“We, My Husband and I, Were a Team”: Negotiating the Economic Activism of Milwaukee’s Ardie and Wilbur Halyard

This paper examines the economic activism of power couple Ardie and Wilbur Halyard of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Together, the couple opened the first African American owned and operated financial institution in the state of Wisconsin.  They established their business, Columbia Savings and Loans Association, in 1925, after recognizing the struggle African Americans faced with obtaining quality housing in the city. More than illustrating the story of a successful African American business still in operation today, this paper examines the relationship between Ardie and Wilbur Halyard, and how their relationship affected their businesses practices and economic activism in the city.  At the same time that gendered notions equating business management and entrepreneurship with masculinity render Wilbur Halyard’s contributions explicit, they make Ardie Halyard’s contributions difficult to trace. Despite this obfuscation, there is evidence that the Halyards did not always comply with prevailing gendered notions that would have completely limited Ardie’s participation in the management of Columbia S&L. While it was more difficult for her to participate in all-male spaces such as the boardroom, she was able to secure a management and leadership position at Columbia S&L because of her earlier work experience, which was a source of contention between Ardie and Wilbur. Although bank records obscure the full story of Ardie Halyard’s involvement, especially from 1925 until 1957, sources such as newspaper articles, speeches, biographical sketches, and oral history interviews reveal the nature of Ardie Halyard’s involvement. Extricating Ardie Halyard’s involvement with Columbia S&L illustrates the ways in which the Halyards both simultaneously adhered to and challenged ideas of black masculinity and womanhood as well as what it meant to be race and business leaders in mid-century Milwaukee.