carl zeidler

Carl Zeidler (c.1906 - 1942) was the mayor of the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin from 1940 to 1942.

Serving as an assistant city attorney in the late 1930s, Zeidler stunned the city when he upset six-term Socialist mayor Daniel Hoan to become mayor of Milwaukee in 1940. Hoan had served as mayor for the past 24 years. He was the first Democrat mayor of Milwaukee since 1906. His rise to power was orchestrated by Harold Gauer and Robert Bloch (later the author of Psycho). Zeidler was starting to distinguish himself on the national political scene when World War II broke out. He believed that he could best help the war effort by enlisting, so resigned his position as mayor and joined the Navy. He asked for the most dangerous job on ship and became an officer in charge of a gun battery on board the merchant ship SS La Salle. The ship and all hands were lost at sea off the coast of South Africa in December of 1942. Carl's brother Frank P. Zeidler would later also become mayor of Milwaukee. Zeidler was known as the "singing Mayor of Milwaukee" because wherever he went he always had a song for everyone, especially "God Bless America".

Carl Zeidler

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