W. D. Hoard: A Man for His Time

by Loren H. Osman

William Dempster Hoard – who was this man described as the "most distinctive American character since Abraham Lincoln"? Like Lincoln, whom he admired, Hoard overcame humble beginnings and on a financial shoestring was elected Wisconsin's Republican governor in 1888 by an overwhelming popular vote. Known as the cow candidate, Hoard was a major figure in Wisconsin's agricultural conversion from unstable cash crops to dairy farming. Beloved by his farmer-supporters, Hoard's shared concern with Robert M. La Follette over bossism was the beginning of a political philosophy on which was based the Progressive Party and national stature for La Follette. This biography tells of a man and his time; a time of agriculture in flux, political intrigues, pioneering pure food laws and the quest for practical education in schools. Thus, in being a man for his time, Hoard was a man for our time, also.

451 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985