Florian Lampert
Library of Congress photo ca.1921
Chairman of theHouse Committee on Patents
In office March 4, 1921 – March 4, 1923
Preceded by	John I. Nolan
Succeeded by	Albert Henry Vestal
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromWisconsin's6th district
In office December 2, 1918 – July 18, 1930
Preceded by	James H. Davidson
Succeeded by	Michael Reilly
Sheriff ofWinnebago County, Wisconsin
In office January 1, 1897 – January 1, 1899
Preceded by	Frederick C. Horn
Succeeded by	Charles M. White
Personal details
Born	(1863-07-08)July 8, 1863 West Bend, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died	July 18, 1930(1930-07-18) (aged 67) Chicago Heights, Illinois, U.S.
Cause of death	Heart attack
Resting place	Riverside Cemetery,Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Party	Republican Bull Moose (1912)
Spouse	Mary Catherine Vetter ​ ​ (m. 1885⁠–⁠1930)​
Children	9
Relatives	James Benjamin Lampert (grandson)

Florian Lampert Jr. (July 8, 1863 – July 18, 1930) was an American businessman andprogressiveRepublican politician fromOshkosh, Wisconsin. He was a member of theU.S. House of Representatives for nearly 12 years, representingWisconsin's 6th congressional district from December 1918 until his death in 1930. Earlier in his career, he served assheriff ofWinnebago County, Wisconsin.

Florian Lampert was born on July 8, 1863, inWest Bend, Wisconsin, and received his early education in the public schools of that city. His father died in 1875, and he moved with his mother toOshkosh, Wisconsin.^[1] He attended high school for one year there before going to work as a clerk and salesman for a boot and shoe dealer in Oshkosh.^[2][3][4]

In the early 1880s, he went to work for his elder brother, Mathias (sometimes "Matthew"), who had also gone into the boot and shoe industry. By 1885, Florian Lampert and his brother bought out their business partners and operated their business as"M. Lampert & Co."^[5]

He became involved in politics in his early 20s, and was an active supporter ofRepublican nomineeJames G. Blaine in the1884 United States presidential election.^[6]

He made his first run for public office in 1892, running for treasurer ofWinnebago County, Wisconsin, but lost the general election by 43 votes. The following spring, he was appointed comptroller of the city of Oshkosh by Mayor Charles Oellerich.^[2] He was reappointed in 1895.

In 1896, he was selected by the Winnebago County Republican convention as their nominee forsheriff. He won the nomination on the eighth ballot,^[7] and won a two-year term at the general election. Rather than running for re-election in 1898, he sought the Republican nomination forWisconsin Senate in the19th Senate district, but the county convention nominatedGeorge A. Buckstaff instead.^[8]

For the next several years, Lampert did not seek elected office, but was active in political affairs as a supporter of progressive RepublicanRobert M. "Fighting Bob" La Follette, who became governor in 1901. During La Follette's terms as governor, Lampert's brother Mathias was employed as a clerk for the state Department of Public Lands, and Lampert himself was also employed for temporary service assisting in land sales.^[9] In late 1904, Florian Lampert sought appointment as state game warden, and was at that time described as the leader of the La Follette Republicans in Winnebago County.^[10] La Follette, however, eventually appointedJonas Swenholt instead.^[11]

In 1906, Lampert sought nomination to run again for sheriff of Winnebago County.^[12] By then, Wisconsin had adopted the primary election system, replacing the old system of nominating conventions. Lampert faced a crowded primary, with six opponents for the Republican nomination. Lampert ultimately came in second, behind Joachim Rhyner.^[13]

By 1907, La Follette had become a U.S. senator, and Lampert sought his support for another job. Lambert wanted to be appointedUnited States Marshal for theEastern District of Wisconsin,^[14] but again did not receive the position. Despite these disappointments, Lampert remained a dedicated partisan for La Follette; he sought election to the1908 Republican National Convention as a La Follette delegate, but was not elected.^[15] Lampert was ultimately appointed as an alternate to the convention by the state Republican Central Committee, and ended up standing in for elected delegate Thomas Torrison, who was unable to attend.^[16] That fall, Lampert was then also chosen by the state party as a member of theirpresidential elector slate, and—since the Republican, Taft, won Wisconsin—Lampert served as one of Wisconsin's 13 presidential electors in the1908 United States presidential election.^[17] Lampert also was given the honor of carrying the official votes of Wisconsin's electors toWashington, D.C., for the formal tabulation of the electoral college.^[18]

Over the next several years, he served as a commissioner on the city police and fire board, and ran for a seat on the city commission in 1912, but narrowly lost the general election.^[19] He attended the1912 Republican National Convention, but was not a delegate that year. Later that year, he ultimately joined the short-livedBull Moose Party supportingTheodore Roosevelt for the presidency—Lampert was a member of the state central committee for the Progressive Party.^[20] Lampert was standing near Roosevelt when he was shot in anattempted assassination inMilwaukee on October 14, 1912.^[21] Lampert was selected for the Bull Moose electoral slate, but Roosevelt lost the state of Wisconsin in the general election.

