Tony Earl facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tony Earl
41st Governor of Wisconsin
In office January 3, 1983 – January 5, 1987
Lieutenant	James Flynn
Preceded by	Lee Dreyfus
Succeeded by	Tommy Thompson
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 85th district
In office January 1, 1973 – January 6, 1975
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Edward F. McClain
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 2nd Marathon County district
In office 1969–1973
Preceded by	David Obey
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Personal details
Born	Anthony Scully Earl (1936-04-12) April 12, 1936 (age 89) Lansing, Michigan, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Jane Nemke

Anthony Scully Earl (born April 12, 1936) is an American politician. He was a member of the Democratic party. Tony Earl served as the 41st governor of Wisconsin from 1983 to 1987. He studied at Michigan State University, graduating in 1958. Later, he earned a law degree from the University of Chicago. After serving four years in the Navy, he moved to Wisconsin in 1965.

Tony Earl: Wisconsin's 41st Governor

Early Life and Career

Anthony "Tony" Earl was born on April 12, 1936. He grew up in Lansing, Michigan. After college, he joined the Navy. He worked as a legal officer for two years. In 1965, he moved to Wisconsin. He began his political career there.

Becoming Governor

In 1982, Tony Earl decided to run for governor. The previous governor, Lee S. Dreyfus, chose not to run again. This gave the Democratic Party a chance to win. Tony Earl was well-known for protecting the environment. He was also seen as someone who could solve problems.

He won the Democratic primary election. Then, he defeated the Republican candidate, Terry Jodok Kohler. Tony Earl won by a large number of votes. He became the 41st Governor of Wisconsin.

Leading Wisconsin: Challenges and Achievements

When Governor Earl took office, Wisconsin faced big problems. The state had a huge budget deficit. This means it was spending much more money than it had. Also, the unemployment rate was very high. About 12% of people could not find jobs.

To fix the budget, Governor Earl signed new laws. He made the 5% sales tax permanent. He also added a temporary 10% tax on state income. This helped the state's finances. Once the state was financially stable, he focused on other areas.

Governor Earl worked to improve the environment. He also supported education and equal opportunities. He appointed Doris Hanson to a high position. She was the first woman to be Secretary of the Department of Administration. He also appointed Howard Fuller. He was the first African-American to lead a state department.

However, Governor Earl faced challenges with state labor groups. They disagreed on several issues. These included healthcare and prison staffing. These disagreements made his time as governor more difficult.

After one term, Governor Earl was not re-elected. He had worked hard to fix the state's economy. But Tommy Thompson, a Republican, won the next election in 1986. Thompson became governor and served for many years.

After Being Governor

After leaving the governor's office, Tony Earl continued to be active. From 1995 to 2005, he served on the board of Common Cause in Wisconsin. This group works to make government more open and fair. They support things like fair elections and ethical behavior.

He also served on the national board of Common Cause. This was from 1990 to 1996. For many years, he was on the board of the Joyce Foundation. He left that role in 2013.

Tony Earl also served on the board of the American Transmission Company. This company manages electrical power lines in Wisconsin. He was also a partner at a large law firm called Quarles and Brady.

In 2019, a state forest was renamed in his honor. The Peshtigo River State Forest is now called Governor Earl Peshtigo State Forest. This was done by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Images for kids

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  Tony Earl during his time as Governor of Wisconsin.