Al Quie

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Al Quie
Albert Quie (2014).jpg
35th Governor of Minnesota
In office
January 4, 1979 – January 3, 1983
LieutenantLou Wangberg
Preceded byRudy Perpich
Succeeded byRudy Perpich
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Minnesota's 1st district
In office
February 18, 1958 – January 3, 1979
Preceded byAugust Andresen
Succeeded byArlen Erdahl
Member of the Minnesota Senate
from the 18th district
In office
January 3, 1955 – January 3, 1958
Preceded byHomer Covert
Succeeded byArnin Sundet
Personal details
Born (1923-09-18) September 18, 1923 (age 98)
Wheeling Township, Minnesota, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1948; died 2015)​
Children5
EducationSt. Olaf College (BA)
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Navy
Years of service1943–1945
UnitUnited States Naval Air Force
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsWorld War II Victory Medal

Albert Harold Quie (/kwiː/ KWEE; born September 18, 1923) is an American politician and farmer who served as member of the United States House of Representatives and the 35th governor of Minnesota. Quie, during most of his 28 consecutive years in elected office, was extremely popular and well-liked. Quie ran for office countless times and never lost an election.[1] He is a 4th generation farmer and a devout Lutheran.[2]

Quie is currently the oldest living former governor of any U.S. state and the oldest living former member of the United States House of Representatives.[3] He is one of the last living politicians to have seen active combat in World War II.[1]

Early life[edit]

Quie was born on his family's farm near Dennison, Minnesota, in Rice County. Three of his grandparents were Norwegian immigrants.[4] The farm on which he was born and grew up on had been first purchased by his grandfather upon returning to Minnesota from fighting in the Civil War. He grew up on the farm learning to ride horses.[1]

He served in the United States Navy during World War II as a fighter pilot where he saw significant active combat. Following his military service in World War II, graduated from St. Olaf College in Northfield in 1950 with a degree in political science.

State and national government service[edit]

Quie in 1977

Like his great-grandfather, grandfather, and father before him, Quie became a dairy farmer. A Republican, Quie was a member of the Minnesota State Senate from 1955 to 1958, representing the old 18th District, which encompassed Rice County in the southeastern part of the state.[5]

Quie was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in a special election after the death of Representative August Andresen, and served from February 18, 1958, to January 3, 1979. He was a member of the 85th, 86th, 87th, 88th, 89th, 90th, 91st, 92nd, 93rd, 94th and 95th Congresses.[6]

Quie voted in favor of the Civil Rights Acts of 1960,[7] 1964,[8] and 1968,[9] as well as the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.[10][11]

Quie was briefly considered for Vice President of the United States in 1974 after Gerald Ford became president upon the resignation of Richard Nixon. The position was eventually taken by Nelson Rockefeller.[12]

Quie was elected governor of Minnesota in 1978.[3] During his single term, he dealt with an extreme budget crisis, and made some very tough and unpopular choices. He opted not to run again in 1982.[13]

Personal life[edit]

Quie’s grandfather joined the newly founded Republican Party and helped elect Abraham Lincoln President in the 1860 United States presidential election.[14]

As of December 5, 2021, Quie is the oldest living former Governor and oldest living former US Representative.

Quie married artist Gretchen Quie in 1948. She died of Parkinson's disease on December 13, 2015, at the age of 88.[15]

In popular culture[edit]

In Garrison Keillor's Lake Wobegon Days, Quie is said to be the first governor ever to set foot in the mythical town of Lake Wobegon, "slipping quietly away from his duties to attend a ceremony dedicating a plaque attached to the Statue of the Unknown Norwegian" and making a few remarks.

Electoral history[edit]