In 1914, Lampert ran again for city commissioner. This time he won the seat, but the election was described by newspapers as particularly bitter between him and his opponent, incumbent commissioner Henry Kitz.^[22] At the time, Oshkosh had a hybridcity commission form of government, consisting of a mayor and two commissioners, all elected at large.^[23]

At the start of his fifth year as city commissioner, Lampert announced his candidacy forU.S. House of Representatives inWisconsin's 6th congressional district.^[24] Lampert led a revolt of district Republicans in aprimary challenge against the incumbent Republican U.S. representativeJames H. Davidson.^[25] Opposition to Davidson reached a crescendo when he was one of 50 members of the House who voted against thedeclaration of war against Germany. After Lampert demonstrated strong support at county conventions, Davidson decided to withdraw from the race.^[26] A month later, Davidson was dead after a brief illness. His death necessitated a special election to fill the remainder of his term in the65th Congress and it was decided to hold the special election concurrent with the fall general election.

After Davidson's exit and death, Lampert still faced three opponents in the Republican primary. Lampert won the primary thanks to a large plurality from his home Winnebago County.^[27][28] In the midst of the general election campaign, Lampert was still active in his city commission duties, and supported strict quarantine measures in response to theSpanish flu pandemic.^[29]

At the November 5 general election, Lampert won both the regular election and the special election for the 6th congressional district.^[30] He was sworn in December 2, 1918.^[31]

Lampert's first full term was uneventful; he faced a primary challenge from state senatorJulius H. Dennhardt in 1920, but prevailed by a wide margin.^[32] He won a landslide in the general election, taking nearly 69% of the vote.^[33] In the67th Congress, Lampert was appointed chairman of theHouse Committee on Patents. He authored and pushed through thePatent Act of 1922, increasing the powers of the patent commissioner and funding 49 new technical examiner positions for theUnited States Patent and Trademark Office.^[34] He faced another primary challenge in 1922, but again soundly defeated his stalwart opponent, state senatorWilliam A. Titus.^[35] Lampert won another landslide in the general election, receiving over 86% of the vote against independent Democrat William E. Cavanaugh.^[36]

Lampert won three more terms, always receiving large electoral majorities. As a representative, Lampert devoted much time and effort to the handling of applications for veterans' pensions and other constituent services. He was also active in securing public improvements for his district and served on the committee that framed much of the early aviation legislation.^[37]

On July 8, 1930, Lampert was involved in a seriouscar accident inChicago. He was being driven back to Oshkosh when his car struck a coal truck on a slippery road. He was taken to a hospital inChicago Heights, Illinois, and initially seemed likely to recover. His condition was complicated bypneumonia and he ultimately suffered a fatalheart attack on July 18, 1930.^[38]

His remains were interred atRiverside Cemetery in Oshkosh.^[1]

Florian Lampert Jr. was the youngest of four children born to Florian Lampert Sr. and his wife Anna Katherina. Both parents wereSwiss American immigrants, they came to the United States in the 1840s and were pioneers of the area of West Bend, Wisconsin. Florian Lampert Sr. was a mason and building contractor responsible for much of the early construction in West Bend.^[2]

On May 4, 1885, Florian Lampert Jr. married Mary Catherine Vetter, ofSheboygan County, Wisconsin. They had nine children together, though two died in infancy. All five of their surviving sons served in the United States armed forces duringWorld War I,^[37] beginning a tradition of military service that extended to their grandsons.

Their eldest son, James Gillespie Blaine Lampert, was a graduate of theUnited States Military Academy at West Point and was a career U.S. Army officer. He served with the1st U.S. Engineer Regiment in France and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel, but died of disease before returning home from Europe in January 1919.^[39][40]

James G. B. Lampert's son,James Benjamin Lampert, also became a career U.S. Army officer with theUnited States Army Corps of Engineers, was decorated for service in thePacific War duringWorld War II, and rose to the rank of lieutenant general. Later in his career, he served three years asSuperintendent of the United States Military Academy, and served as high commissioner of theUnited States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands.

Florian Lambert's third son, Lester Leland Lampert was also a graduate of West Point and was also a career U.S. Army officer. DuringWorld War I, he served in France with the49th U.S. Infantry Division with the rank of major.^[40] Late in 1941, he was assigned toSchofield Barracks nearPearl Harbor, and arrived there just weeks before theJapanese surprise attack. His wife, who accompanied him to Hawaii, wrote a first-hand account of her experiences during the attack.^[41] Lampert served through most ofWorld War II as a training officer, and was promoted to colonel before retiring.

Lester Lampert's son, Lester Leland Lampert Jr., was also a graduate of West Point and commanded a battalion of the103rd U.S. Infantry Division duringWorld War II, earning a silver star for conduct during theBattle of the Bulge.^[42]

• List of members of the United States Congress who died in office (1900–1949)

• United States Congress."Florian Lampert (id: L000041)".Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Wisconsin Historical SocietyArchived 2011-06-11 at theWayback Machine
• University of Wisconsin Digital Collection; Wisconsin Blue Book 1929
• Florian Lampert atFind a Grave
• Florian Lampert Bio at Wisconsin Historical SocietyArchived 2011-06-11 at theWayback Machine

• 1863 births
• 1930 deaths
• American people of Swiss descent
• People from West Bend, Wisconsin
• Politicians from Oshkosh, Wisconsin
• Wisconsin sheriffs
• 1908 United States presidential electors
• Republican Party United States representatives from Wisconsin
• 19th-century Wisconsin politicians
• 20th-century Wisconsin politicians
• Road incident deaths in Illinois
• Burials at Riverside Cemetery (Oshkosh, Wisconsin)
• 20th-century United States representatives

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