Joseph Melcher (March 18, 1807 – December 20, 1873) was an Austrian-born prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the first bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay in Wisconsin from 1868 until his death in 1873.

in 1842 or 1843, Melcher was recruited by Bishop Joseph Rosati to return with him to the United States and work in what was then the Diocese of St.

He accompanied Bishop Kenrick to the sixth Provincial Council of Baltimore in 1846, and regularly went to Europe to recruit priests for the diocese.

[3] In 1847, Melcher was appointed vicar general of the diocese and pastor of St. Mary of Victories Parish, which served German Catholics in St.

[2] He received his episcopal consecration on July 12, 1868, in St. Louis from Archbishop Kenrick, with Bishops John Henni and Henry Juncker serving as co-consecrators.