Capital: Madison

State Nickname: Badger State

State Bird: Robin

State Flower: Wood Violet

Admitted to the Union: May 29, 1848

June 7, 1848 to January 5, 1852:

Nelson Dewey

January 5, 1852 to January 2, 1854:

Leonard J. Farwell

January 2, 1854 to March 21, 1856:

William A. Barstow*

* Barstow's election to a second term in 1855 was disputed by his
opponent, Coles Bashford, who charged fraud. Barstow took office, but
resigned while the case was pending in court. The office was awarded to
Bashford several days later.

March 21, 1856 to March 25, 1856:

Arthur MacArthur*

* Acting governor

March 25, 1856 to January 4, 1858:

Coles Bashford

January 4, 1858 to January 6, 1862:

Alexander W. Randall

January 6, 1862 to April 19, 1862:

Louis P. Harvey*

* Died in office

April 19, 1862 to January 4, 1864:

Edward Salomon*

* Acting governor

January 4, 1864 to January 1, 1866:

James T. Lewis

January 1, 1866 to January 1, 1872:

Lucius Fairchild

January 1, 1872 to January 5, 1874:

Cadwallader C. Washburn

January 5, 1874 to January 3, 1876:

William R. Taylor

January 3, 1876 to January 7, 1878:

Harrison Ludington

January 7, 1878 to January 2, 1882:

William E. Smith

January 2, 1882 to January 7, 1889:

Jeremiah M. Rusk

January 7, 1889 to January 5, 1891:

William D. Hoard

January 5, 1891 to January 7, 1895:

George W. Peck

January 7, 1895 to January 4, 1897:

William H. Upham

January 4, 1897 to January 7, 1901:

Edward Schofield

January 7, 1901 to January 1, 1906:

Robert M. La Follette

January 1, 1906 to January 2, 1911:

James O. Davidson

January 2, 1911 to January 4, 1915:

Francis E. McGovern

January 4, 1915 to January 3, 1921:

Emanuel L. Philipp

January 3, 1921 to January 3, 1927:

John J. Blaine

January 3, 1927 to January 7, 1929:

Fred R. Zimmerman

January 7, 1929 to January 5, 1931:

Walter J. Kohler, Sr.

January 5, 1931 to January 2, 1933:

Philip F. La Follette

January 2, 1933 to January 7, 1935:

Albert G. Schmedernan

January 7, 1935 to January 2, 1939:

Philip F. La Follette

January 2, 1939 to January 4, 1943:

Julius P. Heil

(Died before inauguration)

Orland S. Loomis

January 4, 1943 to March 12, 1947:

Walter S. Goodland*

* Died in office

March 12, 1947 January 1, 1951:

Oscar Rennebohm

January 1, 1951 to January 7, 1957:

Walter S. Kohler, Jr.

January 7, 1957 to January 5, 1959:

Vernon W. Thomson

January 5, 1959 to January 7, 1963:

Gaylord A. Nelson

January 7, 1963 to January 4. 1965:

John W. Reynolds

January 5, 1965 to January 4, 1971:

Warren P. Knowles

January 4, 1971 to July 7, 1977:

Patrick J. Lucey*

* Resigned office

July 7, 1977 to January 1, 1979:

M. J. Schreiber

January 4, 1979 to January 3, 1983:

Lee S. Dreyfus

January 3, 1983 to January 5, 1987:

Anthony S. Earl

January 5, 1987 to February 1, 2001:

Tommy G. Thompson

February 1, 2001 to January 6, 2003:

Scott McCallum

January 6, 2003 –

Jim Doyle

June 8, 1848 – March 4, 1857

Henry Dodge

March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1869

James Rood Doolittle

March 4, 1869 – March 4, 1875

Matthew Hale Carpenter

March 4, 1875 – March 4, 1881

Angus Cameron

March 4, 1881 – March 4, 1893

Philetus Sawyer

March 4, 1893 – March 4, 1899

John Lendrum Mitchell

March 4, 1899 – March 4, 1905

Joseph Very Quarles, Jr.

January 2, 1905 – June 18, 1925

Robert Marion La Follette, Sr. * Died in office

September 30, 1925 – January 3, 1947

Robert Marion La Follette, Jr.

January 3, 1947 – May 2, 1957

Joseph Raymond McCarthy

August 28, 1957 – January 3, 1989

William Proxmire

January 3, 1989 –

Herb Kohl

June 8, 1848 – March 4, 1855

Isaac Pigeon Walker

March 4, 1855 – March 4, 1861

Charles Durkee

March 4, 1861 – March 4, 1879

Timothy Otis Howe

March 4, 1879 – February 24, 1881

Matthew Carpenter * Died in office

March 14, 1881 – March 4, 1885

Angus Cameron

March 4, 1885 – March 4, 1891

John Coit Spooner

March 4, 1891 – March 4, 1897

William Freeman Vilas

March 4, 1897 – April 30, 1907

John Coit Spooner * Resigned

May 17, 1907 – March 4, 1915

Isaac Stephenson

March 4, 1915 – October 21, 1917

Paul Oscar Husting

April 18, 1918 – March 4, 1927

Irvine Lenroot

March 4, 1927 – March 4, 1933

John James Blaine

March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1939

Francis Ryan Duffy

January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1963

Alexander Wiley

January 8, 1963 – January 3, 1981

Gaylord Anton Nelson

January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1993

Robert Walter Kasten, Jr.

January 3, 1993 –

Russ Feingold

Lyrics by J. S. Hubbard and Charles D. Rosa
Music by William T. Purdy

1850: 305,391

1860: 775,872

1870: 1,054,670

1880: 1,315,497

1890: 1,686,880

1900: 2,069,042

1910: 2,333,860

1920: 2,632,067

1930: 2,939,006

1940: 3,137,587

1950: 3,434,575

1960: 3,951,777

1970: 4,417,821

1980: 4,705,767

1990: 4,891,769

2000: 5,363,704