Adjutant General of Wisconsin

Adjutant General of Wisconsin
since April 18, 2025
1 year, 5 months and 29 days
Term length
  • 5 years, may be appointed to successive terms
DeputyBrion J. Aderman
Websitehttps://dma.wi.gov/leadership/

The Adjutant General of Wisconsin is the commander of the Wisconsin National Guard which includes both the Wisconsin Army National Guard, the Wisconsin Air National Guard, and, when active, the Wisconsin State Defense Force and Wisconsin Naval Militia. The Adjutant General (or 'TAG') is responsible for all state, non-federalized military and reports directly to the Governor of Wisconsin. Wisconsin's TAG is appointed by the governor and currently serves a fix term of five years and may be appointed successively.

Appointment

According to Wisconsin Statute §15.31 of the Wisconsin State Legislature the Adjutant General of Wisconsin must meet the following requirements:

  1. Hold the rank of Colonel (O-6)
  2. Except for those qualified under sub (4), be a current participating member of one of the following components:
  3. Be fully qualified to receive federal recognition at the minimum rank of Brigadier General and have successfully completed a war college course or the military equivalent acceptable to the appropriate service.
  4. If the applicant is already federally recognized they must meet the following requirements:
    • Be retired from active drilling status within the next two years
    • Basis of retired status was with one of the components noted in sub (2)
    • Be 62 years old or less
    • Continue to be eligible for federal recognition as a Major General.

The Adjutant General is appointed by the Governor of Wisconsin. There have been 34 people who have served as the Adjutant General of Wisconsin, four of which only held the office as an interim appointee. William L. Utley and Edwin E. Bryant are currently the only two Adjutant Generals of Wisconsin who were elected for two nonconsecutive terms. Utley served as the state's Adjutant General during the first few years of the American Civil War, while Edwin E. Bryant served during the reconstruction era. The longest serving Adjutant General of Wisconsin was Ralph Immell who served as Adjutant General of Wisconsin from June 1, 1923 to May 11, 1946, as well as serving in World War II.

List of Adjutant Generals of Wisconsin

The following have served as Adjutant General of Wisconsin Territory:

No. Image Name Took office Left office Appointed by (Governor)
1 William Rudolph Smith July 20, 1839 April 1, 1851

The following have served as Adjutant General of Wisconsin:

No. Image Name Took office Left office Appointed by (Governor)
2 William A. Barstow April 1, 1851 April 1, 1852 Nelson Dewey
3 William L. Utley April 1, 1852 April 1, 1854 Leonard J. Farwell
4 John McManman April 1, 1854 April 1, 1856 William A. Barstow
5 Amasa Cobb April 1, 1856 April 1, 1860 Coles Bashford
6 James A. Swain April 1, 1860 April 25, 1861 Alexander Randall
7 William L. Utley April 25, 1861 January 7, 1862 Alexander Randall
8 Augustus Gaylord January 7, 1862 April 30, 1866 Louis P. Harvey
9 James Kerr Proudfit April 30, 1866 March 28, 1868 Lucius Fairchild
10 Edwin E. Bryant March 28, 1868 January 2, 1872 Lucius Fairchild
11 Robert Monteith January 2, 1872 April 11, 1874 Cadwallader C. Washburn
12 Alfred C. Parkinson April 11, 1874 January 11, 1876 William Robert Taylor
13 George A. Hannaford January 11, 1876 May 9, 1876 Harrison Ludington
14 Edwin E. Bryant May 9, 1876 January 2, 1882
15 Chandler P. Chapman January 2, 1882 January 7, 1889 Jeremiah M. Rusk
16 George W. Burchard January 7, 1889 January 5, 1891 William D. Hoard
17 Joseph Doe January 5, 1891 December 15, 1893 George Wilbur Peck
18 Otto H. Falk December 15, 1893 January 7, 1895 George Wilbur Peck
19 Charles King January 7, 1895 January 4, 1897 William H. Upham
20 Charles R. Boardman January 4, 1897 September 30, 1913
21 Orlando Holway October 1, 1913 February 3, 1923
- John G. Salsman February 3, 1923 June 1, 1923 Acting adjutant general
22 Ralph M. Immell June 1, 1923 May 11, 1946 John J. Blaine
- Alvin A. Kuechenmeister October 10, 1942 September 25, 1946 Acting adjutant general while Immell was overseas
23 John F. Mullen September 25, 1946 July 31, 1950 Walter Samuel Goodland
- George Sherman July 31, 1950 October 2, 1950 Acting adjutant general
24 Ralph J. Olson October 2, 1950 January 29, 1969 Oscar Rennebohm
25 James Jay Lison Jr. January 29, 1969 February 14, 1977 Warren P. Knowles
26 Hugh Simonson February 14, 1977 April 24, 1979 Patrick Lucey
27 Raymond Matera April 24, 1979 December 21, 1989 Lee S. Dreyfus
28 Jerald D. Slack December 21, 1989 January 12, 1996 Tommy Thompson
29 Jerome J. Berard January 12, 1996 August 8, 1997 Tommy Thompson
30 James G. Blaney August 8, 1997 August 9, 2002 Tommy Thompson
31 Albert H. Wilkening August 9, 2002 August 3, 2007 Scott McCallum
32 Donald P. Dunbar August 3, 2007 December 31, 2019
- Gary L. Ebben December 31, 2019 February 24, 2020 Acting adjutant general
33 Paul E. Knapp February 24, 2020 June 6, 2024 Tony Evers
- David W. May June 6, 2024 April 17, 2025 Acting adjutant general
34 Matthew J. Strub April 17, 2025 Incumbent Tony Evers

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Wisconsin Legislature: 15.31". Wisconsin Legislative Documents. 2017-05-01. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
  2. ↑ Morton, Heather. "Adjutants General Terms and Qualifications Statutes". www.ncsl.org. Archived from the original on 2020-12-06. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
  3. ↑ Lake City Publishing Company (1892). Portrait and biographical album of Racine and Kenosha Counties, Wisconsin, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens ... Chicago: Lake City Publishing Co. pp. 519–521.
  4. ↑ History of the Bench and Bar of Wisconsin. Vol. 2. Chicago: H. C. Cooper, Jr. 1898. pp. 337–339. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Immell Appointed Adjutant General". The Capital Times. May 3, 1923. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Blaine Appoints "Boy" General". Platteville Witness. May 9, 1923. p. 1. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Immell Receives U.S. Recognition as Army Officer". Wisconsin State Journal. March 15, 1924. p. 7. Retrieved December 20, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.