James F. Rooney | |
---|---|
Chairman of the Wisconsin Waterways Commission | |
In office September 26, 1985 –March 1, 2019 | |
Governor | Tony Earl Tommy Thompson Scott McCallum Jim Doyle Scott Walker Tony Evers |
Preceded by | Francis Murphy |
Succeeded by | Roger Walsh |
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly | |
In office January 3,1983 –January 7,1985 | |
Preceded by | John Plewa |
Succeeded by | Tim Carpenter |
Constituency | 20th district |
In office January 1,1973 –January 3,1983 | |
Preceded by | District established |
Succeeded by | Sheehan Donoghue |
Constituency | 61st district |
Chairman of the Racine County Board of Supervisors | |
In office April 20,1982 –December 1984 | |
Preceded by | Elwood E. Hoeppner |
Succeeded by | Hubert Braun |
Member of the Racine County Board of Supervisors from the 4th district | |
In office April 20,1998 –April 2000 | |
Preceded by | Patrick Verbeten |
Succeeded by | Kenneth Lumpkin |
In office April 19,1966 –December 1984 | |
Preceded by | Raymond Fay |
Succeeded by | Herman F. Luedtke |
Personal details | |
Born | Racine,Wisconsin | September 29,1935
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Nancy Lee Schultz |
Children | 4 |
Occupation | politician,administrator |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States |
Branch/service | United States Army |
Years of service | 1954–1956 |
Rank | Private First Class |
James Francis Rooney (born September 29,1935) is a retired American public administrator and Democratic politician from Racine,Wisconsin. He represented Racine for 12 years in the Wisconsin State Assembly,from 1973 to 1985,and served in Racine County government for nearly 30 years. After leaving the Assembly,Rooney served another 24 years as chairman of the Wisconsin Waterways Commission (1985–2019) and was one of the key architects of Racine's lakefront revitalization. He served as chairman of the Racine Harbor Commission from 1970 to 2013,and remained on the commission until his retirement in 2019. [1]
Rooney was born in Racine,Wisconsin,and graduated from Racine's St. Catherine's High School in 1953. [2] He was drafted into the United States Army in 1954,and served two years stationed at Fort Eustis,Virginia. [3] [4] He was employed as a surveyor and later business manager for many years for Nielsen &Madsen,an engineering consulting partnership in Racine. [2] [5] [6]
In 1966,Rooney made his first attempt at elected office,when he was elected to the Racine County Board of Supervisors with the endorsement of outgoing supervisor,Herman Luedtke. [6] [7] [8] He was reelected nine times,serving concurrent with his Assembly career. At the start of the 1982 session,he was elected chairman of the County Board. He served as chairman until resigning from the board in December 1984. [9] In 1970,he was also named Racine Harbor Commissioner,a position he held until 2019.
In 1972,Rooney ran for the Wisconsin State Assembly in the newly drawn 61st State Assembly district. The 61st district,covering northern Racine and the villages of Wind Point and North Bay,was drawn roughly in line with the former 2nd Racine County Assembly district,which had been occupied by Democrat Manny S. Brown since 1965. Brown did not run for election in the new seat,but Rooney did face an opponent in the Democratic primary —former radio news director John Flanagan. [10] Rooney prevailed in the primary,and carried 56% of the general election vote in November over Republican Thomas C. Mortenson. [11] He was subsequently reelected five times,serving 12 years. [2]
In the Assembly,Rooney served for his entire legislative career on the Highways Committee,and served on the committees on Financial Institutions and Insurance,on Consumer and Commercial Credit,and on Insurance,Cooperatives and Risk Management. For the 1983–1984 session,he was elected Democratic caucus chairman. [2] His most consequential legislative act was likely the creation of the Wisconsin Waterways Commission (1977 Wisc. Act 274). [12] The law diverted a small percentage of the state gas tax for highway funding to be utilized for harbor and river improvements,including the harbor and lakefront projects that Rooney championed in Racine County.
