Arthur L. Luebke was born in Beloit on December 5, 1916, the son of Arthur and Alpha Nearing Luebke. He married Martha Plencner on April 6, 1942. The couple had six children. He attended Beloit College, graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School and served in the Navy from 1942–1946 as a commanding officer of a minesweeper and later as a legal officer.

Luebke practiced law in Beloit from 1946–1949 and was serving as a reserve judge in courtrooms throughout the state at the time of his death. He was appointed judge of the Municipal Court of the City of Beloit in 1949 and was re-elected to the post. He became Circuit Judge in 1960.

He served on advisory boards of judges in the drafting of the Wisconsin Children’s Code and the Court Reorganization Bill. He was on the Governor’s committee on Children and Youth. He also was secretary of the Wisconsin Board of Juvenile Court Judges and was named to attend the 1960 White House conference on Children and Youth.

He was instrumental in organizing the Beloit Traffic School for traffic violators, which was used as a model for other cities by the Wisconsin Motor Vehicle Department.

Arthur Luebke, judge, historian, scholar and author, was a man of considerable talent who served almost three decades as a judge in Rock County. As a local historian he left a legacy to this community that has been unsurpassed in chronicling the past and cultivating an appreciation of our heritage.

The two local history books he authored, Pioneer Beloit and Lincoln in Beloit, added importantly to the record of community history. He will be remembered as a champion of justice, serving the bench with dignity, wisdom and firmness tempered with compassion.

His contributions to the reform of Wisconsin’s juvenile code were of extraordinary significance. He has been credited with improving the delivery of justice in the Rock County Court System and earned the respect of his colleagues in the legal profession.

Judge Luebke was made a life member of the Beloit Historical Society shortly before his death and was also honored by the Rock County Historical Society in 1968, having served as president of both societies. He was a past president of the Beloit Chapter of the American Red Cross, a former director of the Beloit Rotary Club and the recipient of the Key Man Award given by Beloit Jaycees.

At the time of his death on December 8, 1982, the Beloit Daily News said of Luebke: “His death creates a large void; his energies and interests are unlikely to be duplicated. His contributions were of extraordinary significance. Any list of truly outstanding Beloiters of all time will surely include Arthur L. Luebke.”