University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Archives Department.

Broughton, Charles E., 1873-1956.

Papers, 1916-1953.

Milwaukee Manuscript Collection BA

8 cubic ft. (14 archives boxes, 1 small archives box, and 14 scrapbooks)


ABSTRACT: Collection includes correspondence, speeches, and scrapbooks relating to Broughton's editorship of the Sheboygan Press and wide ranging professional and social activities. Most of the materials pertain to Broughton's other activities as member of the Wisconsin Democratic party, philanthropist, anti-prohibitionist, fund raiser, conservationist, champion of the Wisconsin cheese industry, and patron of state and local history. Some of the correspondence deals with the management of the newspaper. Due to his newspaper work and broad range of activities, Broughton exchanged letters with many people of state and national importance.

Also of interest in the collection is a significant volume of correspondence from a number of servicemen during World War II, sent to Broughton for inclusion in the newspaper. The correspondents served in all branches of the armed forces, and ranged in rank from private to colonel. The letters, found in Broughton's chronological correspondence file, collectively give a varied perspective on the war as seen by the fighting man. Of particular interest for their level of detail are the letters of Thomas Herbert Thomas, who served in Italy and North Africa.

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 Broughton papers, chronologically arranged, are composed of Correspondence, Articles and Speeches, News Clippings and Memoranda, and Scrapbooks and Packages. It will be noted that many letters are cut diagonally in the upper left corner. Groups of letters had often been glued together at the corners, and cutting was considered the most satisfactory way to separate them quickly in arranging.

The Correspondence is largely related to business matters, newspaper work, and club activities. It illustrates the many subjects on which a vigorous and well-known editor receives communications and influences opinion. Several topics treated in the correspondence are worth of particular note: (1.) Broughton's opposition to prohibition, and his public debates with Rev. Robert Gordon (1929-1933); (2.) Negotiations concerning the burial of Chief Kahquados, last of the Potawatomi chieftains (1930-1931); (3.) Problems of the Wisconsin cheese market, and hearings on charges of price fixing in connection with the farmer's call board of Plymouth (1931-1933); (4.) The campaign to force a legislative investigation of the state mental institutions (1934); (5.) Broughton's work as a member of the Democratic National Committee. Correspondence of this period shows particularly the relations of Democratic patronage and public jobs, especially in post offices (1932-1941). Letters are also concerned with state Democratic politics (1932-1952); (6.) The development of Horicon Marsh and Sheboygan Marsh, and the fight on pollution in the state (1930-1949); (7.) Activities as a national officer in the Elks (1940-1946).

Due to his newspaper work and his varied activities, Broughton received letters from many people of national reputation. A list of these follows:
CORRESPONDENT DATE OF LETTERS
Allen, Robert S. January 6, 1941
Arnold, H. H. November 26, 1943
Barkley, Alben August 30, 1949
Burton, Harold H. April 29, 1946
Butler, Nicholas Murray February 26, 1929; November 6, 1933
Byrnes, James F. January 13, 1947
Cantor, Eddie December 29, 1933
Catt, Carrie Chapman May 5, 1928
Clapper, Raymond January 2, 1941
Crowley, Leo T. (5 Letters) 1933-1941
Cudahy, John (7 Letters) 1933-1941. Includes Letters from Poland: October 8, 1934, October 24, 1935; Ireland: November 16, 1938; Belgium: March 5, 1940
Daniels, Josephus November 4, 1935
Darrow, Clarence undated
Davies, Joseph E. May 13, 1940
Debs, Eugene V. April 30, 1926
Donaldson, J. M. October 17, 1949
Douglas, William O. May 28, 1946
Early, Stephen October 18, 1940
Eisenhower, Dwight D. June 6, 1946
Farley, James (Many Letters) 1933-1941
Goodland, Walter S. (3 Letters) 1943-1947
Harriman, Averill December 8, 1948
Heil, Julius P. January 5, 1939; May 31, 1939
Hoover, J. Edgar (5 letters) 1936-1943
Hopkins, Harry March 17, 1939
Howe, Louis M. (Many Letters) 1932-1936
Hull, Cordell September 23, 1943; Sept. 4, 1945
Johnson, Hugh S. June 12, 1935
Jones, Jesse February 16, 1945
Kantor, McKinley October 30, 1940
Knox, Frank April 22, 1939
Kohler, Walter J. Jr. April 27, 1940; March 4, 1952
Kohler, Walter J. Sr. (Many Letters) 1929-1940
Landon, Alf December 28, 1937
LaFollette, Philip F. June 7, 1939
LaFollette, Robert M. Jr. October 7, 1925; May 25, 1929; September 9, 1931
McCutcheon, John T. undated
McNutt, Paul V. April 26, 1940
Marshall, George September 4, 1945
Morgenthau, Henry Jr. April 18, 1934
Nelson, Gaylord October 19, 1949; October 28, 1949
Pearson, Drew November 1, 1940
Rennebohm, Oscar May 23, 1950
Robinson, Edward G. September 5, 1940
Roosevelt, Eleanor May 5, 1933; February 21, 1936; March 12, 1946
Roosevelt, Franklin D. January 2, 1932; March 1, 1932; March 12, 1932; April 9, 1932; April 11, 1932; April 22, 1932; June 22, 1932; September 2, 1932; November 3, 1932; November 4, 1932; January 27, 1933; November 26, 1933; February 7, 1934; June 19, 1935; January 27, 1933
Rubin, William (Many Letters) 1932-1952
Schmedeman, A. G. (5 Letters) 1934-1941
Spellman, Cardinal September 15, 1947
Stritch, Archbishop September 27, 1932
Tarbell, Ida May 7, 1928
Truman, Harry December 17, 1948
Wallace, Henry A. April 27, 1945
Welles, Sumner November 29, 1945
Willkie, Wendell L. December 4, 1943; April 11, 1944
Zimmerman, Fred February 1, 1939

