Catalog
March of the Governors: Al Quie
Paul NelsonAlbert H. Quie (1923-2023) left a safe seat in Congress after twenty years to run for governor in 1978. In that, his timing was good. He rode around the “Minnesota Massacre” and into office as the state’s thirty-fifth governor along with fellow Republicans Dave Durenberger and Rudy Boschwitz, who were…
March of the Governors: Wendell Anderson
Ken Peterson and Paul NelsonMarch of the Governors, Governor #33 Wendell Anderson (Series Podcast #36) Before an ignominious electoral end, Wendell “Wendy” Anderson was one of Minnesota’s most significant and popular governors. Born and raised on St. Paul’s East Side, he had been an Olympic hockey…
March of the Governors: Harold Levander
Paul Nelson, Matt WrightMarch of the Governors, Governor #32 Harold Levander (Series Podcast #35) Harold Levander (1910-1982) ran for political office once in his long life, in 1966. He defeated incumbent governor Karl Rolvaag, served four years, and never ran for office again. He had been…
March of the Governors: Karl Fritjof Rolvaag
Tom Beer, Paul NelsonMarch of the Governors, Governor #31 Karl Fritjof Rolvaag (Series Podcast #34) Karl Fritjof Rolvaag (1913-1990) grew up in Northfield, the son of acclaimed novelist Ole Rolvaag. Upon his father’s untimely death in 1931, Rolvaag roamed the West for five years, working…
March of the Governors: Elmer L. Andersen
Paul Nelson, Hampton SmithMarch of the Governors, Governor #30 Elmer L. Andersen (Series Podcast #33) For Elmer L. Andersen, his single term as governor (1961-1963) marked a brief episode in a life of remarkable accomplishment. From modest beginnings in Muskegon, Michigan, Andersen rose from salesman…
March of the Governors: C. Elmer Anderson
Paul Nelson, Matt WrightMarch of the Governors, Governor #28 C. Elmer Anderson Series Podcast #31 Minnesota’s twenty-eighth governor, C. Elmer Anderson (1912-1998), mostly aspired to be lieutenant governor, and at that he succeeded—elected six times in seven tries. He rose to governor in September 1951…
March of the Governors #30: Special Edition Billy Williams
Frank White, Paul NelsonMarch of the Governors Special Edition: Billy Williams March of the Governors Series Podcast #30 William F. (Billy) Williams never served as Minnesota’s governor, but he served more Minnesota governors than any public servant in our state’s history. He caught the eye of…
March of the Governors #27: Luther Youngdahl
Tom Beer, Paul NelsonMarch of the Governors Podcast Governor #27: Luther Youngdahl Series Podcast #29 From his youth, Luther Youngdahl (b. 1896) aspired to be a judge, and he succeeded: Minneapolis Municipal Court (1930-1936), Hennepin County District Court (1936-1942), Minnesota Supreme Court…
March of the Governors #26: Edward Thye
Paul Nelson and Ken PetersenMarch of the Governors, Governor #26 Edward John Thye (Series Podcast #28) Edward John Thye (1896-1969) was called Minnesota’s “farmer-governor,” and aptly so. He was born on a farm in South Dakota, grew up on a farm near Northfield, maintained his own…