilfuss hired Milwaukee detective Otis Gomillion to come to Clark County to solve the string of crimes. Six members of the gang were eventually arrested, confessing to 11 robberies, with stolen property valued at about $4000 (about $86,000 adjusted for inflation to 2024).[10] The next year, Beilfuss brought charges of forgery and embezzlement against the Clark County coronoer, P. C. Ludovic, who pleaded guilty in April 1942.[11]

After the outbreak of World War II, Beilfuss enrolled in the United States Navy Reserve, and he was called up for active duty in August 1943.[12] He was allowed to take a leave of absence from the district attorney's office without having to resign. The court appointed Richard Gaffney to serve as acting district attorney during his absence.[13] He was initially sent to Naval Station Great Lakes for induction and was commissioned an ensign; he was then ordered to Norfolk, Virginia, in January 1944, for further training.[14] He was later sent to Fort Pierce, Florida, where he served on the Florida Atlantic coast. Later that year he was transferred to California, where he was assigned to a flotilla for anti-submarine warfare. Despite his absence, he was re-elected without opposition as district attorney in 1944.[15]

Beilfuss was subsequently deployed to the Philippine-Japan region and served through nearly all of 1945 as a PT boat captain, screening for Pacific Fleet aircraft carriers.[2] He finally returned to the United States in January 1946, and was discharged shortly thereafter.[16] He officially resumed his duties as district attorney on February 1, 1946.[17] He was re-elected for a fourth term as district attorney that fall, facing no opposition.[18]

Judicial career

In 1947, Wisconsin circuit court judge Emery Crosby died in office. Beilfuss declared his candidacy for the office, which was up for election in Spring 1948. He defeated Alfred L. Devos in the April election, winning 57% of the vote.[19] A week after the election, Governor Oscar Rennebohm appointed Beilfuss to begin his term in office early, as the seat was already vacant.[20] He was re-elected in 1953 and 1959.

While a circuit judge, Beilfuss presided over a number of murder cases which gained statewide attention, including the case of Jane Dakin, a 17 year old girl who murdered both her parents with a rifle. After she was found not guilty by reason of insanity, Beilfuss ordered her committed to a state mental institution.[21] Beilfuss also served in many other courtrooms around the state as a replacement judge on such cases, when another judge was indisposed or recused.[22]

His most famous case, however, was likely the Jantz murder trial. The three defendants had murdered traffic officer James G. Jantz in a shootout after Jantz and another officer had been surveilling them. The three men had been identified as suspicious persons and were later found to have engaged in a series of robberies. As the murder occurred in Sauk County, Beilfuss was the circuit judge with jurisdiction over the case, but Beilfuss granted a change of venue to Dane County because of the inflamed passions in the community.[23][24] After a seven-week trial, all three men were found guilty. Beilfuss sentenced them all to life imprisonment.[25]

A few months after the Jantz case, Beilfuss announced his candidacy for Wisconsin Supreme Court, seeking the seat being vacated by the expected retirement of chief justice Timothy Brown.[26] Four other candidates ultimately entered the race, but Beilfuss was the only one to field a serious campaign.[27] Beilfuss easily prevailed in the March 1963 primary, receiving 53% of the vote.[28] He prevailed with 64% of the general election vote over Douglas County attorney Harry E. Larsen.[29]

Beilfuss faced a contested re-election race in 1973, but easily defeated Robert J. Beaudry with 67% of the vote.[30] Beaudry had used the election as a platform to advocate for probate reform, no-fault auto insurance, and greater state supervision of the courts.[31]

Beilfuss became chief justice by seniority in May 1976, after the sudden death of chief justice Horace W. Wilkie.[32] He served seven years of chief justice, announcing in 1982 that he would not run for a third term in 1983.[33][2][34]

As chief justice, Beilfuss campaigned across the state for passage of the major constitutional amendments of 1977 which overhauled the state court system and established the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.[35]