District Incumbent This race
Year Member Party Results Candidates
Minnesota 1 1958 Special Election August H. Andresen Republican Incumbent died January 14, 1958.
New member elected February 18, 1958.
Republican hold.
Successor was subsequently re-elected in November.
Minnesota 1 1958 Al Quie Republican Incumbent re-elected.
Minnesota 1 1960 Al Quie Republican Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY Al Quie (Republican) 60.5%
  • George Shepherd (DFL) 39.5%
Minnesota 1 1962 Al Quie Republican Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY Al Quie (Republican) 57.5%
  • George Shepherd (DFL) 42.5%
Minnesota 1 1964 Al Quie Republican Incumbent re-elected.
Minnesota 1 1966 Al Quie Republican Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY Al Quie (Republican) 65.9%
  • George Daley (DFL) 34.1%
Minnesota 1 1968 Al Quie Republican Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY Al Quie (Republican) 68.7%
  • George Daley (DFL) 31.3%
Minnesota 1 1970 Al Quie Republican Incumbent re-elected.
Minnesota 1 1972 Al Quie Republican Incumbent re-elected.
Minnesota 1 1974 Al Quie Republican Incumbent re-elected.
Minnesota 1 1976 Al Quie Republican Incumbent re-elected.
  • Green tickY Al Quie (Republican) 68.2%
  • Robert C. "Bob" Olson Jr. (DFL) 30.5%
  • Lloyd Duwe (American) 1.3%
1978 Gubernatorial Election, Minnesota
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ind.-Republican Al Quie 830,019 52.35% +22.99%
Democratic (DFL) Rudy Perpich (incumbent) 718,244 45.30% -17.51%
American Richard Pedersen 21,058 1.33% n/a
Socialist Workers Jill Lakowske 6,287 0.40% -0.34%
Honest Government 87 Tom McDonald 4,254 0.27% n/a
Libertarian Robin E. Miller 3,689 0.23% +0.06%
Savings Account Edwin Pommerening 2,043 0.13% n/a
Majority 111,775 7.05%
Turnout 1,585,594
Ind.-Republican gain from Democratic (DFL) Swing

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "As Al Quie turns 94, a tribute". MinnPost. September 18, 2017. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  2. ^ "Quie, Albert Harold "Al" - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present". www.lrl.mn.gov. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Al (Albert Harold) Quie : Governors of Minnesota Archived June 17, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Mnhs.Org. Retrieved on September 18, 2011.
  4. ^ "United States Census, 1930", FamilySearch, retrieved March 18, 2018
  5. ^ Minnesota Legislators Past & Present – Legislator Record – Quie, Albert Harold "Al". Leg.state.mn.us. Retrieved on September 18, 2011.
  6. ^ QUIE, Albert Harold – Biographical Information. Bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved on September 18, 2011.
  7. ^ "HR 8601. PASSAGE".
  8. ^ "H.R. 7152. PASSAGE".
  9. ^ "TO PASS H.R. 2516, A BILL TO ESTABLISH PENALTIES FOR INTERFERENCE WITH CIVIL RIGHTS. INTERFERENCE WITH A PERSON ENGAGED IN ONE OF THE 8 ACTIVITIES PROTECTED UNDER THIS BILL MUST BE RACIALLY MOTIVATED TO INCUR THE BILL'S PENALTIES".
  10. ^ "S.J. RES. 29. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO BAN THE USE OF POLL TAX AS A REQUIREMENT FOR VOTING IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS". GovTrack.us.
  11. ^ "TO PASS H.R. 6400, THE 1965 VOTING RIGHTS ACT".
  12. ^ The Talent Search – Time. Time.com (August 19, 1974). Retrieved on September 18, 2011.
  13. ^ Crossing the partisan divide: Minnesota budgets and politics in the 1980s Archived June 1, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. MinnPost. Retrieved on September 18, 2011.
  14. ^ "As Al Quie turns 94, a tribute". MinnPost. September 18, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  15. ^ Salisbury, Bill (December 14, 2015). "Gretchen Quie, opened governor's house to public, dies at 88". St. Paul Pioneer Press. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  16. ^ "Our Campaigns - MN District 1 - Special Election Race - Feb 18, 1958". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved June 10, 2020.

External links[edit]

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Minnesota's 1st congressional district
1958–1979 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Response to the State of the Union address
1968
Served alongside: Howard Baker, George H. W. Bush, Peter Dominick, Gerald Ford, Robert Griffin, Thomas Kuchel, Mel Laird, Bob Mathias, George Murphy, Dick Poff, Chuck Percy, Charlotte Reid, Hugh Scott, Bill Steiger, John Tower 		Vacant
Title next held by
Donald Fraser, Scoop Jackson, Mike Mansfield, John McCormack, Patsy Mink, Ed Muskie, Bill Proxmire
Preceded by Republican nominee for Governor of Minnesota
1978 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by
Rudy Perpich
 Governor of Minnesota
1979–1983 		Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by Oldest living American governor
June 4, 2021–present 		Succeeded by
Most recent
Preceded by Oldest living United States representative
(Sitting or former)
December 5, 2021 - present 		Succeeded by
Most recent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Former US Senator Order of precedence of the United States
Within Minnesota 		Succeeded byas Former Governor
Preceded byas Former Governor Order of precedence of the United States
Outside Minnesota
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