Senate 1983-92 (District 27)
Party when first elected: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Counties Served: Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Rock
Crosier Preparatory Seminary, Onamia; Secondary; College of St. Thomas; B.A.; English and American Literature University of Oklahoma; M.A.; English and American Literature University of St. Thomas; Ed.D.; Educational Leadership, May 1997 University of Minnesota, Humphrey Institute; Fellowship; Senior Fellow, State and Local Policy Program, 1992-1997 University of Minnesota, Twin Cities; Fellowship; Senior Fellow, Center for Transportation Studies, 1995-1997
Spouse: Estelle Brouwer (married on May 28, 1988); Patricia "Patti" O"Brien (married in May 1967; wife when first elected, divorced) Children: Three children (2 while in office, 1 born after he left office): Leila Mary (daughter, with Patti), Catherine "Katie" Estelle (born while he was in office), and Louise Claire (born after he left office) (daughters, with Estelle) Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:
He was of Flemish-Dutch ancestry.Special Legislative Concerns: agriculture; soil, water and wildlife conservation; education.He was raised on a farm near Ghent, Minnesota.He ran unsuccessfully as the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party endorsed candidate for the Minnesota Senate in a 1981 special election. He lost to Randy Kamrath. He served as the Interim President of Southwest State University in Marshall, Minnesota from July 1991-February 1992.He did some consulting work for the Office of Planning and Development in Hennepin County, Minnesota.He was a Director for the Master of Public Affairs Program and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs from May 2002 until his death in 2012.He was a member of the 4-H Club.He was living in Mendota Heights, Minnesota before he died.He was a member of Unity Church Unitarian in St. Paul, Minnesota.Religion provided by Gary DeCramer. He was Catholic when first elected. He switched to Unitarian Universalist while still in office.
Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, 645 State Office Building, Saint Paul, MN 55155