Warren P. Knowles

Warren Perley Knowles
37th Governor of Wisconsin
In office January 4, 1965 – January 4, 1971
Lieutenant	Patrick Lucey Jack B. Olson
Preceded by	John W. Reynolds
Succeeded by	Patrick Lucey
Personal details
Born	(1908-08-19)August 19, 1908 River Falls, Wisconsin
Died	May 1, 1993(1993-05-01) (aged 84) Black River Falls, Wisconsin
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Dorothy Guidry
Profession	Attorney, Veteran

Warren Perley Knowles (August 19, 1908 – May 1, 1993), born in River Falls, Wisconsin, was an American lawyer and politician from New Richmond, Wisconsin.

Biography

Knowles graduated from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, in 1930 and received a law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School three years later. He was first elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 1941, becoming Majority Leader after only two years in office in 1943, but during World War II he took a break to serve as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Nevada.

Following his military service, Knowles resumed serving in the Wisconsin State Senate and returned to the leadership position for 5 additional terms until retiring in 1954. Knowles was also a delegate to the Republican National Convention several times. He was elected the 32nd Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin in 1954, and was reelected in 1956. He was elected the 34th Lieutenant Governor, in 1960. During his second term, he entered the crowded field for the special election for the remainder of Sen. Joseph McCarthy's term upon his death in 1957. He placed a disappointing fourth behind ex-Gov. Walter J. Kohler, Jr. and Congressmen Glenn R. Davis and Alvin O'Konski, receiving only 8%.

Elected governor narrowly over the Democratic incumbent John W. Reynolds in 1964 against the national Lyndon B. Johnson tidal wave, he served three terms from 1965 to 1971. During these years, he had to call out the National Guard periodically to maintain civil order during Wisconsin’s anti-war and civil rights demonstrations.

Knowles's brother, Robert P. Knowles, served as President Pro Tempore of the Wisconsin State Senate during his last two terms as Governor and during the first four years of Governor Patrick Lucey's administration from 1967 to 1975.

After leaving the governor's chair, Knowles became chairman of Heritage Wisconsin Corporation, a Milwaukee bank holding company. He died on May 1, 1993 while participating in the Governor’s Fishing Opener, an event he helped organize twenty-five years earlier.

Notes

Political offices
Preceded by John W. Reynolds	Governor of Wisconsin 1965-1971	Succeeded by Patrick Lucey
Preceded by George M. Smith	Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin 1955–1959	Succeeded by Philleo Nash
Preceded by Philleo Nash	Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin 1961–1963	Succeeded by Jack B. Olson