Guide to the Thomas Barth Papers, 1833-2010

Overview of the Collection

Repository:
Special Collections & Archives
McIntyre Library
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
P.O. Box 4004
105 Garfield Ave.
Eau Claire, WI 54702-4004
(715)-836-2739
https://library.uwec.edu/archives/

Reference Code: USGZE UHC338

Accession Number: 12-031; 18-010

Collection Number: University Historical Collection 338

Creator: Thomas Barth

Title: Thomas Barth Papers

Dates: 1833-1856, 1903-1905, 1937-1998, 2010 (bulk 1960-1990)

Quantity: 2.2 linear feet (5 archives boxes and a ½ archive box)

Location of Collection: A9/1c, A9/2c

Languages: English. Some materials within the “Thomas Barth – Biographical Information” series are in German.

Summary: Collection documents the progression of Thomas Barth’s life, schooling, and eventual career as a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire. Collection contains information on his involvement in both the Democratic and Republican parties from the 1950s through the 1970s including information on local elections, county redistricting, and the Eau Claire County Democratic Party from 1962-1974. Collection also contains information on the Secondary and Continuing Education Club at UWEC from 1986-1991 and documents other programs and issues on campus during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Biographical/Historical Note

Thomas Emil Barth was born on September 1, 1937 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Henrietta (Steinmann) and Emil Barth. Thomas attended Pershing Elementary School and West Milwaukee High School. Thomas became interested in politics while in high school, with many of his papers and homework assignments revolving around current political events and influential political figures. Thomas graduated from high school on June 9th, 1955.

Upon graduating high school, Thomas enrolled at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. He received senior honors and a Bachelor of Science degree in June of 1959. He then attended the University of Wisconsin – Madison where he received his Masters degree in political science in August 1960. A year later he became a fellow in political science at the University of Wisconsin – Madison and was awarded the LaFollette Scholarship.

In 1963 he began working as an instructor of political science at the Wisconsin State College at Eau Claire. While teaching and becoming involved in local politics, Thomas pursued his doctorate degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison which he received in June 1968. His doctoral thesis, “Perceptions and Acceptance of Supreme Court Decisions at the State and Local Level”, was published in the Journal of Public Law the same year. In 1969 the book “Law and Order in a Democratic Society”, which Thomas co-edited with Marvin R. Summers, was printed by Charles E. Merrill Publisher.

By the time Thomas received his Ph.D. he was a member of the American Political Science Association, the Midwest Political Science Association, the Law and Society Association, and the Association of Wisconsin State University Faculties. In 1968, he became an assistant professor at the Wisconsin State University at Eau Claire (the name of the college was changed in 1964).

While working at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire from 1963-1997, Thomas stayed involved with local politics. In 1972, he helped the reapportionment committee of Eau Claire with plans to redistrict the city for elections and later served as the Eau Claire County Democratic Party chairman for a number of years. “Under his leadership, membership increased dramatically and the party enjoyed significant success in local elections”. In 1976, Thomas ran for Eau Claire County Supervisor and the following year for City Council. While he was unsuccessful in both elections, Thomas continued to remain active in political life. Thomas was “instrumental in organizing the local chapter of the ACLU” (American Civil Liberties Union) “and served as the first chair of that organization”.

While teaching at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Thomas also stayed very active on campus. By 1977, he had been a member of the Faculty Senate for four years, two of which he had spent serving as the chairman. He had also served on numerous curriculum and program committees. During the 1991-1992 academic year he served as the chair of the Political Science Department and also spent several years advising pre-law students. He retired in 1997.

Thomas took an interest in judicial process, legislative behavior, and public law including researching the dynamics of civil liberties, political parties, Constitutional law, Supreme Court decisions, crime, police practices, and state and national legislative enactments. His collection contains records on Vietnam War protests on campus and around the country, protests to introducing the ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) program to campus, and newspaper clippings from some of the other major events on campus from the 1960s through the 1990s. After retiring, Thomas closely followed the LGBTQ political movement, mainly surrounding debates over gay marriage laws at the federal level, keeping numerous newspaper articles and opinion quotations from roughly 2000 through 2008.

Thomas Barth died on September 10, 2010 at the age of 73 years.

Content Description

The materials of this collection date from approximately 1937-1998, with the bulk of the materials pertaining to the 1960s and 1970s.

The collection documents the progression of Thomas Barth’s life, schooling, and career as a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, while also documenting major events, debates, and some club activities at the university. He was also involved in many local political activities. There are newspaper articles documenting when he helped start the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union in Eau Claire, meeting minutes and other materials pertaining to the Eau Claire County Democratic Party, materials about many of the candidates in local elections during the 1970s, documentation from when Thomas ran for county supervisor and city council, and documentation on the Republican Party in Wisconsin in the 1950s and 1960s. There is also information pertaining to the redistricting of Eau Claire in 1972 and 1986, with records of population statistics from other years as well. Much of the collection consists of either typed or handwritten papers and newspaper clippings, but there are also pamphlets from different events, leather bound books, a few photographs, and photo negatives. Many of the papers consist of school records, financial records, meeting minutes, ledgers, correspondence, and other documents. There are also two journals of unknown provenance written by Luman W. Sampson (1903-1905) and Helen X. Sampson (1833-1856) from Iowa.

