Walter Jodak Kohler, Jr. (April 4, 1904-March 21, 1976) was Governor of Wisconsin from 1951 to 1957 and president of the Kohler Company. He was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and served in the United States Navy. In 1950 and 1952, William Proxmire ran against Kohler for Governor and lost; however, Proxmire defeated Kohler for the United States Senate seat of Joseph R. McCarthy, who died in office in 1957.