Born in 1922, The Honorable Mr. Robert F. Froehlke grew up in Marshfield, Wisconsin. In 1941, he began studies at the University of Wisconsin, where he enrolled in the Reserve Officer Training Program. After two years of college, Mr. Froehlke interrupted his education in order to enlist in the United States Army. Because of his previous military experience, he was rapidly promoted to the grade of Sergeant and was enrolled in Infantry Officer Candidate Class 343 at Fort Benning, Georgia. He graduated from Officer Candidate School on 22 August 1944, and after a short tour of duty at Camp Carson, Colorado, he was posted to the staff as the Adjutant of the 202nd Automatic Weapons Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion in Germany. | Froehlke served in Germany until 1946, when he as discharged from the United States Army as a Captain. His military service continued in the United States after his discharge with five years of service with the Wisconsin Army Reserve. | Following his discharge from active service, Mr. Froehlke returned to the University of Wisconsin from which he received his Law Degree in June 1949. He joined the law firm of McDonald and MacDonald in 1949, where he practiced until 1950, when he returned to his alma mater as a member of its faculty. After two years of teaching, he became Assistant General Counsel of the Sentry Insurance Company of Stevens Point, Wisconsin. | Mr. Froehlke progressed rapidly within the Sentry Insurance Company and in 1959 became Executive Vice President of the Sentry Life Insurance Company. In 1967, he was further named as Vice President for Sales of the parent Sentry Insurance Companies. In August 1968, he was named Resident Vice President of Sentry Insurance Company at Boston, Massachusetts, and waslater elevated to even higher levels of responsibility within the Sentry Insurance companies as he was named Chairman of the Board of the Sentry Indemnity Company, President of the Sentry Life Insurance Company of Wisconsin and as Vice President and member of the Board of Directors of all the companies which make up Sentry Insurance. | In recognition of his outstanding organizational and administrative abilities, The Honorable Mr. Robert F. Froehlke was nominated to the position of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Administration on 21 January 1969 by the President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon. His nomination was confirmed by the United States Senate, and on 20 January 1969, he was administered the oath of office by The Honorable Mr. Melvin Laird, The Secretary of Defense. | It is a great honor to have a graduate of the Infantry Officer Candidate School who has so distinguished himself in civilian life return to the source of his commission into the United States Army as one of those responsible for the continued excellence of the United States Military Service.