Gregg Underheim
{{Short description|American politician (born 1950)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Gregg Underheim
|image =
|caption =
|state = Wisconsin
|state_assembly = Wisconsin
|district = 54th
| term_start = June 15, 1987
| term_end = January 1, 2007
| predecessor = Carol Roessler
| successor = Gordon Hintz
|party = Republican
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1950|8|22|mf=y}}
|birth_place = La Crosse, Wisconsin
|residence = Oshkosh, Wisconsin
|death_date =
|death_place =
|spouse = none
|children =
|alma_mater = University of Wisconsin–La Crosse {{small|(B.S.)}}
|occupation =
|website =
}}
Gregg A. Underheim (born August 22, 1950) is a retired American small business owner and Republican politician. He was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly for nearly 20 years (1987–2007), representing Oshkosh. He was chair of the Assembly Health Committee for 12 of his 20 years in the State Assembly.{{cite web|url= https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS13869 |title= Underheim, Gregg 1950 |website= Wisconsin Historical Society |accessdate= February 2, 2021 }}
Early life
Underheim was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and graduated from La Crosse Central High School in 1968. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, then became a high school English teacher at Caledonia, Minnesota.[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_20050329/ai_n13476568 Alan J. Borsuk; "ELECTION 2005; STATE SUPERINTENDENT CANDIDATE PROFILE]; Gregg"; March 29, 2005; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; Retrieved January 12, 2007 He resigned from his teaching position in 1978 to begin working in politics.
Career
Underheim tried to meet with Karl Rove in Texas, attempted (but failed) to meet with Howard Baker in Tennessee, and attempted (and failed) to become a speechwriter for the Republican National Committee in Washington D.C. He returned to Wisconsin and joined Tom Petri's campaign for Congress. Petri won the race, and Underheim joined his staff full-time.
Underheim ran for the State Assembly in 1987, and was elected as the representative from Oshkosh. He focused on health-related issues during his term. In 1998, Underheim proposed legislation that required physicians to provide and pay for the submission of claims data.
Underheim became involved in controversies in the mid-1990s about how to teach reading to children. He argued in favor of research-supported, phonics-based reading programs. Underheim used this controversy as a key issue in his first race for State Superintendent of Public Instruction in 1997, but he was not successful in that election. He sought election to the same office a second time in 2005, and was again unsuccessful. Underheim received a lifetime recognition award from the Wisconsin Hospital Association in 2006.[http://www.wha.org/pubArchive/valued_voice/vv4-7-06.htm WHA Presents Awards to Reps. Rhoades, Underheim and Meriter Hospital]
References
External links
- {{CongLinks |votesmart =3548}}
- [http://www.thenorthwestern.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=U0&Date=20061230&Category=OSHNEWS&ArtNo=612300806&Ref=PH&Params=Itemnr=35 Image of Underheim in Assembly] from the Oshkosh Northwestern's "Newsmakers of 2006" collection, Retrieved January 12, 2007
{{DEFAULTSORT:Underheim, Gregg}}
Category:Politicians from La Crosse, Wisconsin
Category:Politicians from Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Category:Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly
Category:University of Wisconsin–La Crosse alumni
Category:La Crosse Central High School alumni