Azel P. Ladd

{{short description|American politician}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|name =

|image =

|alt =

|appointer =

|order = 2nd

|office = Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin

| term_start = 1852

| term_end = 1854

| predecessor = Eleazer Root

| successor = Hiram A. Wright

|party = Democratic

|birth_date = c. 1811

|birth_place = Haverhill, New Hampshire

|death_date = July 27, 1854

|death_place =

|restingplace =

|spouse =

|children =

}}

Dr. Azel Parkhurst Ladd (c. 1811– July 27, 1854) was an American educator, physician and politician from Wisconsin.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Image/IM109569|title=Azel P. Ladd {{!}} Photograph|date=2003-12-01|website=Wisconsin Historical Society|access-date=2018-12-23}}

Born in Haverhill, New Hampshire, Ladd studied medicine at Harvard University and taught school in Massachusetts. In 1842, he moved to Shullsburg, Wisconsin where he was involved with mining. In 1851, Ladd called for "temporary normal schools" to provide for more teachers.'The Columbian History of Education in Wisconsin,' John William Stearns, Wisconsin State Committee For Education Exhibition in Wisconsin: 1893, pg. 235-236 He was elected as the second Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin, serving from 1852 to 1854 with a salary of $1,000 per year.{{Cite web|url=http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/WI/WI-idx?type=turn&entity=WI.WIBlueBk1853.p0088&id=WI.WIBlueBk1853&isize=M|title=Executive Department, State of Wisconsin, 1853}} Through regional meetings he organized the Wisconsin Teachers' Association and called the first state teachers' convention in 1853. He was also involved with the Wisconsin Historical Society.[http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=1570&keyword=ladd Azel Parkhurst Ladd, Wisconsin Historical Society] Ladd was an advocate for the Common School Fund.

Following his term in office, Ladd briefly resumed his medical practice.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS9575|title=Ladd, Azel Parkhurst 1811 - 1854|date=2017-08-08|website=Wisconsin Historical Society|access-date=2018-12-23}} Ladd died from cholera at the age of 42 in 1854, six months after leaving office.