{{Short description|"State agency in Wisconsin, United States"}} {{Infobox official post | post = Adjutant General | body = Wisconsin | incumbent = Major General Matthew J. Strub | incumbentsince = April 18, 2025<br />{{Age in years, months and days|2025|04|18}} | termlength = 5 years, may be appointed to successive terms | image = File:MG Matthew J. Strub.jpg | deputy = Brion J. Aderman | website = https://dma.wi.gov/leadership/ }}
The '''Adjutant General of Wisconsin''' is the commander of the Wisconsin National Guard which includes both the Wisconsin Army National Guard, the Wisconsin Air National Guard, and, when active, the Wisconsin State Defense Force and Wisconsin Naval Militia. The Adjutant General (or 'TAG') is responsible for all state, non-federalized military and reports directly to the Governor of Wisconsin. Wisconsin's TAG is appointed by the governor and currently serves a fix term of five years and may be appointed successively.
== Appointment == According to Wisconsin Statute §15.31 of the Wisconsin State Legislature the Adjutant General of Wisconsin must meet the following requirements:
# Hold the rank of Colonel (O-6) # Except for those qualified under sub (4), be a current participating member of one of the following components: #* The Wisconsin Army National Guard #* The Army National Guard #* The United States Army Reserve #* The Wisconsin Air National Guard #* The United States Air Force # Be fully qualified to receive federal recognition at the minimum rank of Brigadier General and have successfully completed a war college course or the military equivalent acceptable to the appropriate service. # If the applicant is already federally recognized they must meet the following requirements: #* Be retired from active drilling status within the next two years #* Basis of retired status was with one of the components noted in sub (2) #* Be 62 years old or less #* Continue to be eligible for federal recognition as a Major General.<ref>{{cite web |date=2017-05-01 |title=Wisconsin Legislature: 15.31 |url=https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/15/ii/31#:~:text=15.31%20Department%20of%20military%20affairs,be%20reappointed%20to%20successive%20terms. |access-date=2026-03-26 |website=Wisconsin Legislative Documents |ref={{sfnref|Wisconsin Legislative Documents|2017}}}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Morton |first=Heather |title=Adjutants General Terms and Qualifications Statutes |url=http://www.ncsl.org/research/military-and-veterans-affairs/adjutants-general-qualification-statutes.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206004201/http://www.ncsl.org/research/military-and-veterans-affairs/adjutants-general-qualification-statutes.aspx |archive-date=2020-12-06 |access-date=2026-03-26 |website=www.ncsl.org |language=en-US}}</ref>
The Adjutant General is appointed by the Governor of Wisconsin. There have been 34 people who have served as the Adjutant General of Wisconsin, four of which only held the office as an interim appointee. William L. Utley and Edwin E. Bryant are currently the only two Adjutant Generals of Wisconsin who were elected for two nonconsecutive terms. Utley served as the state's Adjutant General during the first few years of the American Civil War, while Edwin E. Bryant served during the reconstruction era.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lake City Publishing Company |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89059465062&seq=521&q1 |title=Portrait and biographical album of Racine and Kenosha Counties, Wisconsin, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens ... |date=1892 |publisher=Lake City Publishing Co. |location=Chicago |pages=519–521 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="berry">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/historyofbenchba02berr|title=History of the Bench and Bar of Wisconsin|volume=2|publisher=H. C. Cooper, Jr.|location=Chicago|year=1898|pages=[https://archive.org/details/historyofbenchba02berr/page/337/ 337–339]|accessdate=August 23, 2021}}</ref> The longest serving Adjutant General of Wisconsin was Ralph Immell who served as Adjutant General of Wisconsin from {{Date table sorting|1923|6|1}} to {{Date table sorting|1946|5|11}}, as well as serving in World War II.<ref name="appointed-ag">{{cite news |date=May 3, 1923 |title=Immell Appointed Adjutant General |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-capital-times-immell-adjutant-genera/160915386/ |accessdate=December 14, 2024 |newspaper=The Capital Times |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=May 9, 1923 |title=Blaine Appoints "Boy" General |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/platteville-witness-immell-adjutant-gene/160915848/ |accessdate=December 14, 2024 |newspaper=Platteville Witness |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=March 15, 1924 |title=Immell Receives U.S. Recognition as Army Officer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/wisconsin-state-journal-general-immell/161262406/ |accessdate=December 20, 2024 |newspaper=Wisconsin State Journal |page=7 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
