Walter Polakowski
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Walter Polakowski | |
|---|---|
 Portrait by Roman B. J. Kwasniewski, 1925 | |
| Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 3rd district | |
| In office January 1, 1923 – January 7, 1935 | |
| Preceded by | George L. Buck |
| Succeeded by | Max Galasinski |
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Milwaukee 8th district | |
| In office January 3, 1921 – January 1, 1923 | |
| Preceded by | Frank Kubatzki |
| Succeeded by | John Polakowski |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 18, 1888 Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
| Died | November 13, 1966 (aged 78) Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Party | Socialist (before 1935) Progressive (1935–1946) Democratic (after 1946) |
| Spouse |
Catherine
(m. 1907; div. 1939) |
| Children | 5 |
| Profession | Upholsterer, trade union activist, small business owner |
Walter Polakowski (January 18, 1888 – November 13, 1966) was an American upholsterer, trade union activist, and small business owner from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who served as a Socialist member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and Wisconsin State Senate for a total of 14 years.[1] He was the older brother of John Polakowski, who succeeded him in the Assembly in 1922.
Polakowski was born in Buffalo, New York on January 18, 1888, to a family of Polish descent,[2] and came to Milwaukee with his family around 1900. He began working while still a child, as a newsboy and bootblack; at the age of 14 he was apprenticed to an upholsterer, and by the age of 18 represented the Upholsterers' Union in the Milwaukee Federated Trades Council. He married Catherine at 19 and went into the grocery and saloon business, becoming a proprietor at 21. He later sold out and went into the insurance business until 1920, when he established the Union Upholstering and Auto Trim Shop. He had never held a public office until elected to the Assembly in 1920.
