An oral history interview with Dick Cudahy

              WISCONSIN
HISTORICAL
SOCIETY
An Oral History Interview with
DICK CUDAHY
Interviewer: .Anita Hecht, Life History Services
Recording Date: December 30, 2008
Place: Chicago, Illinois. Length: 2.25 hours
Richard D. Cudahy was raised in Milwaukee and earned his BS degree in military engineering
from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1948. .After completing his military duty,
Cudahy earned his JD from Yale University in 1955. He joined a Chicago law firm until, in 1961,
he moved back to Milwaukee to become CEO ofhis family's meat packing business.
Cudahy became active in Democratic Party politics, hosting fundraisers for state and national
campaigns and working on Sen. William Proxmire's 1964 campaign. He served as Chair of the
Democratic Party of Wisconsin and, in 1968, was the Democratic candidate for Attorney General
of Wisconsin. In 1970, Cudahy became Sen. Proxmire's campaign manager, eventually selling
the family's business so that he could devote his time to developing strategy, raising money, and
heading Sen. Proxmire's exploratory campaign for President.
.After Proxmire's presidential aspirations dissolved, Cudahy became Commissioner and Chair of
the Public Sendee Commission of Wisconsin. He later moved to Washington, DC, staying in
contact with Sen. Proxmire. In 1979, Cudahy returned to Chicago, and was appointed Judge to
the U.S. States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He credits this appointment to Sen.
Proxmire.
Judge Cudahy held other posts, including president of the Milwaukee Urban League, trustee of
the Environmental Defense Fund, president of the Law Club of Chicago, and chair of the
International Human Rights Law Institute at DePaul University. In 1998, Chief Justice Rehnquist
appointed Judge Cudahy to the panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
Circuit.