Background
Schmidt was born in Princeton, Wisconsin.
politician member of the Wisconsin State Senate
Schmidt was born in Princeton, Wisconsin.
He attended Marquette University for one year.
He was Roman Catholic. He received his early education at parochial school in Montello, Wisconsin and the Montello High School. He was a welder who became a maintenance foreman for A. O. Smith.
Schmidt was active in his labor union, serving as chairman of the bargaining and coordinating committees of his local.
During the 1951 session, he served as assistant floor leader for the Democrats. He was re-elected in 1952.
Unopposed in his primary, he again defeated Republican Jaeger, whom he had faced in 1948. (The man who beat Schmidt for Lieutenant Governor, Warren P Knowles, would eventually become governor himself).
Schmidt was succeeded in the Senate by fellow Democrat William R. Moser.
In the 1948 Democratic primary election for the Sixth Senate District, Schmidt (a former Wisconsin Progressive) won the nomination by 22 votes from incumbent Edward Reuther, and went on to win the general election in a four-way race against Republican Assemblyman Paul Jaeger, as well as a Socialist and a Wallace "People"s Progressive" candidate.
He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, Fraternal Order of Eagles, Holy Name Society of Saint Michael"s Church, Badger Fisherman"s League, and Montello Rod and Gun Club. Schmidt would remain a member of the Senate through 1956, but did not run for re-election, but instead ran for Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin. Schmidt and gubernatorial running mate William Proxmire lost in the general election.