President and President Pro Tempore of the Minnesota Senate, 1849-present
Compiled by: Minnesota Legislative Reference Library
Compiled from: Minnesota legislative manuals and other sources, including
previous library compilations and several histories of Minnesota
While efforts have been made to verify this information in more than one source, the library cannot guarantee the accuracy of sources; errors are possible. Please report any errors to the library staff.
Under PARTY: DFL=Democratic-Farmer-Labor, R=Republican, IR=Independent-Republican, A=Alliance, D=Democrat, C=Conservative, FL=Farmer-Labor, L=Liberal, P=Populist, W=Whig
Where a name or party designation is not given in the list, it was not given authoritatively in the sources so far consulted. It may be available from other sources.
Following YEAR: E=Extra Session
Citations to "Toensing" refer to W.F. Toensing, Minnesota Congressmen, Legislators, and other Elected State Officials: An Alphabetical Check List, 1849-1971 (Minnesota Historical Society, 1971).
The position of Senate President, elected at the beginning of the odd year session, is usually held for the full biennium. Changes made during the biennium are noted. President pro tem information is incomplete and work is in progress.
| YEAR | PRESIDENT | PRESIDENT PRO TEM | PARTY | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Metzen, James | DFL | Frederickson, Dennis | R |
| 2007 | Metzen, James | DFL | Frederickson, Dennis | R |
| 2005 | Metzen, James | DFL | ||
| 2003 | Metzen, James | DFL | ||
| 2001 | Samuelson, Don | DFL | Moe, Roger D. | |
| 1999 | Spear, Allan H. | DFL | ||
| 1997 | Spear, Allan H. | DFL | ||
| 1996 | Spear, Allan H. | DFL | ||
| 1995 | Spear, Allan H. | DFL | ||
| 1993 | Spear, Allan H. | DFL | ||
| 1993E | Spear, Allan H. | DFL | ||
| 1991 | Hughes, Jerome M. | DFL | ||
| 1989 | Hughes, Jerome M. | DFL | ||
| 1989E | Hughes, Jerome M. | DFL | ||
| 1987 | Hughes, Jerome M. | DFL | ||
| 1987E | Chmielewski, Florian; Hughes absent | DFL | ||
| 1986E | Hughes, Jerome M. | DFL | ||
| 1985 | Hughes, Jerome M. | DFL | ||
| 1985E | Hughes, Jerome M. | DFL | ||
| 1983 | Hughes, Jerome M. | DFL | Permanent Rules of the Senate again specify that in the absence of the president, the chair of the Committee on Rules and Administration, or his designee, shall preside. | |
| 1982E | Davies, Jack (John T.) | DFL | ||
| 1982E2 | Davies,Jack (John T.) | DFL | ||
| 1982E3 | Davies, Jack (John T.) | DFL | ||
| 1981 | Davies, Jack (John T.) | DFL | Hughes, Jerome M. (office reestablished; see senate journal, 6 Jan. 1981, and Permanent Rules of the Senate) | DFL |
| Davies, Jack (John T.); 1981-1982 | DFL | |||
| 1981E | Davies, Jack (John T.) | DFL | ||
| 1981E2 | Davies, Jack (John T.) | DFL | ||
| 1981E3 | Davies, Jack (John T.) | DFL | ||
| 1979 | Gearty, Edward J. | DFL | ||
| 1979E | Gearty, Edward J. | DFL | ||
| 1977 | Gearty, Edward J. | DFL | ||
| 1975 | Olson, Alec G.; became Lt. Gov., 29 Dec. 1976. | DFL | ||
| 1973 | Olson, Alec G. | DFL |
From statehood through 1972 the Lieutenant Governor served as President of the Senate. In 1972 the law changed and the senate elected the president from among its ranks. And, from 1973 to 1979 "In the absence of the President, the Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Administration, or his designee, shall preside over the Senate..." (Permanent Rules of the Senate)
STATE SENATE - LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR SERVES AS PRESIDENT
| YEAR | PRESIDENT | PRESIDENT PRO TEM | PARTY | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Perpich, Rudy | DFL | Josefson, J. A. ("Joe") | R/C |
| 1971E | Perpich, Rudy | DFL | ||
| 1969 | Goetz, James B. | D | Franz, Walter J. | R/C |
| 1967 | Goetz, James B. | D | Anderson, Ernest J. | R/C |
| 1967E | Goetz, James B. | D | ||
| 1966E | Keith, A. M. (Alexander MacDonald, "Sandy") | D | ||
| 1965 | Keith, A. M. (Alexander MacDonald, "Sandy") | D | Sinclair, Donald | C |
| 1963 | Keith, A. M. (Alexander MacDonald, "Sandy") | D | Rosenmeier, Gordon | C |
| 1961 | Rolvaag, Karl F. | D | Larson, Norman J. | R |
| 1961E | Rolvaag, Karl F. | D | ||
| 1961E2 | Rolvaag, Karl F. | D | ||
| 1959 | Rolvaag, Karl F. | D | Wahlstrand, Harry L. | C |
| 1959E | Rolvaag, Karl F. | D | ||
| 1958E | Rolvaag, Karl F. | D | ||
| 1957 | Rolvaag, Karl F. | D | Welch, Thomas P. | R/C |
| 1957E | Rolvaag, Karl F. | D | ||
| 1955 | Rolvaag, Karl F. | D | Imm, Val | R/C |
| 1955E | Rolvaag, Karl F. | D | ||
| 1953 | Nelson, Ancher | R | Wright, Donald O. (served as Lt. Gov. 3 Sept. 1954-3 Jan. 1955) | R/C |
| 1951 | Anderson, C. Elmer | R | Sletvold, Albert O. | C? |
| 1951E | Anderson, C. Elmer | R | ||
| 1949 | Anderson, C. Elmer | R | Mullin, Gerald T. | D?/C? |
| 1947 | Anderson, C. Elmer | R | Lightner, Milton C. | R/C |
| 1945 | Anderson, C. Elmer | R | Weber, J. V. (John Vincent) | R/C |
| 1944E | Miller, Archie H.; Miller became Lt. Gov. 27 April 1943, when Edward Thye became governor upon the resignation of Harold Stassen | |||
| 1943 | Thye, Edward J. | R | Miller, Archie H. | C |
| 1941 | Anderson, C. Elmer | R | Carley, James A. | D |
| 1939 | Anderson, C. Elmer | R | Larson, Henry A. | R |
| 1937 | Richardson, William B. "Due to illness, the Lieutenant-Governor-Elect Gottfried [sic] Lindsten was unable to assume the duties of his office"; Richardson (pres. pro tem) nominated and elected to "temporarily preside"--1937 Journal of the senate, p. 3 (5 Jan. 1937). Richardson apparently presided for the entire session. Gottfrid Lindsten was with the FL party. | R | Richardson, William B.; referred to as president (without "pro tem")of the senate in some places in 1937 senate journal. | R |
| 1937E | Richardson, William B. | |||
| 1936E | Richardson, William B. | Richardson, William B. | R | |
| 1935 | Petersen, Hjalmar | FL | Richardson, William B.; was acting Lt. Gov. from 24 Aug. 1936 | R |
| 1935E | Petersen, Hjalmar | FL | Richardson, William B. | R |
| 1933 | Solberg, Konrad K. | FL | Widell, Gustaf | U |
| 1933E | Solberg, Konrad K. | FL | ||
| 1931 | Arens, Henry | FL | Larson, Adolph S. | R |
| 1929 | Nolan, William I. | R | Adams, Charles E. (Charles Edward); became Lt. Gov., 25 June 1929 (after session) | |
| 1927 | Nolan, William I. | R | Sullivan, John D. | |
