William R. Moser

The Honorable
William R. Moser
The Honorable William R. Moser
Judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals District I
	In office; August 1, 1978 – July 31, 1992
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Charles B. Schudson
Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the 2nd Circuit, Branch 16
	In office; January 1, 1967 – August 1, 1978
Preceded by	Branch established
Succeeded by	Branch abolished
Member of the Wisconsin Senate; from the 6th district
	In office; January 1, 1957 – February 1, 1962
Preceded by	William A. Schmidt
Succeeded by	Martin J. Schreiber
Personal details
Born	William Robert Moser; October 14, 1927; Chicago, Illinois
Died	April 11, 2003 (aged 75)
Resting place	Wood National Cemetery; Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Mary Bernadette
Children	William Moser; Mary Magdalen;
Education	St. Norbert College (B.S.); Marquette University Law School (LL.B.);
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1945–1947

William Robert Moser (October 14, 1927 – April 11, 2003) was an American lawyer and judge, he was Judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals for 13 years. Earlier, he was a Wisconsin Circuit Court judge in Milwaukee County, and represented Milwaukee County in the Wisconsin State Senate as a Democrat.

Background[edit]

Moser was born October 14, 1927, in Chicago. He was educated in Milwaukee parochial schools (St. Michael's Elementary and St. John's Cathedral High School. From 1945-1947 he served in the United States Army as a paratrooper and a criminal investigator; then earned his Bachelor of Science degree at St. Norbert College, and LL.B. from Marquette University Law School, and went into practice as an attorney. He became a member of the Advisory Council to Mayor of Milwaukee Frank P. Zeidler, and a director or active member of various civic, veterans and fraternal organizations.

Legislative office[edit]

In 1956 he was elected to the 6th Senatorial District (the 7th, 10th, & 13th Wards of the City of Milwaukee) to succeed fellow Democrat William A. Schmidt, who was not running for re-election. Moser obtained a plurality in a four-way Democratic primary election against State Representative Cecil B. Brown Jr., former State Representative John Schaller, and Brown Deer village trustee Fred W. Voigt; and was unopposed in the general election.^[1] He served as the floor leader for Senate Democrats in the 1960 session, and was elected a Kennedy delegate to the 1960 Democratic National Convention. He easily turned aside challenges from Schaller in the 1960 primary, and from Republican Delbert Fowler in the general election; and served again as the Democratic floor leader in the 1961 session, leading the fight against the adoption of a sales tax in Wisconsin;^[2] but resigned effective Feb. 1, 1962 to become a Milwaukee County judge. He was succeeded by fellow Democrat Martin J. Schreiber.^[3]

Judiciary[edit]

In 1971, he was elected without opposition as a Wisconsin Circuit Court judge.^[4] He was re-elected in 1977, and in April 1978 was elected to the newly created Court of Appeals District 1.^[5] In 1980, he fended off a re-election challenge from Christ T. Seraphim, winning by 195,256 to 137,262.^[6] He was unopposed in 1986, and became Presiding Judge of the District 1 Court of Appeals. He did not run for re-election in 1992, and was succeeded on the Court by Charles B. Schudson.

Death[edit]

Moser died April 11, 2003, leaving behind a wife, Mary Bernadette, a son, William, and a daughter, Mary Magdalen.

References[edit]

^ Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1958 Madison: State of Wisconsin, 1958; pp. 22, 671, 776
^ "2003 Senate Joint Resolution 235: ENROLLED JOINT RESOLUTION Relating to: the life and public service of William R. Moser." State of Wisconsin
^ Toepel, M. G.; Theobald, H. Rupert, eds. The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1962 Madison: State of Wisconsin, 1962; pp. 21, 758, 792, 866.
^ The state of Wisconsin Blue Book, 1971 Madison: Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, distributed by Document Sales, 1971; p. 351.
^ Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. The State of Wisconsin 1979-1980 Blue Book Madison: Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, distributed by Document Sales, 1979-1980; p. 680.
^ Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. The State of Wisconsin 1981-1982 Blue Book Madison: Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, distributed by Document Sales, 1981-1982; p. 866.

Legal offices
Preceded by New branch	Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the 2nd Circuit, Branch 16 1967 – 1978	Succeeded by Branch abolished
Preceded by New court	Judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals District I 1978 – 1992	Succeeded by Charles B. Schudson

[1] Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1958 Madison: State of Wisconsin, 1958; pp. 22, 671, 776

[2] "2003 Senate Joint Resolution 235: ENROLLED JOINT RESOLUTION Relating to: the life and public service of William R. Moser." State of Wisconsin

[3] Toepel, M. G.; Theobald, H. Rupert, eds. The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1962 Madison: State of Wisconsin, 1962; pp. 21, 758, 792, 866.

[4] The state of Wisconsin Blue Book, 1971 Madison: Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, distributed by Document Sales, 1971; p. 351.

[5] Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. The State of Wisconsin 1979-1980 Blue Book Madison: Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, distributed by Document Sales, 1979-1980; p. 680.

[6] Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. The State of Wisconsin 1981-1982 Blue Book Madison: Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, distributed by Document Sales, 1981-1982; p. 866.

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