Showing 119 results

Biographical information: Severyn Youso was born December. 28, 1910, in Willmar, Minnesota, to Frank and Martha (Henry) Youso. He married Irene Henry on February 3, 1936, in Rockville, Minnesota. He lived in Foley most of his life and founded the Benton County News in 1932. He served on the Foley school board for 22 years. He was Benton County DFL chairman for 25 years. Youso died on December 22, 1996 in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

Transcript summary: In an oral history recorded on January 15, 1971, Severyn Youso discussed his role as long-time Benton County DFL chairman and his work on Fred Marshall’s 1948 campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. Youso met Marshall in 1948 when Marshall entered the race for Congress from Minnesota’s Sixth District. Marshall received the support of farmers and veterans. Youso suspected widespread support for the Marshall Plan may have helped Fred Marshall, who was not related to the general. One of the campaign posters featured Marshall holding big bundles of wheat under each arm. When Marshall visited Foley, the two discussed who to appointment to office and Marshall reminded Youso that a person’s qualification was the most important factor.

One tape

https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/legpol_oh/4/ [13652]

Biographical information: Richard Welch was born January 1, 1943, in Crookston, Minnesota. He earned a Bachelor of Science from Moorhead State University; a Master of Science from St. Cloud State University; and a Master of Arts from Syracuse University. He and his wife Marie have three children. He served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1977 to 1984. Here he represented Anoka, Benton, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs and Sherburne Counties, serving in District 18A (1977-1982) and District 19A (1983-1984). He lived in rural Cambridge, Minnesota. Before entering the Legislature, he was a special education teacher and administrator.

Transcript summary: During his senior year in high school in Crookston, Minnesota, he and three friends joined the National Guard. While in the Guard, Welch and his friends envisioned being sent off to war during the Berlin Wall crisis and the Cuban Missile crisis. Welch met his future wife during their junior years at Moorhead State in Moorhead, Minnesota. After two years teaching sixth grade in the White Bear Lake school district, he was hired to teach special education in St. Cloud. After receiving his master’s degree, Welch was hired as director of special education for 10 school districts in the Wadena area. Beginning in 1973, he directed the special education program at Cambridge State Hospital. In the 1976 election, Welch was the DFL nominee and he won a three-way race for the Minnesota House of Representatives where he served from 1977 to 1984. He served on the Appropriations, Criminal Justice and Health and Welfare committees. Legislation relating to youth employment was a major concern. Welch avoided proposing legislation affecting his profession to maintain credibility with his colleagues. He focused on education programs at the state’s correctional institutions and improving post-secondary education in his district. Welch talked about how his legislative district was split three ways – people who lived and worked in the area, commuters to the Twin Cities, and commuters to St. Cloud.

One tape

US Congressman from Minnesota, 6th District (1981-1983) and 8th District (1983-1993) Covers his wide campaign experience, both for himself and other candidates, at the state and national levels. Political topics include the economy and spending plus decreasing the role of government. Only summary of interview is available.

One 60 minute audio cassette.

Minnesota state Representative from District 46 (1951-1962) elected from the liberal caucus and representing Stearns county. Issues mentioned include polling and reapportionment. He also discusses what makes a good legislative leader and the changes in the legislature since he was first elected.

One tape

Widow of state Senator Henry Sullivan (1889-1959) from District 45 (1935-1954). Details the years of Henry Sullivan's senate terms as well as some details of his father's terms in the Senate (John D. Sullivan). She lists his accomplishments with legislation in education and farming and shares stories from his various committee experiences.

One tape. The two interviews appear on the same reel to reel tape.

Minnesota state Representative from District 4B (1973-1982) elected from the Democratic-Farmer-Labor caucus and representing Cass, Hubbard, Itasca, Morrison, and Wadena counties. Discusses his family background and educational history as well as how his education has helped and hindered his political career.  Discusses several issues that have been problematic to him including the Equal Rights Amendment, support of Indian rights, and fishing/wildlife legislation.  Also mentions an informal Bible study group that he formed with other legislators that acted as a moral force in the legislature.