One other group of letters deserves mention only because of the letters written by one person. During World War II a great many soldiers and sailors wrote to Broughton, and among these letters the only ones of any value are those from Tom Thomas written from North Africa and Italy. There are about a dozen of Thomas' letters, beginning in 1943, October. They are well written and descriptive.

Most of the Articles and Speeches contained in the Broughton papers treat of the same subjects as those listed above, under correspondence.

News Clippings and Memoranda: in addition to miscellaneous memoranda, there is information here on the investigation of state mental institutions, the Farmer's Call Board of Plymouth, and Horicon and Sheboygan Marshes.

The Scrapbooks and Packages contain news clippings, maps and letters on historical markers, the Horicon Marsh, civic activities, democratic activities, Broughton's trips and speeches, governor and senator possibilities, presidential campaigns, politics, news stories, personal items, and copies of Broughton's editorial column.


BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Charles E. Broughton, who spent 44 years as a successful newspaper editor and zealous civic leader, was born at Lamartine, Wisconsin, seven miles from Fond du Lac, Oct. 22, 1873. His parents had very limited means; and as a boy he helped his mother husk corn on the shares, worked in a blacksmith shop, and painted wagons at the old La Belle Wagon Works in Fond du Lac. His formal schooling ended at the age of 11, when he began his newspaper association as a printer's devil and errand boy with the Fond du Lac Journal.

Broughton attended night school whenever he could, as his ambition was to become a reporter and editorial writer. At twenty he obtained employment in the composing room of the Milwaukee Sentinel, soon was reporting for the Waukesha Dispatch, then the Fond du Lac Reporter, and finally for the Fond du Lac Commonwealth. Due to his desire to express himself editorially, he purchased the Campbellsport News, a weekly paper, but soon was persuaded by Congressman Charles H. Weisse to become manager of the Sheboygan Press. On the death of Congressman Weisse, Broughton bought his interest, and become part owner and editor of the Press.

The Press became one of the most influential, liberal papers in the state, largely due to Broughton's own reputation as an editor. His pen and paper were at the service of countless worthwhile projects. He never hesitated to expose an injustice, and his editorials exhibited a fine understanding of human problems. It was written of him that "Thruout the year we have observed how the editor of the Sheboygan Press is able to wield a powerful pen on almost any topic, courageously, and with uncanny accuracy." In 1947 he published a volume of his representative editorials called, "From an Editor's Pen."

