lawyer, U.S. Senator, judge, b. Superior, Wis., of Swedish parents. He received a public school and business-college education and without the benefit of formal college training, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1897. He had an active career in politics, beginning as a member of the Republican city committee, then as chairman of the Douglas County committee for four years, and as delegate to the Republican state conventions of 1900, 1902, and 1904, presiding over the convention of 1904 that gave control of the Republican party machinery to the Progressive forces. He was a member of the state Assembly from 1901 to 1906, and served as speaker from 1903 to 1906. Lenroot became closely associated with Governor La Follette (q.v.) and helped pass the primary election law and the ad valorem railway tax. When La Follette went to the U.S. Senate, he persuaded Lenroot to run for governor against James O. Davidson (q.v.) in 1906. He lost the election, but established himself as a strong campaigner and able leader. He was elected to Congress in 1908 from the 11th district and held this position until elected U.S. Senator. His support of our entry into World War I caused a break with La Follette. Lenroot became a candidate for the U.S. Senate to fill the unexpired term of Senator Paul O. Husting (q.v.), who was killed in a hunting accident in 1917. He defeated the La Follette-sponsored candidate, James Thompson, in the primary and won the final election on Apr. 2, 1918, over his Democratic opponent, Joseph E. Davies; he was re-elected in 1920, but was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1926 against Governor John J. Blaine (q.v.). He had the support of the Republican party leaders as a vice-presidential running mate for Warren G. Harding, but lost the nomination to Governor Calvin Coolidge. As senator, he opposed our joining the League of Nations, but favored American adherence to the World Court, supported the adjusted compensation bill for World War I veterans, and was chairman of the public lands committee when the Teapot Dome oil scandal broke, but later re-signed as chairman. After retiring from the Senate on Mar. 3, 1927, he resumed his law practice in Washington, D.C., was appointed judge of the U.S. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals by President Hoover, May 17, 1929, and served until he resigned Apr. 30, 1944. Biog. Dir. Amer. Cong. (1950); M. M. Quaife, Wis. (4 vols., Chicago, 1924); Superior Evening Telegram, Jan. 27, Feb. 4, 1949.

The Wisconsin Historical Society has manuscripts related to this topic. See the catalog description of the Irvine L. Lenroot Research Files for details.

View a related article at Wisconsin Magazine of History Archives.

View newspaper clippings at Wisconsin Local History and Biography Articles.

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[Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin biography]