One tape

Minnesota state Representative from District 45 (1955-1962), District 27 (1963-1966) and District 51B (1967-1968) elected from the conservative caucus and representing Benton, Sherburne, and Stearns counties. Discusses the nature and complexity of state government and the extension of terms.

One tape

Biographical information Ed Schrom was born March 17, 1911, in Albany, Minnesota, to John and Julia Schrom. Schrom, a farmer, was elected to the Minnesota State Senate in 1970. Schrom’s first election to the Legislature occurred before party designation, when Democrats ran under the liberal banner. He was one of the Legislature’s most conservative members. Schrom clashed with US House Sixth District Representative Richard Nolan over Nolan’s backing of Sen. Ted Kennedy instead President Jimmy Carter. Serving from 1971-1980 (District 26, 1971-1972; District 16, 1973-1980), he represented parts western Stearns County and northern Meeker County. Schrom married Dorothy Beumel on August 26, 1936, in Richmond, Minnesota. The couple had three children. Schrom died on January 20, 1980.

Transcript summary In an interview recorded July 16, 1973, Ed Schrom recounted growing up in a family of 12 children on a farm near Albany, Minnesota. Although his father was a Republican, President Franklin Roosevelt’s actions turned him into a Democrat. Especially important, Schrom said, was Roosevelt’s funding of rural electrification. Schrom was a farmer before retiring and running for the Legislature. He was township treasurer for 20 years and then in 1968 attended the Democratic convention in Chicago before deciding to run for the Minnesota state legislature in the 1970 election. Schrom defeated incumbent Henry Harren, a 16-year veteran of the state senate. He ran on the issue of real estate tax relief and favored shifting more of the cost of education from local real estate taxes to statewide income taxes. He opposed the trend at the time of setting up regional development commissions, arguing that they were an unnecessary additional layer of government. Schrom favored opening legislative and conference committee meetings to the public. Schrom served as the vice chairman of the Tax Committee and a member of the Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee. He backed legislation to support the price of milk and to lower liquor taxes.

One tape

Minnesota state Representative for District 53B (1969-1972) and District 13A (1973-1978,1981-1982) and state Senator for District 13 (1983-1992) and District 12 (1993-2002) elected from the liberal caucus and representing Cass, Crow Wing, and Morrison counties. Discusses the legislative and the committee process as well as the significant issues of the day (abortion, spending, inflation, and fluoridation) and the changes in the legislature (moving away from 'citizen legislators' and party designations).  Personal history is discussed including his lifelong residence in Brainerd and losing his father in World War II.

One tape

Minnesota state Senator for District 13 (1978-1982) elected as an Independent Republican and representing Aitkin, Crow Wing, and Kanabec counties. Attended St. Cloud State University in 1955-1956.  Discusses his experiences in agricultural education and his early political history.  The legislative topics discussed include the Stadium Bill, lumber grades, taxes and real estate, environmental concerns, and social issues. Only summary of interview is available.

Two 60 minute audio cassettes.

Minnesota state Senator for District 53 (1941-1970) elected from the conservative caucus and representing Crow Wing and Morrison counties. Discusses many issues facing state government including party designation and the balance of power between the legislative and executive branches. His work on various committees and interactions with other state legislators is discussed as well as his campaign and election experiences. His involvement with the Fair Employment Practices Act is also covered.

Minnesota state Senator for District 45 (1955-1962) elected from the conservative caucus and representing Benton, Sherburne, and Stearns counties. Discusses his early life and how he entered politics.  He spent 14 years on the city council in St. Cloud and describes the many changes that have taken place there.  Also, his work in the senate relating to real estate is discussed, as well as, the atmosphere in the senate.

https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/legpol_oh/7/ [13651]

Widow of Minnesota Governor Hjalmar Petersen

Biographical information: Medora Petersen was born in May 1896 in Meriden, Steele County, Minnesota. Her father’s family came from Pennsylvania to Minnesota in a covered wagon. For short time she was Minnesota’s first lady. Her husband, Hjalmar Petersen, was Minnesota lieutenant governor in 1936 when Governor. Floyd B. Olson died in office. Petersen served as Minnesota governor for five months to complete the term but did not run for re-election. Medora attended Iowa State University, where she was the first student to earn a graduate degree in early childhood development. After graduation, she taught at Ohio State University. She returned to Minnesota to work on a doctorate but met he future husband and became first lady before finishing her schooling. Though Hjalmar ran for Minnesota governor in the primaries, they continued to publish the Askov American until his death in 1968. She continued to write for the paper until she sold it in the 1980s. Medora died on April 7, 1997 in Willmar, Minnesota.

