Ralph Maxwell Immell (September 11, 1894 – August 29, 1969) was an American lawyer, military officer, and progressive politician from Trempealeau County, Wisconsin.

While attending the University of Wyoming, Immell enlisted in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps after the United States entered World War I, and was commissioned a second lieutenant.

[21] Under new progressive governor Philip La Follette in 1931, Immell was again rumored to be appointed to another post (this time state insurance commissioner), but he remained adjutant general through another gubernatorial term.

[25] This program, however, also took criticism for paying significant salaries to progressive allies of Governor La Follette and bypassing civil service hiring rules.

From his post as adjutant general, Immell took charge of managing the divisive and politically sensitive issue of the depression-driven milk strikes.

[29]: 147  The most severe hotspots were in the Fox River valley and northeast, where Immell dispatched a battalion of guardsmen to patrol strike zones with rifles and fixed bayonets.

[32] Politically, Immell and the strike response became a cudgel that the some progressives used to damage the Democratic governor, Schmedeman, among farm and labor ranks.

Early in 1934, newspapers began to speculate about Immell making a run for governor of Wisconsin as a Republican compromise candidate between progressive and stalwart factions.

[36][37] Immell's gubernatorial chances in 1934 effectively evaporated when the Wisconsin Progressive Party formally voted to split from the Republicans, ending the possibility of a compromise nomination.

[41] Shortly after accepting the appointment, he resigned from the state Conservation Commission and also requested a leave of absence from his role as adjutant general to focus on his W.P.A.

[53] Immell faced strong opposition from progressive farmer and labor groups, who stated that they "could not forget" his role in the 1933 milk strikes.

After the progressive defeat in the 1938 elections, the incoming Republican governor, Julius P. Heil, asked Immell to refrain from political activity if he intended to retain the office of adjutant general.

[63][64] By April 1939, Immell had begun warning audiences at his frequent public speaking sessions that another European war was now inevitable, and would likely be disastrous and protracted.

[65] National Guard activity ramped up considerably after the invasion of Poland in September, as Roosevelt authorized additional recruiting and funding.

[69] Many in the Wisconsin news media continued to speculate that Immell would run for Governor in 1940, but he made no effort in politics during these years—even to endorse another candidate.

In October 1940, Wisconsin's first Guard units were activated for federal service, to participate in one year of training and preparedness drills following an order from President Roosevelt.

[70][71] Immell's speeches in the state began to turn toward a focus on logistical issues of agriculture and industry for feeding and supplying American forces if they are called into war.

[73] After their year on active duty, Wisconsin's Guard units began returning home shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

On the day of the attack, Immell was preparing to travel to Louisiana to visit Wisconsin Guard units of the 32nd Infantry Division still training.

In October 1942, Immell was finally accepted to active duty in the United States Army, and took a leave of absence from his role as adjutant general.

[78] He had to accept demotion to the rank of colonel for his initial role, but was immediately deployed to Morocco, attached to the headquarters of supply for the American forces supporting Operation Torch—the Allied invasion of North Africa.

[79] After Allied forces took control of the region, Immell became a military administrator in Morocco for several months, overseeing logistics, engineers, and hospitals, and coordinating with the Moroccan and French government.

[90] Before he could return to Europe, Immell was given a new assignment, to remain in Washington, D.C., and work on plans for post-war training and maintenance of the American armed forces as part of a committee reporting to Army Chief of Staff George C.

[93] Immell received the Army Distinguished Service Medal and retired from active duty in November 1945, reverting to his rank of brigadier general in the National Guard.

[94] In receiving the medal, he was recognized for his logistical accomplishments in the liberation of France and Germany, arranging the equipping and arming of the French Forces of the Interior when the liberation began, having the foresight to restart lumber and coal production from captured German territory in the Saarland, and his efficient management of the complex rail, bridge, and road supply network.

[99][100] With the floodgates opened, two previous 1944 candidates also entered the gubernatorial race: progressive Ralph F. Amoth and stalwart Otto R. Werkmeister.

[101] With Delbert Kenny failing to capture any popular support, however, conservative Republicans began rallying to Goodland as the only vehicle to stop the progressives from recapturing the governor's office.

MacArthur hoped to win the Wisconsin presidential primary in April, and was supported by much of the remaining La Follette apparatus in the state.

Immell and other former progressives ran as a slate to serve as convention delegates in the Spring of 1952, but Robert A. Taft won the state's presidential preference vote.

Hazel earned a doctorate and worked as a researcher at the Mayo Clinic; she also organized a nonprofit which led to the creation of the University of Wisconsin Hearing Center.