In June 1984,Rooney announced he would seek appointment to the county highway commissioner job rather than running for reelection to the Assembly. [13] In December 1984,he received the appointment from county executive Leonard Ziolkowski,received unanimous approval from the County Board,and resigned his seat on the County Board. [9] [14] Rooney served as highway commissioner until 1988,when he was appointed county public works commissioner,where he remained until retiring in 1994. [15]
Concurrent with this service,in 1985,Governor Tony Earl appointed Rooney to chair the Wisconsin Waterways Commission,which he had largely been responsible for creating in 1977. [16] Rooney had been critical of previous governors' appointments to the commission,which lacked representation from southeast lakefront communities which failed to prioritize improvements on Lake Michigan;with the support of Governor Earl and State Representative Jeffrey A. Neubauer,Rooney quickly began allocating grant money to Racine lakeshore improvements. [17] Rooney was reappointed by governors Tommy Thompson,Jim Doyle,and Scott Walker and continued to serve as chairman of the commission until March 2019. [18]
In 1998,Rooney returned to politics,narrowly winning another term on the County Board of Supervisors over local newspaper publisher Ken Lumpkin. [19] In this term he served alongside his son,James C. Rooney. [20] Rooney was defeated seeking reelection in 2000,in a rematch of his 1998 election. [21]
A 2015 event on Racine's waterfront celebrated the completion of numerous harbor and lakefront projects and honored Rooney for his decades of service on the lakefront improvements. The event was co-hosted by Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave and Racine Mayor John Dickert. Delagrave remarked,"Racine's Lakefront,Marina and breakwater area are irreplaceable resources forour city and our county as a whole. I applaud and am thankful for the passion and dedication of all those involved,especially the persistence and vision of Jim Rooney." [1] [22]
Rooney served as chairman of the Racine Harbor Commission until 2013,a position he held since 1970. He ultimately retired from the commission in 2019. [23] [1] [24]
James Rooney is a fourth generation Racinian—his great grandparents settled on Racine's north side in the 1850s,his grandfather was president of the local painter's union,and his father was President of the Racine City Council. [15]
James Rooney and his wife,Nancy,have four adult children and still reside in Racine. [24] Rooney is an avid sailor and owns two boats,he has been a member of the Racine Yacht Club for nearly 50 years,and is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Racine. [24] [2]
Year | Election | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1972 [11] | Primary | Sep. 12 | James F. Rooney | Democratic | 2,333 | 59.29% | John A. Flanagan | Dem. | 1,344 | 34.16% | 3,935 | 989 |
Curtis E. Sahakian | Dem. | 258 | 6.56% | |||||||||
General | Nov. 7 | James F. Rooney | Democratic | 9,261 | 56.39% | Thomas C. Mortenson | Rep. | 7,162 | 43.61% | 16,423 | 2,099 | |
1974 [25] | Primary | Sep. 10 | James F. Rooney (inc.) | Democratic | 2,898 | 54.89% | Betty S. Rowley | Dem. | 2,382 | 45.11% | 5,280 | 516 |
General | Nov. 5 | James F. Rooney (inc.) | Democratic | 5,881 | 57.82% | Anita M. Hunt | Rep. | 4,291 | 42.18% | 10,172 | 1,590 | |
1976 [26] | General | Nov. 2 | James F. Rooney (inc.) | Democratic | 12,309 | 94.72% | Gary Pederson | Amer. | 686 | 5.28% | 12,995 | 11,623 |
1978 [27] | General | Nov. 7 | James F. Rooney (inc.) | Democratic | 7,911 | 68.88% | Gary Pederson | Rep. | 3,575 | 31.12% | 11,486 | 4,336 |
1980 [28] | General | Nov. 4 | James F. Rooney (inc.) | Democratic | 10,724 | 65.06% | Earl W. Bell | Rep. | 5,758 | 34.94% | 16,482 | 4,966 |
Year | Election | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1982 [29] | General | Nov. 2 | James F. Rooney | Democratic | 10,393 | 73.84% | Hall L. Hardy | Rep. | 3,682 | 26.16% | 14,075 | 6,711 |
Year | Election | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1998 [19] | General | Apr. 7 | James F. Rooney | Democratic | 174 | 50.73% | Kenneth Lumpkin | Dem. | 169 | 49.27% | 343 | 5 |
2000 [21] | General | Apr. 4 | Kenneth Lumpkin | Democratic | 222 | 52.36% | James F. Rooney (inc.) | Dem. | 202 | 47.64% | 424 | 20 |
John Olof Norquist is a retired American politician,urbanist consultant,and author. He served as the 43rd mayor of Milwaukee,Wisconsin,winning four terms (1988–2004). He previously represented Milwaukee's south side in the Wisconsin State Assembly (1975–1983) and Wisconsin Senate (1983–1988). After serving as mayor,he worked for ten years as president of the Congress for the New Urbanism.
Henry Carl Schadeberg was an American protestant minister and Republican politician from southeast Wisconsin. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for four terms,representing Wisconsin's 1st congressional district from 1961 to 1965,and from 1967 to 1971. Schadeberg was an unabashed conservative and a strident anti-communist.
Lynn Ellsworth Stalbaum was an American farmer,businessman,and Democratic politician from Racine County,Wisconsin. He served one term in the United States House of Representatives,representing Wisconsin's 1st congressional district in the 89th Congress from 1965 to 1967.
Frederick P. Kessler was an American lawyer,arbitrator,judge,and Democratic Party politician. He served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly for 24 years between 1961 and 2019,and served 11 years as a state judge in the 1970s and 1980s.
Thomas Adolph Loftus is a retired American diplomat,educator,and Democratic politician from Dane County,Wisconsin. He was United States Ambassador to Norway from 1993 through 1997,during the presidency of Bill Clinton,served as an advisor and representative of the World Health Organization,and most recently was a member of the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents,retiring in 2011.