Transcript summary: In an interview recorded August 13, 1973, Medora Petersen talked about her early life on a farm in Steele County. She took the train from Meriden to Owatonna for high school. She recounted how she met her husband at the University of Minnesota and reflected on his early political career as a legislator. Hjalmar Petersen was an admirer of Governor Floyd B. Olson. She discussed other notable politicians of the era including Minnesota Senators Henrik Shipstead, Elmer Benson and Frank B. Kellogg. She talked about the formation of the DFL party and Hjalmar’s unsuccessful 1958 primary run as a Democrat against Eugene McCarthy for US Senate.

One tape

Minnesota state Representative for District 17B (1973-1980) and state Senator for District 17 (1981-1990) elected from the Democratic-Farmer-Labor caucus and representing Benton, Sherburne, and Stearns counties. St. Cloud State University graduate - BS (1965) and MA (1967). Legislative process and reforms are discussed as well as his tax bill and consumer issues.

Two 60 minute audio cassette. This interview was conducted on November 25, 1991, twenty years after the reel to reel interview.

One tape. This interview was conducted on June 15, 1973. The second interview, dated November 25, 1991, is on an audio cassette.

Minnesota state Representative for District 17A (1973-1980) elected from the Democratic-Farmer-Labor caucus and representing Benton, Sherburne, and Stearns counties. Personal history and political background are discussed.  Also, discuss legislation he participated in (labor issues and retirement programs) and policy issues within the legislature.

One tape

Minnesota state Representative for District 22B (1977-1992) and District 20B (1993-1994) elected as an Independent Republican and representing Carver, Hennepin, McLeod, Meeker, and Wright counties. Family history and political background is discussed.  His campaigns and work on the approriations committee are covered as well as the Bob Pavlak case. Only summary of interview is available.

Two 60 minute audio cassettes.

Minnesota state Representative for District 53A (1969-1972) elected from the liberal caucus and representing Morrison county. US Congressman for Minnesota, 6th District (1975-1981) and 8th District (2013-present). Discusses his family and political background. His experiences in the state legislature as well as his 1972 campaign for Congress. Oral history has been digitized but not checked against the existing transcript (ID 13650).

One tape

Biographical information: Joseph Niehaus was born on February 23, 1906, in Melrose Township, Stearns County, Minnesota, to Joseph and Agnes (Wessel) Niehaus. He married Lucine Wiener October 15, 1935, in Padua, Minnesota. He was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1968 and served seven consecutive terms before retiring in 1982. Niehaus, a Republican, represented District 26B and District 16A, which at the time included western Stearns County. He identified as a conservative. He died on August 10, 1989, in Sauk Centre, Minnesota.

Transcript summary: In an oral history recorded July 24, 1973, Joseph Niehaus discussed the legislation he worked on. His legislation included a Good Samaritan law that limited liability when a person helps out in an emergency. Niehaus carried a regional development bill that placed control with local governments instead of the state. Niehaus supported a four-year term for House members to cut down on the expense and time spent campaigning. He was a member of the agriculture, local government, health and welfare and veterans affairs committees.

One tape. The two interviews appear on the same reel to reel tape.

Minnesota state Representative for District 13B (1977-1980) elected from the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party and representing Aitkin, Crow Wing, and Kanabec counties. Family background and education is covered.  Legisislative issues discussed include the powerline controversy, fluoridation, the end of the Continental Telephone Company. Only summary of interview is available.

Two 60 minute audio cassettes.

St. Cloud City Councilman (1978-1981). Attended St. Cloud State University for one term (Fall 1957). Discusses experiences in Latin America, specifically Honduras, and his activities in the 1960's Peace Movement, specifically his role with the Catonsville Nine and his prison sentence. St. Cloud issues discussed include the development of the 10th Street Bridge and his campaign for mayor. The nature of politics at the national and local level is discussed. Only summary of interview is available.