Administrative Information

Acquisition Information: Donated to the Special Collections & Archives, University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire by Roger Tlusty in January 2012 and the Chippewa Valley Museum in August 2017.

Access Restrictions: Collection is open to the public.

Use Restrictions: Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. Copyright owned by the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire.

Preferred Citation: Thomas Barth Papers, 1833-2010. UHC338. Special Collections & Archives. McIntyre Library. University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire. Eau Claire, WI.

Processing Note: Processed by Teila Jo Luchterhand in April 2012. Additional material processed by Brice Vircks in April 2019.

Arrangement: By series.

OCLC #: 904057372

Subjects

Personal Names: Thomas Barth, Marion Barth , Marion Seeger, Virginia Barth, Ramona Cavagnaro, Ramona Barth, Henrietta Barth, Emil Barth, Robert Gibbon, Adam Bors, Christian Bangert, Don A. Enslin, Helen X. Sampson, Luman W. Sampson, George McGovern, Richard Nixon

Corporate Names: University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, University of Wisconsin – Madison, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, Students for a Democratic Society, ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps), Secondary and Continuing Education Club, Eau Claire County Democratic Party, Eau Claire Chapter Civil Liberties Union , Civil Liberties Union, Young Republicans Club, Republican Party, Democratic Party, Wisconsin Federation of Young Republicans, University Student Government (USG), The Committee for One Million

Subject Terms: political science, politics, Democrats, Republicans, Vietnam War, redistricting, presidential election, Eau Claire county campaigns, Eau Claire County elections, Vietnam War, Eau Claire aldermanic districts, LGBTQ, gay rights

Geographical Terms: Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Madison, Wisconsin; Eau Claire County, Wisconsin

Detailed List of Contents

Series 1: University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire

Includes grading policies and statistics of UWEC, newsletters, resolutions,

pamphlets, and newspaper articles of the Students for a Democratic Society, newspaper articles and information on Vietnam War protests, objections to implementing the ROTC program on campus, correspondence between UWEC faculty concerning salaries, students, hiring practices, and general newspaper articles about UWEC. Includes a sub-series about the Secondary and Continuing Education Club, 1986-1991.

Dates: 1965-1991

Extent: .3 linear feet (1 archives box)

Sub-Series: Secondary and Continuing Education Club, 1985-1991

Extent: .1 linear feet (1 archives box)

Series 2: Regional Political Activity

Includes statements by the Eau Claire chapter of the Civil Liberties Union, maps of Eau Claire districts, population statistics, newspaper articles about Eau Claire county redistricting, and information on Eau Claire elections including information on candidates, candidate’s letters to constituents, finances, campaign contributions, candidate positions on the issues, and voting results. Includes sub-series about the Eau Claire County Democratic Party from 1962-1974, local campaigns of the presidential election of 1972 between George McGovern and Richard Nixon, and Eau Claire county campaigns in 1974.

Dates: 1962-1986

Extent: .9 linear feet (3 archives boxes)

Sub-Series: Eau Claire County Democratic Party, 1962-1974

Extent: .2 linear feet (2 archives boxes)

Sub-Series: National Elections, George McGovern vs. Richard Nixon, Local Campaigns, 1972, Fred Harris Campaign 1975, Walter Thoreson Campaign 1972, Lee Mulder Congress Campaign 1986, Alvin Baldus Congress Campaign 1974.

Extent: .1 linear feet (1 archives box)

Sub-Series: Eau Claire County Campaigns, 1974

Extent: .15 linear feet (2 archives boxes)

Series 3: Thomas Barth – Biographical Information

Includes baptismal information, elementary, high school, and college grades, club

membership and certification cards, high school and college diplomas, official university and personal correspondence; agenda, meeting minutes, and issues of concern of the University Student Government at the UW-Milwaukee, Barth’s undergraduate senior thesis, Ph.D. publication and financial information, letters to universities concerning research requests; employment information including Barth’s vitae, letters of promotion, salary adjustments, and his correspondence in 1966 with other universities inquiring on job openings. Also includes a sub-series about Republican Party membership and activity in 1956-1974 and a separate set of journals from Iowa with an unknown provenance. Journals belong to Helen X. Sampson dated 1833-1856 and Luman W. Sampson dated 1903-1905.

Dates: 1833-1856, 1903-1905, 1937-1998, 2010 (bulk dates 1937-1998)

Extent: .8 linear feet (2 archives boxes)

Sub-Series: Republican Party Membership and Activity, 1956-1974

Includes flyers, pamphlets, newsletters, roll call and membership lists, agendas, constitution, and committee reports of the Young Republicans Club of UW-Milwaukee; election information, newspaper articles, personal correspondence, caucus rules, convention information, press releases, and telethon information of the Republican Party.

Extent: .1 linear feet (1 archives box)