Uihlein
Current regionWisconsin
Place of originWisconsin
Midwestern United States
Germany
Estate(s)Herman Uihlein House (Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin)

The Uihlein family (/ˈjuːlaɪn/ YOO-lyne;[1]) is an American family known for their activities in business and philanthropy. Of German heritage, the family has roots in Wisconsin. Many members of the family are prominent political donors and activists.

Historically, the family had close ties to the brewing industry, with patriarch August Uihlein's uncle being the founder of what later became the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company.

Activities

Brewing industry

August Uihlein emigrated to the United States around 1850 to work at the Krug Brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by his uncle August Krug, the brewery later became the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company, when after Krug's death, his widow Anna Maria married fellow German-American Joseph Schlitz. In 1875, Schlitz died in the sinking of the SS Schiller. Per Schlitz's wishes, management was passed to the four Uihlein brothers, August, Henry, Alfred, and Edward. When Anna Maria Schlitz died in 1887, the Uihleins acquired full ownership of the firm and the Uihlein family continued to run the brewery for the next century. The Uihleins kept the name Schlitz for the brewery because Americans had difficulty pronouncing their surname.[2]

August Uihlein served as chairman of the board from the 1870s until his death. Several of August's children also remained close to the industry; his eldest daughter Ida married Frederick Pabst, Jr., son of brewer Frederick Pabst, in 1862.[3] Ida's grandson Augie Pabst would take on leadership roles at the Pabst Brewing Company after an auto racing career. August's son Joseph carried on his work at Schlitz, eventually becoming vice-president of the brewery.

Many descendants of August Uihlein remained active with the company and the brewing industry at large. Robert Uihlein Jr., grandson of August Uihlein, served as an executive at the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company, becoming president in 1961 and chairman in 1967. Robert also served on the board of directors of the United States Brewers' Association.[4]

Politics

In contemporary times, the Uihlein family has been active in politics, mostly supporting and advocating for conservative causes.

David Vogel Uihlein, Jr., is active in conservative causes. He has been a vice-chairman of the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation since 2001.[5] The organization, commonly known as the Bradley Foundation, has been increasingly active in far-right causes, and "has become an extraordinary force in persuading mainstream Republicans to support radical challenges to election rules", including Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.[6] The foundation traces its origins to Lynde and Harry Bradley, founders of the Allen-Bradley Company, the latter of whom is David Uihlein, Jr.'s maternal grandfather.

Not all of the Uihleins are active in conservative politics; Lynde Bradley Uihlein, sister of David Uihlein, Jr., supports liberal causes and is a donor to Democratic politicians.

Family tree

References

  1. ↑ "Meet the Billionaire Couple Trying to Reshape the Republican Party". The New York Times. 8 June 2018 – via YouTube.
  2. ↑ Dictionary of Wisconsin History: August Uihlein from the Wisconsin Historical Society website
  3. ↑ "Pabst Mansion - Pabst Mansion - Blog". Pabst Mansion. 2019-09-13. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  4. ↑ "University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee biography". University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Archived from the original on August 1, 2014.
  5. ↑ Mary Van de Kamp Nohl, Jane's Gift, Milwaukee Magazine, 1/31/2008
  6. ↑ Mayer, Jane (2021-08-02). "The Big Money Behind the Big Lie: Donald Trump's attacks on democracy are being promoted by rich and powerful conservative groups that are determined to win at all costs". Newyorker.com. Archived from the original on 2021-08-02. Retrieved 2021-08-03. (...) the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation. Based in Milwaukee, the private, tax-exempt organization has become an extraordinary force in persuading mainstream Republicans to support radical challenges to election rules—a tactic once relegated to the far right. With an endowment of some eight hundred and fifty million dollars, the foundation funds a network of groups that have been stoking fear about election fraud, in some cases for years. Public records show that, since 2012, the foundation has spent some eighteen million dollars supporting eleven conservative groups involved in election issues.
  7. ↑ "Georg Karl "August" Uihlein and Emily Werdehoff". Sussex-Lisbon Area Historical Society, Inc. Archived from the original on March 17, 2011.
  8. ↑ Weekend Weddings Usher In June: Aring-Uihlein, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, June 2, 1974
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