University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Archives Department.

Fish, Ody J., 1925- .

Papers, 1961-1985.

Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 105

3 cubic ft. (3 record center cartons)


ABSTRACT: Papers of a former chair of the Republican Party of Wisconsin (1965-1970) who also served as Republican national committeeperson (1970-1984). Included are correspondence, memoranda, reports, election statistics, transcripts, minutes, resolutions, and press releases. The collection contains extensive information on Fish's work as national committeeperson and as manager of the 1976 National Republican Convention, but only a small number of files relate to his tenure as state chair or his other political activities in Wisconsin.


ACCESS RESTRICTIONS: There are no access restrictions on the materials, and the collection is open to all members of the public in accordance with state law. However, the researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright which may be involved in the use of this collection (Wisconsin Statutes 19.21-19.39).

SCOPE AND CONTENT: The papers consist mainly of correspondence and reports, with smaller quantities of election statistics, transcripts, minutes, resolutions, and press releases. Unfortunately the collection represents only a small portion of the documentation which once existed concerning Fish's influence of Republican politics in Wisconsin. The majority of the documentation covering his activities in Wisconsin prior to 1970 were destroyed during the sale of the Pal-O-Pak Insulation Company. Although the existing pre-1970 documentation is extremely limited, the papers concerning his tenure as Wisconsin's Republican National Committeeperson (1971-1984) and his service as manager of the 1976 Republican National Convention are more comprehensive. Except for passing references (primarily to energy tax credits for insulation), there is no material on Fish's business career in the collection.

The collection contains four series:

Series 1: Biographical Material and Memorabilia File
Series 2: Wisconsin File
Series 3: Republican National Committee File
Series 4: 1976 National Republican Convention File

Series 1: The bulk of the Biographical Material and Memorabilia Files contains biographical data and news clippings about Ody Fish. Also included is a directory of Republican State Chairmen's Advisory Committee of 1967.

Series 2: The Wisconsin Files which primarily predate Fish's selection as national committeeperson, are sketchy in their coverage. The bulk of this file includes correspondence from early in Fish's career, reports of the Waukesha County Republican Organization, a Knowles for Governor campaign manual, and material on the controversy concerning the Milwaukee County Republican Organization during the mid-1960s. More recent documentation files here concerns Fish's tenure on the State Building Commission.

Series 3: The bulk of the Republican National Committee Files include correspondence with county chairs, district chairs, state chairs, legislators, and other state and national political leaders. Much of the correspondence concerns federal appointments and issues within the state and local Republican organization. Little discussion of national political issues can be found in the correspondence. Also filed here are transcripts of the Site Selection Committee for the 1980 national convention for which Fish was vice-chair.

Series 4: The bulk of the 1976 Republican National Convention File documents with great detail Fish's service as manager and head of arrangements for the Kansas City convention from the work of the site Selection Committee to the payment of the final bills. Included in the biographical file is a lengthy article concerning Fish's management of the convention planning and his emphasis upon maintaining impartiality between the Ford and Reagan delegations which puts the documentation in this section in perspective. Included are correspondence, reports, memoranda, minutes, press releases, curricula, and applications.


BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Ody J. Fish (born Odilon), the industrialist whose pragmatic political views guided the Wisconsin Republican Parts for over two decades in the mid-twentieth century, was born in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, on June 16, 1925. Although he never attended college, he successfully worked his way up within the Pal-O-Pak Insulation Company of Hartland, Wisconsin, rising from foreman of its Wauwatosa plant at age 19 to majority stockholder by the late 1960s. Under his leadership the firm, which was the nation's oldest and largest manufacturer of cellulose insulation, boasted 110 employees in plants in Hartland, Wisconsin, Underwood, Minnesota, and Whitby, Ontario.

From 1959 to 1963 Fish served as president of the National Cellulose Insulation Manufacturers Association. Other business activities included serving as president of the Woodland Manufacturing Company and director of the State Bank of Hartland and National Health Enterprises. In 1970 he was named to the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin.

Despite his successful business career, it is conjunction with his activities in the Republican Party that Fish is best known. These activities began in 1958 when Fish was elected chair of the Lake Country Republican Club. In the following year he was voted vice-chair of the Waukesha County Republican Party, and in 1960 he was elected chair, a position which he continued to hold until 1965. In 1964 Fish chaired the successful gubernatorial campaign of Warren P. Knowles. Knowles' election in the face of Republican losses elsewhere in the nation brought Fish to the forefront of the national party leadership. In 1965 he was elected state chair of the Wisconsin Republican Party. Together Fish and Knowles guided the state party toward the pragmatic, moderate political philosophy which they shared. Fish's abilities in overcoming the diverse elements within the party is attested to by the fact that under his leadership (1965-1970) Republicans controlled both houses of the legislature, all five constitutional offices, and seven of the ten congressional seats. Throughout his term as state chair Fish was a member of the National Republican Committee, and he served on its executive committee from 1968 to 1970. In this capacity he also served on numerous other national and regional party committees which are detailed in the biographical information included in folder one of the collection.

In 1971 Fish resigned as state chair and was elected Republican national committeeperson. As such, he as involved in the production and arrangements for three national conventions. In 1972 he served on the arrangements committee and was chief sergeant-at-arms and director of security. In 1976 he was chair of the site selection committee. During his fourteen-year tenure on the national committee Fish twice declined offers of the national chair from President Nixon. In 1984 Fish did not seek reelection to the national committee post.

Fish was married in 1967 to Mary Ellen Koebke, a former Milwaukee schoolteacher, and the couple had two daughters.

COLLECTION CITATION: This collection should be cited as:

Fish, Ody J., 1925- . Papers. 1961-1985. Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 105. Wisconsin Historical Society. Milwaukee Area Research Center. UWM Libraries. University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee.

RELATED COLLECTION:

Leonard, Jerris, 1931- . Papers, 1956-1968, 1998-2000. (Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 115)

WUWM (Radio station: Milwaukee, Wis.). Records, 1951-1989. (UWM Archival Collection 2)

ACQUISITION: Presented by Ody J. Fish of Hartland, Wisconsin on April 22, 1986 (accession number M86-159).


PROCESSING: Processed by Randal Sivertson (CJM) in 1986.

MARC RECORD SEARCH TERMS: The following terms were used in the online bibliographic MARC record to this collection:

MILWAUKEE MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION 105
Biographical Material and Memorabilia File. 		BOX FOLDER
Biographical Material and Memorabilia, 1966-1967, 1969, 1976, 1984, undated 1 1

MILWAUKEE MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION 105.
Wisconsin File.		 BOX FOLDER
Election Statistics, Governor, 1964-1966 1 3
Election Statistics, State Assembly, 1964 1 2
Finances of the Wisconsin GOP, 1961-1965 1 4
Knowles for Governor Campaign Manual, 1967-1968 1 5
Legislative Reapportionment, 1969-1970 1 6
Meetings Attended, 1968 1 7
Miscellaneous, 1962-1969 1 8
Political Controversies, Milwaukee County, 1965-1967 1 9
Political Procedures, 1965-1968 1 10
Presidential Primary Bill, 1967-1971 1 11
Presidential Primary Committees, 1967-1968 1 12
Waukesha County Republican Party, 1962, 1964 1 13
Wisconsin Building Commission, 1979 1 14
Wisconsin Building Commission, 1980-1982 1 15
Young Republican Federation, 1966-1967 1 16

