Wisconsin Historical Society Announces $2.5 Million Gift

Funds from Barker Family to Endow Director's Salary

By Michael Horne

The Second Annual Wisconsin History Makers Gala drew a well-behaved crowd of 500 to the Grand Ballroom of Milwaukee’s Pfister Hotel Wednesday, May 9th, 2007. The revelers, who paid $150 a person for the event, were double the number of the attendees at last year’s inaugural event, a fundraiser for the Wisconsin Historical Foundation. The party’s hosts, Mary Buestrin of the City of Mequon and Murph Burke of the Village of Fox Point, were able to attract some of the area’s most prosperous benefactors to the seventh floor ballroom at Milwaukee’s oldest hotel to honor George Archibald of the International Crane Foundation; American Indian activist and former head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Ada Deer; athlete and coach Mark Johnson; stereophone inventor John Koss, Sr. and construction magnate Oscar C. Boldt.

Boldt heads Oscar J. Boldt Construction, founded in 1889, and in its fourth generation of family operation. The firm is closing in on the longevity record of Japan’s Kongo Gumi construction company. That firm was founded in 578 (A.D.), and remained in the same family’s hands for 40 generations and 1,428 years until it went out of business last year when the market for Buddhist temples softened.

Among the attendees were such luminaries as developer Charlie Trainer, who allowed cousin David V. Uihlein, Jr. to adjust his collar and tie (those Schlitz heirs are nothing but fun!); Marion Chester Read, who still plays tennis four times a week, and is among the top two women players in her age category (80+); past honoree Vel Phillips; custard magnate Craig Culver; hometown philanthropist Christopher S. Abele; the impeccable Marianne Epstein; and others too numerous to mention, including dethroned insurance head Daniel Steininger and historian John Gurda. Registered lobbyist H. Carl Mueller mingled briefly, but departed before the dinner. John Stollenwerk wore a nice pair of shoes, possibly manufactured by Allen Edmonds, as were those of your correspondent, who was wearing his Lauderdales.

Former Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wisconsin head Tom Hefty said the current dire health insurance situation in this country didn’t start until after he retired, and that it is all the fault of the doctors.

U. S. District judge Lynn Adelman was there with his wife, attorney Elizabeth Adelman. The judge recused himself from wearing his robes for the event, saying he only dons his judicial finery for such occasions as sentencings. [I reminded him that he has one coming up on May 29^th, in the case of admitted embezzler Andrew Bandy.] For her part, Ms. Adelman says she has a pet name for her husband. Like many wives, she calls him, “hon.” This is usually short for “honey,” but Ms. Adelman says it’s also short for “honorable,” as in Hon. Lynn Adelman.

Patricia Nelson of the Old World Wisconsin Foundation brought guests from the state’s outdoor history museum, itself a division of the historical society. She says plans are underway for the group’s Spring Harvest Breakfast, to be held May 17^th, 2007 at Merrill Hills Country Club from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Although no fee is required to attend, the breakfast usually ends with many pockets and purses being considerably lightened, and the coffers of Old World Wisconsin replenished. Ms. Nelson says you can call her at 1 262 594-2922 if you’re hungry.

After a cocktail hour (cash bar) the guests settled into their places at the banquet tables, where each chair wore a little skirt. Their places were set with attractive salads wherein bunches of greens were wrapped up in longitudinally sliced cucumber bows. That course was followed by the entrée, which included meat (duck?), haricots verts, and an amalgam of mashed and sweet potatoes. That course was followed by a dessert of some sort.

The biggest news of the event was that the salary of Ellsworth Brown, the head of the Wisconsin Historical Society, will be paid from the recently established $2.5 million endowment donated by Hartley and Ruth Barker, Wisconsinites who divide their time between Arizona and Door County.