Meet these seven trailblazers with deep Wisconsin roots — advocates of the Civil Rights Movement, musicians, writers, veterans, and founders of lasting organizations — each adding to the rich, evolving tapestry of Wisconsin’s story. Their lives and legacies showcase the spirit of resilience, creativity, and courage that define the state’s captivating narrative.
Ingrid Washinawatok El-Issa (1957-1999)
A member of the Menominee Nation, Ingrid Washinawatok was an international advocate for Indigenous rights. She was part of the movement to reestablish the Menominee as a federally recognized tribe. Washinawatok founded the Indigenous Women’s Network and was a committee chairperson for the UN’s International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.
Vel Phillips (1923 or 1924-2018)
Vel Phillips was the first Black female alderman elected to Milwaukee’s Common Council and was an advocate for fair housing. In the ’50s and ’60s, systematic racism plagued Milwaukee — white renters would not rent to Black people, and Black neighborhoods were systematically neglected. Phillips led marches to end housing discrimination, and after six years of being voted down, the Fair Housing Law was approved in 1968. In 1978, Phillips went on to become the first first Black female elected to Wisconsin’s statewide office, becoming Secretary of State.
Al Jarreau (1940-2017)
Al Jarreau, a multifaceted musician and vocalist born in Milwaukee, won seven Grammys for his work across jazz, R&B and pop. Throughout his life he gave honorary performances at such venues as the White House, and in 2016, he earned the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Wisconsin Foundation for School Music.
Father James Groppi (1930-1985)
From Bay View in Milwaukee, Father James Groppi was a Catholic priest who was widely involved in the Civil Rights Movement. He became the adviser to the Milwaukee NAACP Youth Council in 1965 and advocated with Vel Phillips to make housing progress.
Ardie Clark Halyard (1896-1989)
Ardie Clark Halyard moved to Beloit and then Milwaukee in the 1920s with her husband after graduating from the University of Atlanta. The two opened Columbia Savings and Loan Association, the first Black-owned Savings and Loan Association in Milwaukee, a financial institution that helped Black Americans receive housing loans without discrimination.
Photo by Lauren Aguila.
Ellen Ainsworth (1919-1944)
Ellen Ainsworth was born in Glenwood City, close to the Minnesota border. Ainsworth was a decorated veteran who served as an officer in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps during World War II. She healed and protected others, despite sustaining severe artillery wounds during the battle of Anzio in Italy. Ainsworth died of her injuries six days after the battle, making her the only Wisconsin woman to die under enemy fire in World War II. She was posthumously awarded the Red Cross Bronze Medal, a Purple Heart Medal and a Silver Star Medal for gallantry in action.
Jerry Apps (1934-present)
Jerry Apps is professor emeritus in the UW–Madison College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and has written more than 40 books. He won a regional Emmy Award for the TV documentary “A Farm Winter” and was inducted into the Wisconsin 4-H Hall of Fame.
Sources: Womeninwisconsin.org, Wisconsin Historical Society, UW-Milwaukee, Ripon College, AlJarreau.com, Wisconsin Foundation for School Music, VA News, UW-Madison Division of Extension, JerryApps.com
Cover image: Wisconsin Historical Society’s pillars. Photo taken by Lauren Aguila.
Tile image: An entrance to the Historical Society. Photo by Lauren Aguila.