Harold V. Froehlich facts for kids
Harold Vernon Froehlich, born on May 12, 1932, is a retired American politician and judge. He served as a representative for Wisconsin in the United States House of Representatives from 1973 to 1974. During his time in Congress, he made a notable decision to vote for the impeachment of President Richard M. Nixon. Before becoming a U.S. Representative, he spent ten years in the Wisconsin State Assembly, even serving as its Speaker. After his time in Congress, he became a Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge in Outagamie County, where he served for thirty years until 2011. He also served on the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board until it closed in 2015.
Quick facts for kids
The Honorable
Harold V. Froehlich
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| Chief Judge of the 8th District of Wisconsin Circuit Courts | |
| In office August 1, 1988 – July 31, 1994 |
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| Preceded by | William J. Duffy |
| Succeeded by | Philip M. Kirk |
| Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the Outagamie Circuit, Branch 4 | |
| In office August 14, 1981 – April 8, 2011 |
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| Appointed by | Lee S. Dreyfus |
| Preceded by | R. Thomas Cane |
| Succeeded by | Greg Gill, Jr. |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 8th district |
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| In office January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1975 |
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| Preceded by | John W. Byrnes |
| Succeeded by | Robert John Cornell |
| 66th Speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly | |
| In office January 11, 1967 – January 4, 1971 |
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| Preceded by | Robert T. Huber |
| Succeeded by | Robert T. Huber |
| Minority Leader of the Wisconsin Assembly | |
| In office January 4, 1971 – January 3, 1973 |
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| Preceded by | Robert T. Huber |
| Succeeded by | John C. Shabaz |
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Outagamie 1st district |
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| In office January 1, 1963 – January 1, 1973 |
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| Preceded by | Kenneth E. Priebe |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Harold Vernon Froehlich
May 12, 1932 Appleton, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Sharon F. Ross
(m. 1970) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents |
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| Education | University of Wisconsin (BBA, LLB) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1951–1955 |
| Battles/wars | Korean War |
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About Harold V. Froehlich
Harold Froehlich was born in Appleton, Wisconsin. After finishing Appleton Senior High School in 1950, he joined the United States Navy and served during the Korean War. In 1959, he graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He then earned his law degree in 1962.
Early Political Career
In 1962, Harold Froehlich was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly for the first time. He served there for ten years. During his time in the Assembly, he was chosen as the Speaker for the 1967–1968 and 1969–1970 sessions. This role meant he was in charge of leading the Assembly's meetings and discussions.
Besides his political work, he also worked as a certified public accountant and a real estate broker.
Serving in Congress
In 1972, Harold Froehlich was elected to the United States House of Representatives. He represented Wisconsin's 8th congressional district. He took over from John W. Byrnes, who was retiring.
During his term, he was part of the United States House Committee on the Judiciary. He made a very important decision to vote for the impeachment of President Richard Nixon. Impeachment is a process where a government official is accused of wrongdoing.
He lost his re-election bid in 1974 to Robert John Cornell. This happened during a time when many voters were upset after President Nixon resigned.
A Career as a Judge
In 1981, Governor Lee S. Dreyfus appointed Harold Froehlich to be a Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge in Outagamie County. He was then elected to a full term in 1982. He was re-elected several times, serving until he retired on April 8, 2011.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court chose Judge Froehlich to be the Chief Judge for the 8th Judicial Administrative District. He held this important position for three two-year terms, from 1988 to 1994.
Later Public Service
In 2013, Governor Scott Walker appointed Judge Froehlich to the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. This board was responsible for overseeing elections and ethics in Wisconsin. Judge Froehlich served as the vice chair of the board in 2014. The board was later closed down by new laws in 2015.
Throughout his career, Judge Froehlich was a leader among judges. He served as president of the Wisconsin Trial Judges Association. He was also a delegate to the National Conference of State Trial Judges. In 1999, he was named "Judge of the Year" by the State Bar of Wisconsin. In 2013, he received a Lifetime Jurist Achievement Award. The American Judges Association even created an award in his name, the "Harold Froehlich Award for Judicial Courage," in 2013. This award recognizes judges who show great courage in serving justice.
The Great Toilet Paper Scare
Harold Froehlich represented a part of Wisconsin where the paper industry is very important. On December 11, 1973, he shared a press release. He warned that the U.S. might soon have a shortage of toilet paper. He even suggested that rationing might be needed.
This news quickly spread to major newspapers and even reached the famous TV host Johnny Carson. On December 19, Johnny Carson joked about the toilet paper shortage on his Tonight Show. Millions of people watched his show.
Because people were already worried about shortages of other things like gasoline and meat, they rushed to stores the next day. They bought huge amounts of toilet paper, emptying store shelves. This panic buying continued for three weeks. It only stopped when people saw that stores were being restocked, showing there was no real shortage.
A short film called The Great Toilet Paper Scare was made about this event in 2020. Interestingly, a real shortage of toilet paper happened later that same year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
