WI BIO - Dane Co - LA FOLLETTE, Robert Marion
Biographical Review of Dane County, WI. Chicago: Biographical Review Pub. Co. 
1893, Vol II, pp 575-576

Robert Marion LA FOLLETTE was born in a log cabin in the town of Primrose, 
Dane County, WI, 14 Jun 1855. When six years old his parents moved to 
Argyle, in the neighboring county [La Fayette County, WI], where his time was 
divided between working on the farm and attending a district school. In 1878 
the family moved to Madison [Dane County, WI], and there he attended a 
private academy, preparatory to entering the State University, where he was 
admitted to the freshman class in September 1878.

His early college work was characterized by his activity in debating 
societies and in literary work as editor and joint owner of the University 
Press. In his junior year he was elected by the Athenian Society as its 
orator in the junior exhibition. In his senior year he represented the 
university in the Interstate contest at Iowa City, winning the prize on 
his oration, "Iago." Thus his reputation as a writer and orator was 
established. He took his diploma with the class of 1879 and entered the law 
school, attending the same year he was elected District Attorney of Dane 
County and re-elected in 1882, notwithstanding the average plurality against 
his ticket was over 1,000.

Thus fairly tested, in 1884 Mr. LA FOLLETTE was elected Congressman of the 
3rd District and was the youngest man in the 49th Congress, being but 
twenty-nine years old. He was re-elected in 1888. He was a tireless worker 
in the political field and attracted much attention by his discussion of the 
river and harbor bill of 1885, his reply to Speaker Carlisle's speech on the 
Well's bill, his advocacy of the Constitutional power of Congress to tax 
manufactured compounds deleterious to health, and his speech indorsing the 
tariff bill of 1890. Besides this work he has been called upon to do much 
political speaking. During his first term in Congress he made the annual 
address to the Harvard Law School at Washington, delivered the oration at the 
Grant memorial exercises held at the Monona [p 576] Chautauqua Assembly, and 
made a notable political address in Chickering Hall, NY.

In 1880 Robert Marion LA FOLLETTE was married to Miss Belle CASE, of Baraboo 
[Sauk County], WI, who had been his classmate in the university, and to whom, 
upon graduation in the class of 1879, was awarded the Lewis prize for the 
best commencement oration. In addition to her university training she also 
took a full course in the Wisconsin University Law School and as he first 
lady to receive a diploma from that institution.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly