Andrew John Biemiller

Democrat Representative of Wisconsin's 5th district

  • Representative

    Wisconsin, district 5

    January 3, 1949 - January 3, 1951

2

Congresses Served

2

House Terms

January 1, 1906 (76 years old)

Birthday

January 1, 1982

Death

  • Earned a B.A. degree from Cornell University and was an instructor in history at Syracuse University.
  • Studied in the graduate school of the University of Pennsylvania, teaching undergraduate classes and at Bryn Mawr Summer School for Workers.
  • Became active in the Socialist Party of America and worked as a campaign manager for Norman Thomas in 1932.
  • Served as educational director of the Socialist Party, edited the Milwaukee Leader, and was involved with the Farmer-Labor Progressive Federation.
  • Held memberships in the American Federation of Teachers and the American Newspaper Guild, among other organizations.
  • Elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1936, re-elected in 1938 and 1940, and became the floor leader of the Progressive Party in the Assembly.
  • Worked as a special organizer for the Wisconsin State Federation of Labor and took a position in the War Production Board in 1942.
  • Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1944 as a Democrat, served until 1947, and then again from 1949 to 1951.
  • Played a significant role in founding Americans for Democratic Action and advocated for a strong civil rights plank at the 1948 Democratic National Convention.
  • Worked at the Department of the Interior, served as a lobbyist for the American Federation of Labor, and was the Director of the Department of Legislation for the AFL-CIO from 1956 to 1978.
  • Contributed to the passage of civil rights, Medicare, and other social and economic legislation during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations.
  • His legacy includes a significant role in major social legislation of his era, and his papers are housed at the Carl Albert Center at the University of Oklahoma.