== List of Adjutant Generals of Wisconsin == The following have served as Adjutant General of Wisconsin Territory: {| class="wikitable" !No. !Image !Name !Took office !Left office !Appointed by (Governor) |- |'''1''' | 60px |William Rudolph Smith |July 20, 1839 |April 1, 1851 | * Henry Dodge * James Duane Doty * Nathaniel P. Tallmadge * Nelson Dewey |} The following have served as Adjutant General of Wisconsin: {| class="wikitable" !No. !Image !Name !Took office !Left office !Appointed by (Governor) |- |'''2''' | 60px | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|William A.|Barstow}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1851|4|1}} |{{Date table sorting|1852|4|1}} |Nelson Dewey |- |'''3''' | 60px | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|William L.|Utley}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1852|4|1}} |{{Date table sorting|1854|4|1}} |Leonard J. Farwell |- |'''4''' | | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|John|McManman|nolink=1}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1854|4|1}} |{{Date table sorting|1856|4|1}} | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|William A.|Barstow}}}} |- |'''5''' | 60px | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|Amasa|Cobb}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1856|4|1}} |{{Date table sorting|1860|4|1}} |Coles Bashford |- |'''6''' | | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|James A.|Swain|nolink=1}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1860|4|1}} |{{Date table sorting|1861|4|25}} |Alexander Randall |- |'''7''' | 60px | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|William L.|Utley}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1861|4|25}} |{{Date table sorting|1862|1|07}} |Alexander Randall |- |'''8''' | | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|Augustus|Gaylord|nolink=1}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1862|1|07}} |{{Date table sorting|1866|4|30}} |Louis P. Harvey |- |'''9''' | 60px | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|James Kerr|Proudfit}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1866|4|30}} |{{Date table sorting|1868|3|28}} |Lucius Fairchild |- |'''10''' | 60px | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|Edwin E.|Bryant}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1868|3|28}} |{{Date table sorting|1872|1|2}} |Lucius Fairchild |- |'''11''' | | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|Robert|Monteith|nolink=1}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1872|1|2}} |{{Date table sorting|1874|4|11}} |Cadwallader C. Washburn |- |'''12''' | | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|Alfred C.|Parkinson|nolink=1}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1874|4|11}} |{{Date table sorting|1876|1|11}} | align="left" |William Robert Taylor |- |'''13''' | | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|George A.|Hannaford|nolink=1}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1876|1|11}} |{{Date table sorting|1876|5|9}} | align="left" |Harrison Ludington |- |'''14''' | 60px | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|Edwin E.|Bryant}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1876|5|9}} |{{Date table sorting|1882|1|2}} | align="left" | * Harrison Ludington * William E. Smith |- |'''15''' | | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|Chandler P.|Chapman|nolink=1}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1882|1|2}} |{{Date table sorting|1889|1|7}} | align="left" |Jeremiah M. Rusk |- |'''16''' | | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|George W.|Burchard|nolink=1}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1889|1|7}} |{{Date table sorting|1891|1|5}} | align="left" |William D. Hoard |- |'''17''' | | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|Joseph|Doe}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1891|1|5}} |{{Date table sorting|1893|12|15}} | align="left" |George Wilbur Peck |- |'''18''' | | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|Otto H.|Falk|nolink=1}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1893|12|15}} |{{Date table sorting|1895|1|7}} | align="left" |George Wilbur Peck |- |'''19''' | 60px | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|Charles|King|Charles King (general)}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1895|1|7}} |{{Date table sorting|1897|1|4}} | align="left" |William H. Upham |- |'''20''' | 60px | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|Charles R.