Four 60 minute audio cassettes.

Minnesota state Representative for District 18B (1973-1982) and District 22A (1983-1992) elected from the Democratic-Farmer-Labor caucus and representing Sherburne and Wright counties.  He also served as mayor of St. Michael, Minnesota (1966-1972). Discusses his family history and political experience.  The topics include his campaigns and issues of the day (education, farmers and labor, and infrastructure). Only summary of interview is available.

One tape

https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/legpol_oh/5/ [15544]

Biographical Information: Josephine Mary Carpenter Marshall was born on July 13, 1910, in Union Grove Township, Meeker County, to George and Mary (Roach) Carpenter. She attended rural school through the eighth grade and graduated as salutatorian from Paynesville High School in 1928. She then attended St. Cloud Teacher's College for two years, graduating in 1930, and then taught in rural grade schools for four years. On September 12, 1936, she married Fred Marshall and lived on a farm in Union Grove Township. In 1949, Fred was elected to the United States Congress. He served until he retired in 1962. During those years, they lived part-time in Alexandria, Virginia. Fred passed on June 5, 1985, while Josephine died on September 19, 2006.

Transcript Summary: In an oral history interview dated August 1, 1988, Josephine Marshall discussed going to school in a one-room schoolhouse, attending what was then St. Cloud Teacher’s College, and then teaching in rural schools. She ran the family’s farm in Meeker County while her husband Fred Marshall’s job pre-Congress kept him on the road most of the time. When Fred Marshall served in Congress beginning in 1949, the couple lived at least part of the year in Alexandria, Virginia. She recounted the difficulty of raising the couple’s two sons with life split between Washington, DC, and Minnesota. She discussed DC social life and carpooling with future US president Gerald Ford and his wife Ford. The couples lived close by and each had only one car so the men would carpool to the Capitol and their wives would share a ride to other events. Josephine recalled that she did not campaign much for her husband and that others filled that role for him.

One 60 minute audio cassette.

US Congressman from Minnesota, 6th District (1949-1962).
Two interviews, one with Fred Marshall and another with him and his wife, were made on the same date.

Three tapes. The third tape is specific to the 1948 campaign.

Minnesota state Representative for District 45 (1961-1962) and District 27 (1963-1966) elected from the conservative caucus and representing Stearns county. Discusses family history and personal experiences with politics and campaigning. Legislative and campaign process is covered as well as changes in those processes at the time of the interview.

One tape

https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/legpol_oh/3/ [13649]

Biographical Information: Alcuin Loehr was born on October 20, 1927, in St. Cloud to Arnold and Regina (VonBokern) Loehr. He married Shirley Mae Raden on June 10, 1950. Loehr served in the US Navy from 1945 to 147 and then worked for Great Northern Railroad. He was a field man for the DFL, Minnesota commissioner of Veterans Affairs and Stearns County Civil Defense director. Loehr was mayor of the city of St. Cloud from 1970-1980. Loehr ran for state auditor in 1974 but lost in the DFL primary. From 1980-1990 he was administrative aide for the Minnesota Senate. At the time of his death, he was a staff assistant for US Representative Colin Peterson. Loehr died on April 16, 2013, in St. Cloud.

Transcript Summary: In oral interview recorded July 12 and July 18, 1977, Al Loehr recounted his entry into politics, his service in a variety of roles helping veterans, and the personalities of politicians in the 1970s as the state transitioned to party designation for legislative candidates. At the urging of Minnesota politician Walter Mondale, Loehr entered politics. He lost his first race, for the state Senate, in 1964, to Republican Keith Hughes. After the 1964 election, Minnesota governor Karl Rolvaag appointed him commissioner of Veterans Affairs. In the 1970 city of St. Cloud mayoral election, Loehr asserted that the city now needed a full-time mayor to address issues facing the area while having an impact on legislative issues. He served as mayor until 1980. During Loehr’s tenure as mayor, St. Cloud was named an All-America city, the downtown mall and ring road were built, and the city developed the Municipal Athletic Complex and Whitney Memorial Park. Loehr also discussed the position of state auditor and its authority, which he ran for unsuccessfully in 1974.

One tape