Small city philanthropist, anti-prohibitionist, fund raiser, conservationist, champion of the Wisconsin cheese industry, and patron of state and local history, Broughton was obviously also a joiner of joiners. He was a member of half a dozen fraternal orders, several newspaper organizations, and many civic and state groups. The latter included service as a curator and Vice President of the Wisconsin State Historical Society. He was responsible for the founding of Sheboygan's Kiddies Camp for underprivileged children, the YMCA, and the Safe Rider's Club. He was a director of the Sheboygan Redskins basketball team, the Sheboygan Baseball Association, and the county Welfare Board. In 1952-1953, Broughton was a member of the Governor's Committee for the St. Lawrence Seaway. He financed conservation awards to 4-H club members and Boy Scouts, opposed stream pollution, and supported the development of Horicon Marsh for public use. Broughton Marsh Park was so named in recognition of his successful efforts to restore Sheboygan Marsh, and Broughton Drive in Sheboygan honored him for his community service.

Although Charles E. Broughton was an important influence in a half century of Sheboygan's development, his reputation extended beyond his own community and even outside the state. As a very active Democrat, he was National Committeeman from Wisconsin from 1932-1941, and was often mentioned as a possible candidate for governor or senator. As an Elk, he served as Grand Exalted Ruler in 1946. As a conservationist, he was a national director of the Izaak Walton League, 1946-1949. As an editor, he served as public interest director for the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, 1936-1951.

In the course of his life, many honors cam to Broughton, of which the most outstanding were: (1) First Honorable Mention by the Pulitzer Prize Committee for his editorial campaign against inhuman treatment of patients at Wisconsin's mental institutions, 1935, (2) One of the first seven in the world to receive the Salvation Army's Distinguished Service Award, and (3) The Honor Roll Award of the Izaak Walton League.

In 1951, partly due to labor troubles, Broughton sold his interest in the Sheboygan Press and turned his interests to his radio station, WHBL. He died October 31, 1956, survived by his widow. One child, a son, had dies in infancy. An interesting observation concerning a man such as Broughton is that though he was constantly giving time and money to Protestants, Catholics, Hebrews, and the Salvation Army, Broughton did not, himself, belong to a church.

COLLECTION CITATION: This collection should be cited as:
Broughton, Charles E., 1873-1956. Papers, 1916-1953. Milwaukee Manuscript Collection BA. Wisconsin Historical Society. Milwaukee Area Research Center. UWM Libraries. University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee.

RELATED COLLECTIONS:

La Budde, Wilhelmine D., 1880-1955. Papers, 1924-1956. (Milwaukee Manuscript Collection BC)

Noyes, Haskell, 1886- . Papers, 1924-1943. (Milwaukee Manuscript Collection N)

Pohl, Pearl, 1887-1982. Papers, 1928-1981. (Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 195 and PH Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 195)


ACQUISITION: Charles E. Broughton gave the papers to the State Historical Society of Wisconsin in 1953.

