La Follette was born on June 14, 1855 in Primrose, Wisconsin. He is of English-Scottish-French descent. He studied at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. La Follette was married to Belle Case Le Follette from 1881 until his death in 1925. They had four children. La Follette died on June 18, 1925 in Washington, D.C. from a heart disease, aged 70.