Merlin Hull

Merlin Hull
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 9th district
In office January 3, 1935 – May 17, 1953
Preceded by	James A. Frear
Succeeded by	Lester Johnson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 7th district
In office March 4, 1929 – March 3, 1931
Preceded by	Joseph D. Beck
Succeeded by	Gardner R. Withrow
20th Secretary of State of Wisconsin
In office January 1, 1917 – January 3, 1921
Preceded by	John S. Donald
Succeeded by	Fred R. Zimmerman
Personal details
Born	(1870-12-18)December 18, 1870 Warsaw, Indiana
Died	May 17, 1953(1953-05-17) (aged 82) La Crosse, Wisconsin
Political party	Republican Wisconsin Progressive Party

Merlin Hull (December 18, 1870 – May 17, 1953) was a lawyer, a newspaper publisher, and a member of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin.

Born in Warsaw, Indiana, Hull was a graduate of Gale College, De Pauw University, and Columbian University (now The George Washington University Law School). He was admitted to the bar in 1894 and commenced practice in Black River Falls. He served as publisher of the Jackson County Journal from 1904–1926 and of the merged Banner-Journal for the rest of his life (1926–1953). He served as district attorney of Jackson County from 1907–1909; he was a Republican member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1909–1915, serving as speaker in the 1913-15 session; he was elected Secretary of State in 1916, serving until 1921.

Hull was first elected (as a Republican) to the Seventy-first Congress in 1928. He represented Wisconsin's 7th congressional district. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1930 and an unsuccessful independent candidate in 1932. In 1934, Hull was once again elected to the House of Representatives this time as part of the Seventy-fourth Congress. He was elected as a member of the Progressive Party and represented Wisconsin's 9th congressional district. He was reelected to this post for the succeeding nine congresses, as a member of the Progressive Party for the first six and after the disbanding of the Wisconsin Progressive Party, as a Republican to the other four, serving continuously from January 3, 1935, until his death in La Crosse, Wisconsin on May 17, 1953.

Hull's 9th District election history

Year	Democratic	%	Republican	%	Progressive	%	Socialist	%
1934	Willis E. Donley	24.3%	Knute Anderson	23.4%	Merlin Hull	49.6%	Paul Boyd	2.7%
1936	Edwin J. Larkin	19.3%	No Candidate	--	Merlin Hull	80.7%	No Candidate	--
1938	William F. Crane	6.3%	Hugh M. Jones	40.3%	Merlin Hull	53.4%	No Candidate	--
1940	James E. Hughes	5.9%	John Nygaard	41.4%	Merlin Hull	52.8%	No Candidate	--
1942	Jack E. Joyce	5.6%	George H. Hipke	32.6%	Merlin Hull	61.8%	No Candidate	--
1944	No Candidate	--	No Candidate	--	Merlin Hull	98.5%	Adolph Maassen	1.5%
1946	No Candidate	--	Merlin Hull	99%	No Candidate	--	Adolph Maassen	1%
1948	No Candidate	--	Merlin Hull	98.1%	Linton Jahr	1.0%	Howard Hendricks	0.9%
1950	Arthur L. Henning	29.2%	Merlin Hull	70.8%	No Candidate	--	No Candidate	--
1952	Kent L. Pillsbury	34.8%	Merlin Hull	65.2%	No Candidate	--	No Candidate	--

See also

• List of Secretaries of State of Wisconsin

External links

• United States Congress. "Merlin Hull (id: H000943)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.