|Boardman}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1897|1|4}} |{{Date table sorting|1913|9|30}} | align="left" | * Edward Scofield. * Robert M. La Follette * James O. Davidson * Francis E. McGovern |- |'''21''' | | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|Orlando|Holway|nolink=1}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1913|10|1}} |{{Date table sorting|1923|2|3}} | align="left" | * Francis E. McGovern * Emanuel L. Philipp * John J. Blaine |- |'''-''' | | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|John G.|Salsman|nolink=1}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1923|2|3}} |{{Date table sorting|1923|6|1}} | align="left" |Acting adjutant general |- |'''22''' | 60px | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|Ralph M.|Immell|Ralph Immell}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1923|6|1}} |{{Date table sorting|1946|5|11}} | align="left" |John J. Blaine |- |'''-''' | |{{nowrap|{{sortname|Alvin A.|Kuechenmeister|nolink=1}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1942|10|10}} |{{Date table sorting|1946|9|25}} | align="left" |Acting adjutant general while Immell was overseas |- |'''23''' | | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|John F.|Mullen|nolink=1}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1946|9|25}} |{{Date table sorting|1950|7|31}} | align="left" |Walter Samuel Goodland |- | '''-''' | | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|George|Sherman|nolink=1}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1950|7|31}} |{{Date table sorting|1950|10|02}} | align="left" |Acting adjutant general |- |'''24''' | 60px | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|Ralph J.|Olson|nolink=1}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1950|10|02}} |{{Date table sorting|1969|1|29}} | align="left" |Oscar Rennebohm |- |'''25''' | | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|James Jay|Lison Jr.|nolink=1}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1969|1|29}} |{{Date table sorting|1977|2|14}} | align="left" |Warren P. Knowles |- |'''26''' | 60px | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|Hugh|Simonson|nolink=1}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1977|2|14}} |{{Date table sorting|1979|4|24}} | align="left" |Patrick Lucey |- |'''27''' | | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|Raymond|Matera|nolink=1}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1979|4|24}} |{{Date table sorting|1989|12|21}} | align="left" |Lee S. Dreyfus |- |'''28''' | | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|Jerald D.|Slack}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1989|12|21}} |{{Date table sorting|1996|1|12}} | align="left" |Tommy Thompson |- |'''29''' | | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|Jerome J.|Berard|nolink=1}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1996|1|12}} |{{Date table sorting|1997|8|8}} | align="left" |Tommy Thompson |- |'''30''' | 60px | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|James G.|Blaney}}}} |{{Date table sorting|1997|8|8}} |{{Date table sorting|2002|8|9}} | align="left" |Tommy Thompson |- |'''31''' | 60px | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|Albert H.|Wilkening}}}} |{{Date table sorting|2002|8|9}} |{{Date table sorting|2007|8|3}} | align="left" |Scott McCallum |- |'''32''' | 60px | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|Donald P.|Dunbar}}}} |{{Date table sorting|2007|8|3}} |{{Date table sorting|2019|12|31}} | align="left" | * Jim Doyle * Scott Walker |- | '''-''' | 60px | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|Gary L.|Ebben}}}} |{{Date table sorting|2019|12|31}} |{{Date table sorting|2020|2|24}} | align="left" |Acting adjutant general |- |'''33''' | 60px | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|Paul E.|Knapp}}}} |{{Date table sorting|2020|2|24}} |{{Date table sorting|2024|6|6}} | align="left" |Tony Evers |- | '''-''' | | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|David W.|May}}}} |{{Date table sorting|2024|6|6}} |{{Date table sorting|2025|4|17}} | align="left" |Acting adjutant general |- |'''34''' | 60px | align="left" |{{nowrap|{{sortname|Matthew J. |Strub}}}} |{{Date table sorting|2025|4|17}} | align="center" |''Incumbent'' | align="left" |Tony Evers |}
== See also == * Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs * Politics of Wisconsin * Wisconsin National Guard * Wisconsin Army National Guard * Wisconsin Air National Guard * Wisconsin State Defense Force * Wisconsin Naval Militia
== References == <references />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adjutant General of Wisconsin}} Category:Adjutants general of the National Guard of the United States Category:Adjutants General of Wisconsin Category:Government of Madison, Wisconsin {{improve categories|date=April 2026}} Category:Military in Wisconsin Category:National Guard (United States) generals Category:Wisconsin National Guard personnel