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Herbert Christian Schenk (June 26, 1880 – April 18, 1972) was an American businessman fromMadison,Wisconsin who served as aWisconsin Progressive Party member of theWisconsin State Assembly fromDane County, and held a number of positions in local government.
Schenk was born on June 26, 1880, inLeeds, Wisconsin, and came with his family to Madison in 1893.[1][2] He attendedelementary school in Madison, and graduated fromNorthwestern Business College in 1898. He worked inlumberyards in Madison,Stoughton andOrfordville from 1901 until 1908, before joining his family'shardware business in Madison. He took it over in the 1920s, and would operate it until his 1951 retirement.[1]
Schenk first joined theMadison Schoolsboard of education January 19, 1923. (He would remain on the board until 1950, including 11 years as its chairman.)[1] He would also serve as a member of the cityboard of health from 1924 to 1939, and the city park commission from 1924 to 1948.[3]
He became the director of the MadisonAssociation of Commerce in 1932, holding that position until 1934, when he won a modest plurality in the six-wayprimary election of the newly organizedWisconsin Progressive Party for the 1stDane County district (the City of Madison) of theWisconsin State Assembly, and in thegeneral election unseated the incumbent,RepublicanFrancis Lamb, with 9573 votes to 7932 for Lamb, 3966 forDemocrat Fred T. Frusher, and 331 forindependent Leo Bassett. He was appointed to thestanding committees oninsurance andbanking, and onmunicipalities; and to aspecial committee on the Wisconsinbicentennial.[4] In 1936, after easily winning his primary over a single challenger, he won re-election, with 16,077 votes to 8206 for Republican Virgil Roick and 3012 for Democrat Fred F. Frusher, Jr. He shifted to the committees onlabor and state affairs.[5] In 1938, he managed a modest plurality over two challengers in the primary, and won re-election in the general with 11,093 votes to 7774 for Republican Carl Danhouser and 1812 for Democrat Arthur Metz. He returned to the insurance and banking committee, and was also assigned to theeducation committee.[6] In 1940, he lost his party's primary toLyall T. Beggs, who would go on to win the general election.[7]
In 1944, he was the Progressive nominee for theUnited States House of Representatives fromWisconsin's 2nd congressional district. He lost toRobert Kirkland Henry, coming in third in a four-waygeneral election.[1] His April 1950 resignation from the school board was so that he could serve the first of two terms on the Madison City Council, to which he'd just been elected.[3]
His wife Clara died in 1961, and the next year he moved toCalifornia. He died on April 18, 1972, inConcord, California.[1]