Louis John Ceci is a retired American lawyer,jurist,and Republican politician. He was a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court from 1982 through 1993,after serving eight years as a Wisconsin circuit court judge in Milwaukee County. He previously represented northern Milwaukee County in the Wisconsin State Assembly during the 1965 session.
Charles Joseph "Chuck" Chvala is an American real estate dealer,lawyer,and former politician. He served 20 years in the Wisconsin State Senate,representing Dane County,and was the Democratic caucus leader from 1995 through 2002. His political career was ended by a 2002 scandal which found he and other lawmakers had illegally utilized state employees for campaign work.
George E. Molinaro was an American businessman and politician. He was the 74th Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly. A Democrat,he served a total of 30 years in the Assembly,representing Kenosha,Wisconsin,and was a member of the Democratic Assembly caucus leadership for many years. He was also one of the charter members of UAW Local 72 in Kenosha,and was involved in the leadership of that Local for more than a decade.
Gervase Andrew Hephner was an American farmer,lobbyist,and Democratic politician from Chilton,Wisconsin. He served ten terms as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly,representing Calumet County from 1967 to 1987.
Herbert J. "Bert" Grover is a retired American educator and Democratic politician. He was the 23rd Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin,serving nearly 12 years (1981–1993). Earlier in his career,he was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly,representing Menominee and Shawano counties.
Cletus J. Vanderperren was an American farmer and politician. A Democrat,he served 34 years in the Wisconsin State Assembly,representing Green Bay and northern Brown County. At the time of his retirement,he was the longest-serving member in the history of the Wisconsin Assembly. His legislative service earned him the nickname Concrete Clete for his efforts to fund roads,highways,and bridges throughout the state.
Louise M. Tesmer is an American lawyer,judge,and former politician. She was a Wisconsin circuit court judge for 12 years in the Milwaukee County circuit (1989–2001),and has continued to serve as a reserve judge since her retirement. Prior to her judicial service,she served sixteen years in the Wisconsin State Assembly,representing the city of Milwaukee as a Democrat.
The 63rd Assembly district of Wisconsin is one of 99 districts in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Located in southeast Wisconsin,the district comprises areas of northeast Racine County and southwest Milwaukee County. It includes most of the city of Franklin and most of the village of Caledonia. The district is represented by Republican Robin Vos,the Speaker of the Assembly,since 2005.
The 61st Assembly district of Wisconsin is one of 99 districts in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Located in southeastern Wisconsin,the district comprises part of southwest Milwaukee County,including the villages of Greendale and Hales Corners,most of the city of Greenfield,and parts of southwest Milwaukee and northeast Franklin. The district is represented by Republican Amanda Nedweski,since January 2023. After the 2024 redistricting,Nedweski no longer resides in the new 61st district.
The 64th Assembly district of Wisconsin is one of 99 districts in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Located in southeast Wisconsin,the district comprises the northeast corner of Kenosha County,including all of the village of Somers and the northern half of the city of Kenosha. The district also contains the University of Wisconsin–Parkside campus,Carthage College,the Kenosha campus of Gateway Technical College,and Kenosha Regional Airport. The district is represented by Democrat Tip McGuire,since May 2019.
The 88th Assembly district of Wisconsin is one of 99 districts in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Located in Northeastern Wisconsin,the district comprises parts of central Brown County. It includes the city of De Pere,the villages of Allouez and Bellevue,and a small part of the city of Green Bay. The district also contains landmarks such as St. Norbert College and the De Pere Lock and Dam Historic District. The district is represented by John Macco,since January 2015.
The 30th Assembly district of Wisconsin is one of 99 districts in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Located in western Wisconsin,the district comprises parts of southwest St. Croix County and northwest Pierce County. It includes the cities of Hudson and River Falls,as well as the village of North Hudson. It also contains the University of Wisconsin–River Falls campus,Willow River State Park,and Kinnickinnic State Park. The district is represented by Republican Shannon Zimmerman,since January 2017.
The 33rd Assembly district of Wisconsin is one of 99 districts in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Located in southeast Wisconsin,the district comprises much of eastern Walworth County and southwest Racine County. It includes the city of Burlington and most of the city of Lake Geneva,and the villages of East Troy and Union Grove. It also contains the Big Foot Beach State Park and Grand Geneva Resort Airport. The district is represented by Republican Scott Johnson,since January 2023.
The 94th Assembly district of Wisconsin is one of 99 districts in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Located in western Wisconsin,the district comprises parts of northern La Crosse County and southeast Trempealeau County. It includes the cities of Galesville and Onalaska,and the villages of Ettrick,Holmen,and West Salem,along with part of the north side of the city of La Crosse. The district is represented by Democrat Steve Doyle,since May 2011.
Merrill Emmet Stalbaum was an American farmer,surveyor,and Republican politician from Racine County,Wisconsin. He served six terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly,representing Racine County from 1961 to 1973. His younger brother,Lynn E. Stalbaum,was a Wisconsin state senator and served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives.