Joseph A. A. Burnquist

Joseph Alfred Arner Burnquist (July 21, 1879 – January 12, 1961) was an American Republican politician. He served in the Minnesota State Legislature from 1909 to 1911, was elected the 20th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota in 1912, and then served as the 19th Governor of Minnesota from December 30, 1915 to January 5, 1921. He became Governor after the death of Governor Winfield Scott Hammond.

After leaving government for 17 years to practice law, Burnquist returned to serve as Minnesota Attorney General from January 2, 1939 until January 3, 1955 — the second longest tenure of any individual to hold that position.

Biography

Early years

Joseph Alfred Arner Burnquist was born in Dayton, Iowa of Swedish descent and earned his law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1905.^[1]

After a brief time practicing law in St. Paul, he entered politics as a state legislator in 1908.

Political career

During his second term as lieutenant governor, he succeeded Governor Hammond, who died in office.

1918 election poster

Turbulent times surrounded America's entrance into World War I in 1917. Not all Americans supported U.S. involvement in a European war, and this feeling was heightened in Minnesota because of dissatisfaction among farmers and laborers, who were more concerned with domestic policy than with the conflict overseas. Supporters of the war, suspicious of radicals, pacifists, and the foreign-born, acted quickly to stifle dissent. Through the Public Safety Commission—which Burnquist created in 1917 to monitor public sentiment toward the war—he quashed pacifist demonstrations and denounced in his final inaugural message those "few socialistically and anarchistically inclined" who questioned America's involvement in "the world's baptism of blood." The commission, ostensibly nonpartisan, firmly opposed any action its conservative members considered suspect or un-American.

While primarily concerned with war issues, Burnquist also initiated legislation that improved the state highways, disaster assistance programs, labor relations, and, especially the welfare of children.

After leaving office he practiced law for 17 years before beginning his lengthy tenure as state Attorney General in 1939. At 16 years and 1 day, he was narrowly surpassed by Skip Humphrey, who served 16 years and 3 days at the end of his tenure in 1999, for longest served Minnesota Attorney General. During the 1920s, he wrote several works in the series "Minnesota and its People" at his home in St. Paul.^[2]

Death and legacy

Burnquist's home at 27 Crocus Place in St. Paul

Burnquist died on January 12, 1961 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Until his death at the age of 81, Burnquist maintained the bearing and manner of a strong-willed senior statesman.

Footnotes

Further reading

• Biographical information and his gubernatorial records are available for research use at the Minnesota Historical Society.

External links

• Governors of Minnesota
• Minnesota Legislators Past and Present

Governors of Minnesota
Territorial (1849–58)	Ramsey Gorman Medary
State (since 1858)	Sibley Ramsey Swift Miller Marshall Austin Davis Pillsbury Hubbard McGill Merriam Nelson Clough Lind Van Sant Johnson Eberhart Hammond Burnquist Preus Christianson Olson Petersen Benson Stassen Thye Youngdahl E. Anderson Freeman Andersen Rolvaag LeVander W. Anderson Perpich Quie Perpich Carlson Ventura Pawlenty Dayton

Lieutenant Governors of Minnesota
Holcombe Donnelly Swift Sherwood Armstrong Yale Barto Wakefield Gilman Rice Ives Clough Day Gibbs L. Smith Jones Eberhart E. Smith Gordon Burnquist Sullivan Frankson Collins Nolan Adams Arens Solberg Petersen Richardson (acting) Lindsten Anderson Thye Miller Anderson Nelsen Wright Rolvaag Keith Goetz Perpich Olson Wangberg Johnson Dyrstad Benson Schunk Molnau Prettner Solon T. Smith

Attorneys General of Minnesota
Berry Cole Colvill Cornell Wilson Start Hahn Clapp Childs Douglas Donahower Young Simpson Smith Hilton Pratt Youngquist Benson Peterson Ervin Burnquist Lord Mondale Mattson Head Spannaus Humphrey Hatch Swanson