For the first time in sixteen years Sol Levitan, long a figure in Wisconsin political history, stands on the sidelines while election activities go on without him.
Past president of the Wisconsin B’nai B’rith, active in state and national Jewish communal affairs, Levitan decided this year not to seek nomination to the post of state treasurer on the ticket of the newly formed Progressive Party.
Early in the present century Levitan, then a rising business man and banker, became affiliated with Robert M. LaFollette Sr., who was beginning his climb to prominence. In 1918 “Uncle Sol” ran for state treasurer as a Progressive Republican. Every two years thereafter he threw his hat into the ring and never failed to come home the winner until 1932, when the Democratic landslide occurred. In 1930 he polled an all-time high of 640,000 votes.
Recently he has devoted himself chiefly to business. His wife died several months ago. Although he again was asked to run for state treasurer in the current campaign, he refused and advised Progressive Party leaders to select Mervyn Rowlands, his political protege.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
