Bio: Guell, Corwin Carl (1958)

Contact: Dolores Mohr Kenyon

Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 
 

Surnames: Guell, Zimmerman 
 

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) 1958 
 

Guell, Corwin Carl (1958) 
 

Did you know that Corwin C. Guell, Clark County Assemblyman, was born in Fond du Lac; is a graduate of North Central College in Illinois and the University of Wisconsin Law School; served as air operations officer in Naval Reserve during World War II; that he has practiced law in Thorp since 1934; that he is director, vice president and general counsel for Thorp Finance Corporation; that he is a Sunday school teacher and lay speaker in the Methodist church; a 32^nd degree Mason and Member of the shrine; that he is the third oldest employee, in point of service with Thorp Finance corporation; and was president of Thorp board of education when a $235,000 addition was built at Thorp High School? 
 

Corwin Carl Guell was born in Fond du Lac, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis C. Guell. One of four children, he has a brother and two sisters.  He was graduated from high school in Fond du Lac in 1927.  In 1931 he was graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from North Central College, Naperville, Ill., took post graduate work at Northwestern University, Evanston, for a year, and in June, 1934, was graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School. 
 

Looking around for a community in which to establish a law practice, Mr. Guell selected Thorp.  From 1934 to 1940, he maintained his law office in the old Farmer’s Exchange bank building.  In 1940 he transferred his office to the Thorp Finance Corporation annex in the old People’s State Bank building, where he was located until October, 1954, when he moved into the new Thorp Finance office building. 
 

In April, 1943, Mr. Guell received a commission as lieutenant, junior grade in the navy and received his indoctrination at Quonset Point, R. I. In June 1943, he was assigned to duty at Curacao, Netherlands West Indies as a naval air operations officer.  Returning to the States in February, 1945 he was sent to Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland, and in August was transferred to the naval air station at Olathe, Kans.  He was separated from the service and returned to his law practice at Thorp, in November, 1945, where he has been located since. 
 

As a boy, Mr. Guell had dreamed of being a minister, a lawyer or a college professor.  His dreams have been largely realized as he is following the practice of law, serving as a Sunday school teacher and lay speaker for the Methodist church, and serving on the Thorp board of education. 
 

In high school Corwin Guell played trombone in the Fond du Lac high school band, took an early and continuing interest in tennis.  After moving to Thorp, he became interested in fishing and each summer gets in a fishing trip to Canada.  In recent years, Mr. Guell has enjoyed playing a round of golf with friends.  Although he did not participate in the sports program in school, he has been very much interested in high school athletics, has followed the athletic program of the Wisconsin "Badgers," and has faithfully followed the progress of the Green Bay "Packers" and the Milwaukee "Braves." 
 

On December 3, 1932, Mr. Guell was married in Rockford, Ill., to Miss Anna L. Zimmerman. They have two daughters and a son; Genevieve, David and Barbara.  In June, 1957, Genevieve was graduated from the nurses’ training program at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Marshfield, and became a registered nurse December 12, 1957.  She has employment with the Antigo Hospital.  David, 19, was graduated from Thorp High School in June 1956, and is a student in Northwestern University School of Technology.  Barbara, 14, is in Thorp High School. 
 

In community service at Thorp, Corwin Guell has served as city attorney, past president and member of the Lion’s Club, chairman of the board of trustees of the Methodist Church, president of the board of education for Thorp joint district number 1, and has served as assemblyman for Clark County since November, 1956.  Mr. Guell was also a member of the building committee that built the new swimming pool at Thorp, a gift of Thorp Finance Corporation. 
 

As Clark County Assemblyman, Mr. Guell was author of a bill to provide $1.00 school-bus license fee for public and private school buses in Wisconsin, which bill was enacted into law.   He was also co-author of a bill to limit the sale of malt beverages to persons 21 years of age or older. 
 

"We were successful in this program in the last session," said Mr. Guell, "but we expect to take the matter up again at the next session of the Wisconsin legislature." 
 

Professionally, Mr. Guell is a former director of the Wisconsin Law Alumni association; president of the Wisconsin Association of Finance companies; director, vice president and general counsel for Thorp Finance Corp., member of ETA legal fraternity; member of Wisconsin State Bar association; former president of the Clark County Bar Association; the legal advisor for Thorp Finance at Thorp and its 60 branches in Wisconsin. 
 

He is a member of Masonic Lodge, 264, Thorp; of the Consistory in Eau Claire; and of Zor Shrine at Madison.  He also is an active member of the Thorp Methodist Church.  In addition to his other services in Clark County, Mr. Guell served several terms as a member of they county board of supervisors.   
 

Mr. Guell summarizes his activities thus: -- "I like very much my association with people. I am especially interested in the youth today and their prospects for tomorrow, and I have found that my activity in public office has brought satisfaction and disappointments - satisfaction in being able to do something constructive and worthwhile, disappointment in not always being able to accomplish what I set out to do.