A Celebration Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Progressive Third Party Campaign of Robert M. La Follette for President of the United States

In 1924, then-U.S. Senator Robert M. La Follette of Wisconsin ran for president as part of a new political party, the League for Progressive Political Action (aka, the Progressive Party). He didn’t win but his advocacy for governmental reform still reverberates today. The Progressive magazine is hosting a conference looking back at La Follette’s campaign and ideas on April 25-26 at the Wisconsin Historical Society; related events include a fundraiser dinner on April 25, a performance by Tavia La Follette on April 26 at Arts + Lit Lab, and a “100 Years of Progressive Politics” celebration on April 27 at the Barrymore. Find the full schedule below and updates at progressive.org.

media release: April 25-27, 2024 Wisconsin State Historical Society

The Progressive magazine presents

A CELEBRATION COMMEMORATING THE 100th ANNIVERSARY of t he Progressive Third Party Campaign of Robert M. La Follette for President of the United States.

“The United States presidential election of 1924 was held on November 4, 1924. Republican Calvin Coolidge defeated Democrat John W. Davis. But also, running as the Progressive Party candidate, Robert M. La Follette captured some one-sixth of the popular vote.”  (Britannica.com)

The conference will take place at the Wisconsin State Historical Society, 816 State Street, Madison, Wisconsin. Other event locations are noted in the schedule below. All events are free of charge except for the Progressive Night Out Fundraising Dinner. Donations to support this conference will be gratefully accepted. Book sales and signing available. At the event we will accept cash, check, and credit card payment.

Thursday April 25, 2024 

Noon - Exhibit opens for public view - State Historical Society Lobby

2 - 4 pm - “A Moment in History That Reaches Forward to Today” - State. Historical Society Auditorium

• Welcome by Norman Stockwell, publisher of The Progressive; and Christian Øverland, the Ruth and Hartley Barker Director of the Wisconsin State Historical Society
• “Race, Empire, and a New Progressive Party in the La Follette Campaign of 1924.” Richard Drake - Lucile Speer Research Chair in Politics and History, University of Montana; author of The Education of an Anti-Imperialist: Robert La Follette and U.S. Expansion
• “La Follette’s 1923 European Tour: Laying Groundwork for the Presidential Campaign.” Nancy Unger - associate professor of history and women's and gender studies at Santa Clara University; author of Belle La Follette Progressive Era Reformer and Fighting Bob La Follette: The Righteous Reformer 
• “Dynamics of Campaigning – The Legacy of the La Follette Campaign Carries On.” John Nichols (via Zoom) - contributing writer for The Progressive and The Nation, associate editor of The Capital Times newspaper in Madison, Wisconsin

6 pm - Progressive Night Out Fundraising Dinner, Rickhouse Event Space, RSVP REQUIRED

• Special guest Brian Standing performing as Fighting Bob La Follette
• Live music provided by The Fireside (Daniel Libby & Meghan Dudle)

Friday April 26, 2024

9 am - Coffee & Refreshments - State Historical Society Lobby

10 am - Noon - “Progressive Arts and Culture Build a Movement” - State Historical Society Auditorium

• “Madison Moments: James Weldon Johnson, Paul Robeson, and Alain Locke.” Sandra Adell - professor of African American studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• “Modernisms and Visual Politics: Artists of the Progressive Era.” Melanie Herzog - professor emerita of art history at Edgewood College; senior lecturer in the Department of Art History, Theory, and Criticism at the School of the Art Institute of  Chicago
• “Politics & Performance: The Role of Theatre in the La Follette Family.” Tavia La Follette - associate professor of theater arts, Towson University; founder of ArtUp; great-granddaughter of Bob and Belle La Follette

Lunch on your own

2 - 4 pm - “Fighting Bob for All Ages” - State Historical Society Auditorium 

• “Bringing the La Follette Legacy to Young Audiences.” Bob Kann - author of Belle and Bob La Follette: Partners in Politics
• “Political Cartoons in the Progressive Era and Developing a La Follette Comic in 2024.” Paul Buhle and Mike Konopacki of Huck/Konopacki Labor Cartoons
• “What Would La Follette Think About Partisan Gerrymanders?” Fred Wade, member of the boards of directors of The Madison Institute and the League of Women Voters of Dane County

4 - 5:30 pm - Reception, witih book sales and signing - State Historical Society Lobby

7 pm - Performance by Tavia La Follette of a new work: “Enduring Faith in the Plain People: Evolutionary Moments with Belle”- Art Lit Lab, 111 S. Livingston St. #100, Madison

Saturday April 27, 2024

10 am -  Tour of La Follette Historical Sites: Begins downtown and concludes at the La Follette family plot in Forest Hill Cemetery, Madison

7 pm - 100 Years of Progressive Politics -  Barrymore Theatre, 2090 Atwood Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin

Master of Ceremonies - Norman Stockwell

Music by Daniel Libby, Tom Kastle, Sean Michael Dargan, Raging Grannies, Si Kahn (via video)

Performance - Tavia La Follette

Speakers:  

• John Nichols
• Doug La Follette, secretary of state of Wisconsin 1983-2023
• Mandela Barnes, lieutenant governor of Wisconsin 2019-2023, founder of The Long Run
• Jim Hightower
• Ruth Conniff
• U.S. Representative Mark Pocan
• U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (via video)
• Additional speakers have been invited