Walter Schroeder

Walter Schroeder (May 19, 1878 – July 18, 1967) was a Wisconsin hotel and insurance magnate.

For the German rower, see Walter Schröder.
For the American politician, see Walter G. Schroeder.
Hilton Milwaukee City Center, formerly the Schroeder Hotel, Milwaukee
Hotel Retlaw in Fond du Lac, formerly the Retlaw Hotel and Ramada Plaza Hotel
Hotel Loraine, Madison
Astor on the Lake

Early life

Schroeder's formal education ended with the eighth grade and he began working at age 14 as a clerk in the Office of the Milwaukee Register of Deeds. There he learned about mortgages, deeds, and other legal instruments related to real estate. Shortly after beginning work at the deed office, Schroeder also began working as a staff member of the Milwaukee Daily Reporter. Schroeder began his own paper only two years later, the Daily Abstractor, captured most of the Reporter's readers, and then bought out the Reporter.[1]

Hotelier

In Chris. Schroeder & Son was asked to refinance a bond issue for the Wisconsin Hotel, the largest hotel in the state at that time. Schroeder saw that the hotel industry lacked competent management skills, and so decided to enter the hotel business.[1]

In the 1920s Schroeder opened the:[1]

He also acquired the:[1]

  • Calumet Hotel in Fond du Lac
  • Vincent Hotel in Benton Harbor, Michigan

Legacy

Schroeder was a generous philanthropist. His foundation provided a $3 million grant to help fund the Milwaukee School of Engineering's Walter Schroeder Library in 1978.[1] Other facilities named after Schroeder include the Walter Schroeder Lounge at the Humphrey Scottish Rite Masonic Center,[3] and the Olympic-size Walter Schroeder Aquatic Center of the Metro Milwaukee YMCA.[4] He was also a benefactor of Marquette University.

Ghost

Schroeder's ghost is said to haunt the Hotel Retlaw in Fond du Lac, the Aquatic Center, and the Schroeder Hall.[5]

gollark: If I can make lyricly demote me *now*, I don't have to worry about the review!
gollark: I didn't write rule 7.
gollark: Well, that means I don't feel worried deleting your messages, see.
gollark: > 7. Judgement on whether you have broken a rule and the fitting punishment are at the discretion of the staff members with the authority to give out those punishments.So I can randomly judge *anything* as breaking a rule since I have the authority to delete things.
gollark: Rule 7 totally allows it.

References
  1. "Biography of Walter Schroeder", Milwaukee School of Engineering
  2. http://www.thehotelretlaw.com/
  3. "Rent Our Facility", Humphrey Scottish Rite Masonic Center
  4. Walter Schroeder Aquatic Center
  5. "283: Remember Me", This American Life, WBEZ (National Public Radio), February 25, 2005
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.