| 1925 | Nolan, William I. | R | Rockne, Anton J. (Anton Julius) | |
| 1923 | Collins, Louis L. | R | Orr, Charles N. (Charles Noah) | R |
| 1921 | Collins, Louis L. | R | Putnam, Frank E.; Sageng, Ole O. | |
| 1919 | Frankson, Thomas | R | ||
| 1919E | Frankson, Thomas | R | ||
| 1917 | Frankson, Thomas | R | ||
| 1916E | Sullivan, George H. | R | ||
| 1915 | Burnquist, Joseph A. A. | R | ||
| 1913 | Burnquist, Joseph A. A. | R | ||
| 1912E | Gordon, Samuel Y. | |||
| 1911 | Gordon, Samuel Y. | R | ||
| 1909 | Eberhart, Adolph O. | R | Smith, Edward E.; became lt. gov, June or Sept. 1909 | R |
| 1907 | Eberhart, Adolph O. | R | Smith, Edward E. | R |
| 1905 | Jones, Ray W. | R | Thompson, Richard E. (Richard Enos) | R |
| 1903 | Jones, Ray W. | R | Thompson, Richard E. (Richard Enos) | R |
| 1902E | Smith, Lyndon A. | R | ||
| 1901 | Smith, Lyndon A. | R | Stockton, Albert W. (Albert William) | R |
| 1899 | Gibbs, John L. | R | Stockton, Albert W. (Albert William) | R |
| Smith, Lyndon A. | R | |||
| 1897 | Gibbs, John L. | R | Barr, George T. | R |
| 1895 | Day, Frank A. (Frank Arah) | R | Day, Frank A. (Frank Arah) | R |
| 1893 | Clough, David M. (David Marston) | R | Sanborn, John B. | W,R |
| 1891 | Ives, Gideon S. | R | Sanborn, John B. | W,R |
| 1889 | Rice, Albert E. | R | Ives, Gideon S. (Gideon Sprague) | R |
| 1887 | Rice, Albert E. | R | Buckman, Clarence B. | R |
| 1885 | Gilman, Charles A. | R | ||
| 1883 | Gilman, Charles A. | R | Goodrich, Daniel F. | R |
| 1881 | Gilman, Charles A. | Wilson, Horace B. | R | |
| 1881E | Gilman, Charles A. | R | ||
| 1879 | Wakefield, James B. | R | ||
| 1878 | Wakefield, James B. | R | Edgerton, Alonzo J. | R |
| 1877 | Wakefield, James B. | R | Daniels, John V. | R |
| 1876 | Wakefield, James B. | R | Meighen, William | |
| 1875 | Barto, Alphonso | R | ||
| 1874 | Barto, Alphonso | R | ||
| 1873 | Yale, William H. (William Hall) | R | ||
| 1872 | Yale, William H. (William Hall) | R | ||
| 1871 | Yale, William H. (William Hall) | R | ||
| 1870 | Yale, William H. (William Hall) | R | ||
| 1869 | Armstrong, Thomas H. | R | ||
| 1868 | Armstrong, Thomas H. | R | ||
| 1867 | Armstrong, Thomas H. | R | ||
| 1866 | Armstrong, Thomas H. | R | ||
| 1865 | Sherwood, Charles D. | R | ||
| 1864 | Sherwood, Charles D. | R | ||
| 1863 | Donnelly, Ignatius Resigned to take seat in the U.S. House, 4 March 1863. | R | ||
| 1862 | Donnelly, Ignatius | R | ||
| 1862E | Donnelly, Ignatius | R | ||
| 1861 | Donnelly, Ignatius | R | ||
| 1860 | Donnelly, Ignatius | P/R | ||
| 1859 | Holcombe, William; to January 2, 1860. | D | ||
| 1858 | Holcombe, William | D | ||
| 1857/58 | Murphy, Richard G.; until June 3, 1858 | |||
| TERRITORIAL COUNCIL | ||||
| 1857 | Brisbin, John B. | |||
| 1857E | Brisbin, John B. | |||
| 1856 | Brisbin, John B. | |||
| 1855 | Murray, William P. | |||
| 1854 | Olmstead, S. Baldwin; (spelled Olmsted in list in 1889 Legislative manual and in Toensing; Olmstead in Minnesota in Three Centuries and in Neill) | |||
| 1853 | Martin McLeod | |||
| 1852 | Forbes, William H. | |||
| 1851 | Loomis, David B. | |||
| 1849 | Olmsted, David |