MARC RECORD SEARCH TERMS: The following terms were used in the online bibliographic MARC record to this collection:
MILWAUKEE MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION BA BOX FOLDER
Articles, 1930-1945 13 2
Broughton Biography, 1934-1946, undated 14 2
Campaign Speeches, News Clippings, 1936 [scrapbook 9]    
Chief Simon Kahquados, Correspondence, 1930 1 10
Chief Simon Kahquados, Correspondence, 1931 1 11
Civic Activities and Honors, News Clippings, 1932-1940 [scrapbook 3]    
Civic Activities Including Fund Drives, News Clippings, 1939-1941 [scrapbook 12]    
Correspondence, 1916-1927 1 1
Correspondence, 1928 1 2-3
Correspondence, 1929 1 4-5
Correspondence, 1930 1 6-7
Correspondence, 1931 1 8-9
Correspondence, 1931-1932 2 1
Correspondence, 1932 2 2
Correspondence, 1933 2 3
Correspondence, 1933-1934 2 4
Correspondence, 1934 2 5
Correspondence, 1934 3 1-2
Correspondence, 1935 3 3
Correspondence, 1935-1936 3 4
Correspondence, 1936 3 5
Correspondence, 1937 4 1
Correspondence, 1937-1938 4 2
Correspondence, 1938-1939 4 3
Correspondence, 1939 4 4
Correspondence, 1939-1940 4 5
Correspondence, 1940 5 1
Correspondence, 1940-1941 5 2
Correspondence, 1941 5 3
Correspondence, 1941-1942 5 4
Correspondence, 1942 5 5
Correspondence, 1942-1943 6 1
Correspondence, 1943 6 2-3
Correspondence, 1943-1944 6 4
Correspondence, 1944 6 5
Correspondence, 1944 7 1
Correspondence, 1944-1945 7 2
Correspondence, 1945 7 3-5
Correspondence, 1946 8 1-4
Correspondence, 1947 8 5
Correspondence, 1947 9 1
Correspondence, 1947-1948 9 2
Correspondence, 1948 9 3-4
Correspondence, 1949 10 1-2
Correspondence, 1949 9 5
Correspondence, 1950 10 3-5
Correspondence, 1950-1951 11 1
Correspondence, 1951 11 2-4
Correspondence, 1951-1952 11 5
Correspondence, 1952 12 1-2
Correspondence, 1952-1953, undated 12 3
Democratic Activities, News Clipping, 1931-1933 [scrapbook 5]    
Editorial Column, "From An Editor's Pen," News Clippings and Letters, 1947-1948 [scrapbook 14]    
Elks, Memoranda, 1942-1948, undated 14 5
Farmers Call Board in Plymouth, Memoranda, 1930-1952, undated 14 7
Fiftieth Anniversary in Journalism, News Clippings, 1933-1938 [scrapbook 3]    
Funerals of Notables, News Clippings, 1934-1939 [scrapbook 3]    
Governor and Senator Possibilities, News Clippings, 1931-1936 [scrapbook 6]    
Governor's Military Staff, News Clippings,1933-1939 [scrapbook 3]    
Historical Markers, News Clippings, 1925-1941 [scrapbook 1]    
Horicon Marsh, News Clippings and Maps, 1927-1940 [scrapbook 2]    
Marshes, Conservation, Pollution, Memoranda, 1837-1951, undated 14 4
Mental Institutions, Memoranda, 1933, undated 14 8
Messages Sent to Broughton at the Time of His Auto Accident, 1947 [package 1] 15  
Mexican Trip, News Clippings, 1935 [scrapbook 3]    
Miscellaneous, Memoranda, 1930-1952, undated 14 9
Miscellaneous, Memoranda, 1942-1948, undated 14 6
Miscellaneous, News Clippings and Photographs, 1934-1940 [scrapbook 3]    
News Clippings Regarding Broughton, 1929-1952, undated 14 1
News Clippings Regarding Topics of Interest to Broughton, 1931-1952, undated 14 3
Personal Items and News, News Clippings, 1939-1941 [scrapbook 11]    
Political Interests, News Stories, and Civic Activities, News Clippings, 1934-1938 [scrapbook 8]    
Presidential Campaign, News Clippings, 1932 [scrapbook 7]    
Presidential Campaign, News Clippings, 1936 [scrapbook 10]    
Presidential Inauguration, Memoranda, 1949 14 10
Prohibition, Correspondence, 1928-1929 1 12
Prohibition, Correspondence, 1930-1932 1 13
Retirement from Democratic National Committee, News Clippings, 1941 [scrapbook 13]    
Retirement from the Sheboygan Press, Letters and News Clippings, 1951 [package 2] 15  
Rocky Knoll Sanitorium, "The San Dial" Newsletter, 1933-1934 [scrapbook 3]    
Salvation Army, News Clippings and Photographs, 1932-1940 [scrapbook 3]    
Sheboygan Community Fund, News Clippings, 1935 [scrapbook 3]    
Sheboygan County Historical Society, Photograph, 1931 [scrapbook 3]    
Speeches and Broadcasts, Mainly by Broughton, 1920, 1924, 1927-1930 13 1
Speeches and Broadcasts, Mainly by Broughton, 1931-1937 13 3
Speeches and Broadcasts, Mainly by Broughton, 1938-1941 13 4
Speeches and Broadcasts, Mainly by Broughton, 1942-1952 13 5
Speeches and Broadcasts, Mainly by Broughton, undated 13 6
Speeches, News Clippings, 1928-1931 [scrapbook 4]    
Washington D.C. Trips, Inauguration Invitations, 1937, 1941 [scrapbook 3]    
Washington D.C. Trips, News Clippings and Photograph, 1934-1937 [scrapbook 3]    
Wisconsin Association for the Disabled, News Clippings, 1929-1935 [scrapbook 3]    
Wisconsin State Historical Society, News Clippings, 1933-1939 [scrapbook 3]    

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