Edmund S. Muskie Oral History Collection

Authors

Greg Beam

Document Type

Oral History

Publication Date

7-5-2000

Interview Number

MOH 201

Abstract

Milton “Milt” Wheeler was born in Boston, Massachusetts on August 14, 1908 and grew up in Lewiston, Maine. He attended Hebron Academy, where he was a state basketball champ and played football. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1932 as a history major, then went to Harvard law school and passed the Bar in 1937. For a time he served as Corporation Counsel for Lewiston. He helped establish Portland Law School, now called the University of Maine School of Law, teaching Constitutional and Administrative law. He worked for both the Office of Price Administration and the Office of Price Stabilization where he had some contact with Muskie. He was deputy attorney of the Urban Renewal Authority for New York and New England (HUD) as well as an attorney for the Small Business Administration until 1973. His wife, Mildred F. Wheeler, was a representative in the Maine legislature from Portland. He worked on Peter N. Kyros’s campaign and was a delegate to the 1960 Democratic National Convention.

Scope and Content Note

Interview includes discussions of: AmVets; Democratic National Committee; 1952-1954 Maine Democratic Party; 1954 Maine gubernatorial campaign; 1955-1956, Muskie’s first term as Governor; 1956 Chicago Democratic National Convention; 1968 vice presidential campaign; environmental protection; Republican party in Maine; Democratic party in Maine; Lewiston, Maine: labor organizing among mill workers; Office of Price Administration (OPA); Peabody Law School; Judge Charlie Pomeroy; Office of Price Stabilization (OPS); Mike DeSalle; Hatch Act; emergence of women’s vote helping Democratic vote; and Angus King.

Use Restrictions

Copyright Bates College. This transcript is provided for individual Research Purposes Only; for all other uses, including publication, reproduction and quotation beyond fair use, permission must be obtained in writing from: The Edmund S. Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library, Bates College, 70 Campus Avenue, Lewiston, Maine 04240-6018.

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