| On the death of his father in 1900, Kohler and his two brothers, Carl and Robert, assumed management of the firm, and when Robert died in 1905, Walter Jodok Kohler became president, serving in this capacity from 1905 to 1937, and from 1937 until his death was chairman of the board of directors. After 1912, the firm was known as The Kohler Co. Under Walter J. Kohler's direction, the company grew to be one of the largest of its kind in the nation, and pioneered in the production of plumbing equipment and the manufacture of vitreous china and enamelware. Kohler also held important offices in other businesses; he was chairman of the board of the Vollrath Co. and an officer of the Security National Bank (Sheboygan). He was national vice-president and director of the National Association of Manufacturers, a director of the Wisconsin Manufacturers Association, a trustee of Lawrence College, and a regent of the University of Wisconsin. Noted for conceiving and building Kohler Village near Sheboygan (begun in 1912) and planned as a model industrial community for his employees, Kohler was often the target for bitter criticism by progressives and labor groups because of his 'paternalism' and vigorous opposition to trade unionism. In 1934 when his employees were attempting to organize under the A.F. of L., Kohler refused to bargain, and a strike occurred which brought nation-wide notoriety becuase of its violence.A conservative Republican, Kohler was a delegate at large to the party's national convention in 1928, and in the same year received the Republican nomination for governor due to a split in the state progressive faction of the party. Although the Progressives, headed by Philip and Robert M. La Follette, Jr., attempted to challenge the nomination, claiming that Kohler had violated the state corrupt practices act, the state supreme court upheld the nomination; Kohler was elected in the November election, and served one term (Jan., 1929-Jan., 1931). Defeated for the Republican gubernatorial nomination by Philip La Follette in 1930, Kohler was successful in his bid for the nomination in 1932, but lost the general election to Democrat Albert Schmedeman. Although talked of as a possible Republican presidential candidate in 1936, the continued labor difficulties at Kohler's plant virtually ended his career as candidate for public office. |