Personal life and family

Bruce Beilfuss was one of three children born to Walter William Beilfuss and his wife Claudia (née Dodte). All of Beilfuss' grandparents were German immigrants. Bruce had a twin sister, Bonnie. Their elder brother, Wayne, died in a car accident while home from college in 1935.[1] Bonnie Bielfuss also volunteered for service in World War II and served as a medical dietician in the Army and achieved the rank of first lieutenant.[36]

Beilfuss' mother's sister was married to Oscar W. Schoengarth, who was county judge of Clark County, Wisconsin, for 50 years. Beilfuss' cousin, Lowell Schoengarth, was a close friend who also became a lawyer and succeeded Beilfuss as district attorney.[37]

Bruce Beilfuss married Helen Beatrice Hendrickson, of Black River Falls, on May 29, 1941.[38] They met while Beilfuss was studying at the University of Wisconsin and Hendrickson was studying nursing at the Wisconsin General Hospital. During the war, she had served as a nurse at the various stations where Beilfuss was assigned. They had one child together, Mark. She committed suicide, shooting herself in the head with a pistol on April 30, 1960. It was later reported that she had been under psychiatric care for more than a year.[39][40]

Seventeen months after his first wife's death, on October 17, 1961, Beilfuss married De Ette Helen Knowlton, of Ellsworth. De Ette was a music teacher in St. Paul, Minnesota, at the time.[41]

Beilfuss was active in the community outside the judiciary. He served as chair on the Board of Visitors of the University of Wisconsin Law School, was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion and a founder of the Dane County Big Brothers program.

Beilfuss died of cancer on August 18, 1986, at his home in Middleton, Wisconsin. He was survived by his wife, two children, and three grandchildren.[35]

Electoral history

Wisconsin circuit court (1948)

Wisconsin Circuit Court, 17th Circuit Election, 1948[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, April 6, 1948
Nonpartisan Bruce F. Beilfuss 8,797 56.81%
Nonpartisan Alfred L. Devos 6,688 43.19%
Plurality 2,109 13.62%
Total votes 15,485 100.0%

Wisconsin Supreme Court (1963, 1973)

Wisconsin Supreme Court Election, 1963[28][29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nonpartisan Primary, March 5, 1963
Nonpartisan Bruce F. Beilfuss 126,765 53.36%
Nonpartisan Harry E. Larsen 38,374 16.15%
Nonpartisan William H. Evans 31,071 13.08%
Nonpartisan Davis Donnelly 25,241 10.63%
Nonpartisan Christ Alexopoulos 16,095 6.78%
Total votes 237,546 100.0%
General Election, April 2, 1963
Nonpartisan Bruce F. Beilfuss 411,428 64.75%
Nonpartisan Harry E. Larsen 224,022 35.25%
Plurality 187,406 29.49%
Total votes 635,450 100.0%
Wisconsin Supreme Court Election, 1973[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, April 3, 1973
Nonpartisan Bruce F. Beilfuss (incumbent) 634,831 67.64% +2.89pp
Nonpartisan Robert J. Beaudry 303,721 32.36%
Plurality 331,110 35.28%
Total votes 938,552 100.0%