MILWAUKEE MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION 105.
Republican National Committee File. 		BOX FOLDER
Bipartisan Convention Committee, 1971-1974 1 17
Congress, 1973-1984 1 18
County Chair, 1973-1984 1 19
Debt Elimination Campaign, 1975 1 20
District Chairs, 1973-1984 1 21
Federal Appointments, 1973 1 22
Federal Appointments, 1974 1 23
Federal Appointments, 1978-1980 1 24
Federal Appointments, 1981 1 25
Federal Appointments, 1982 1 26
Finances, 1973 1 27
Governor's Office, Wisconsin, 1979-1984 1 28
Impeachment, 1974 1 29
Judicial Compensation, Blue Ribbon Committee to Study, 1984 1 30
Legal Advisory Committee of the Republican National Committee, Challenge to Federal Election Law, 1978, undated 1 31
Legislators, 1973-1985 1 32
Meetings Attended, 1973 1 33
Midwest Leadership Conference, 1974 1 34
National Committeeperson, General Correspondence, 1971 2 1-2
National Committeeperson, General Correspondence, 1973 2 3-4
National Committeeperson, General Correspondence, 1974 2 5
National Committeeperson, General Correspondence, 1975 2 6-7
National Committeeperson, General Correspondence, 1976 2 8
National Committeeperson, General Correspondence, 1977 2 9
National Committeeperson, General Correspondence, 1978 2 10
National Committeeperson, General Correspondence, 1979 2 11
National Committeeperson, General Correspondence, 1980 2 12
National Committeeperson, General Correspondence, 1981 2 13
National Committeeperson, General Correspondence, 1982 2 14
National Committeeperson, General Correspondence, 1983 2 15
National Committeeperson, General Correspondence, 1984-1985 2 16
National Committeeperson, Reelection, 1976 2 17
National Republican Committee, 1973-1980 2 18
National Republican Committee, 1981-1984 2 19
Personal, Political, Correspondence, 1971-1985 2 20
Personnel and Employment Applications, 1973-1976 2 21
Personnel and Employment Applications, 1977-1983 2 22
Pointer, Jack, TV Appointment, 1975-1976 2 23
Republican Appearance Requests, 1979-1984 2 24
Republican Party Constitutional Revision, 1975 2 25
Republican Functions, 1973-1981 2 26
Republican National Advisory Councils and Committees, 1977 2 27
Republican Headquarters, Madison, 1973-1985 2 28
Site Selection Committee for 1980 Republican National Convention, Transcripts, 1978 2 29-31
State Chair, 1973-1981 2 32
White House Staff, 1975-1985 2 33
Young Grand Old Party, YGOP, 1973-1977 2 34

MILWAUKEE MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION 105.
1976 Republican National Convention File.		 BOX FOLDER
Arrangements Committee, 1975-1976 3 1
Arrangements Committee, Financial Statements, 1976-1977 3 2
Badges and Tickets Production and Allotment, 1976 3 3
Budget, 1975-1976 3 4
Communications, 1975-1976 3 5
Contracts, 1976 3 6
Convention Job Applications, 1975-1976 3 7
Federal Election Campaign Laws, 1976 3 8
Fish, Miscellaneous Personal File, 1975-1976 3 9
Fish, Page Applications, 1976 3 10
Fish, Tickets, 1976 3 11
Ford Campaign Committee, 1975 3 12
General Affairs, 1976 3 13
Good, Jo, 1975-1976 3 14
Host Committee, 1976 3 15
Housing, 1975-1976 3 16
Kansas City, 1976 3 17
Knowles, Robert, 1975-1976 3 18
Legal, 1975-1976 3 19
Legal, 1976 3 20
Media Coverage, 1975 3 21
Media Coverage, 1976 3 22
Minutes, Arrangements Committee, 1976 3 23
Miscellany, 1976-1977 3 24
National Delegates, 1975-1976 3 25
Pages and Aides, 1975-1976 3 26
Personnel, 1975-1976 3 27
Platform, 1976 3 28
Primary Election, Wisconsin, 1975 3 29
Production, 1975 3 30
Program Planning, 1968-1976 3 31
Reagan Committee, 1975-1976 3 32
Security, 1975-1976 3 34
Site Selection Committee, 1970  3 36
Site Selection Committee, 1975 3 35
Sky Suit Contracts, 1976 3 37
Steering Committee Minutes, 1976 3 38
Thank You Correspondence, 1976-1977 3 33
Tickets, 1976 3 39
Tickets, Wisconsin, 1975-1976 3 40
Transportation, 1976 3 41
Wisconsin Delegation, 1976 3 42

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Last edited on Wednesday, February 7, 2007.
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