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Beilfuss Funeral is Held Saturday". Marshfield News-Herald. December 30, 1935. p. 7. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 3 "Former justices - Bruce F. Beilfuss (1915-1986)". Wisconsin Court System. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  3. "Neillsville Attorney Admitted to Practice". Marshfield News-Herald. July 9, 1938. p. 2. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Beilfuss Will Enter Law Firm of Haight". Marshfield News-Herald. July 12, 1938. p. 6. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Beilfuss Elected Council Chairman". Marshfield News-Herald. January 31, 1939. p. 6. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Hoffman Re-elected at Abbotsford". Marshfield News-Herald. April 3, 1940. p. 6. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Gwin Loser in Clark County". Marshfield News-Herald. September 18, 1940. p. 1. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Clark County Largely GOP in State Vote". Eau Claire Leader Telegram. November 7, 1940. p. 11. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Terms of Officers Begin Next Monday". Marshfield News-Herald. January 4, 1941. p. 11. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Sixth Member of Crime Gang Held". Marshfield News-Herald. April 12, 1941. p. 7. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Clark County Coroner Guilty of Forgery, Embezzlement Counts". Chippewa Herald-Telegram. April 4, 1942. p. 3. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  12. "District Attorney Will Enter Navy". Marshfield News-Herald. August 28, 1943. p. 2. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Gaffney Appointed District Attorney". Marshfield News-Herald. August 31, 1943. p. 8. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Neillsville Personals". Marshfield News-Herald. December 28, 1943. p. 7. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  15. "Clark County". Marshfield News-Herald. November 8, 1944. p. 6. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  16. "Bruce F. Beilfuss Arrives in States". Marshfield News-Herald. January 15, 1946. p. 14. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  17. "Beilfuss Resumes Job as District Attorney". Marshfield News-Herald. February 5, 1946. p. 9. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  18. "Marshfield News-Herald". November 6, 1946. p. 6. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  19. 1 2 "Beilfuss Resigns as Clark County D. A." Marshfield News-Herald. April 15, 1948. p. 15. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  20. "Beilfuss, Neilsville, is Appointed as Judge of 17th Judicial Circuit". Oshkosh Northwestern. April 15, 1948. p. 14. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  21. "Jane Dakin is Judged Insane, is Committed". Marshfield News-Herald. June 18, 1959. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  22. "Woman, 11 Men Chosen for Jury". Manitowoc Herald-Times. December 27, 1962. p. 16. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  23. "Delton Suspects Arraigned Oct. 26". Wisconsin State Journal. October 18, 1961. p. 2. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  24. "Police Slayer Suspects' Trial Transferred Here". Wisconsin State Journal. October 27, 1961. p. 22. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  25. Meloon, Robert (March 30, 1962). "Trio Guilty!". The Capital Times. p. 1. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  26. "Judge Beilfuss Will Seek State High Court Post". The Capital Times. June 28, 1962. p. 1. Retrieved January 4, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  27. "124 Votes, at $2.03 Each, Cast in Judicial Primary". Lake Geneva Regional News. March 7, 1963. p. 1. Retrieved January 4, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  28. 1 2 "Veteran Jurist Favored to Win". Oshkosh Northwestern. March 6, 1963. p. 1. Retrieved January 4, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  29. 1 2 Theobald, H. Rupert, ed. (1964). "Elections in Wisconsin". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1964 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 769. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  30. 1 2 Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1973). "Addenda". The State of Wisconsin 1973 Blue Book (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 873. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  31. Seymour, Peter B. (March 29, 1973). "High Court Race Tests Anti-Lawyer Tide". The Capital Times. p. 3. Retrieved January 4, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  32. "Beilfuss Sworn as Chief Justice; Wilkie's Public Service Praised". The Capital Times. May 24, 1976. p. 1. Retrieved January 4, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  33. "Chief Justice doing fine". The Capital Times. September 18, 1982. p. 20. Retrieved January 4, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  34. "Beilfuss, Bruce F. 1915". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  35. 1 2 "Bruce Beilfuss dies at 71". The Capital Times. August 16, 1986. p. 3. Retrieved January 4, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  36. "Niellsville Personals". Marshfield News-Herald. September 12, 1945. p. 9. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  37. "District Attorney and Bride Return". Marshfield News-Herald. June 4, 1941. p. 11. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  38. "Hendrickson-Beilfuss". Wisconsin State Journal. June 4, 1941. p. 15. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  39. "Wife of Judge is Found Dead". Marshfield News-Herald. May 2, 1960. p. 6. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  40. "Judge's Wife Kills Self in Neillsville". La Crosse Tribune. May 4, 1960. p. 4. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  41. "Judge Beilfuss Wed in Ceremony at St. Paul". Marshfield News-Herald. October 21, 1961. p. 7. Retrieved January 3, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
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