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    Information on Minnesota State Agencies, Boards, Task Forces, and Commissions

    Compiled by the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library

    Veterans Service Building Commission

    Also known as:
    State Veterans Service Building Commission
    Active dates:1945-1967
    Authority:
    1945 Minn. Laws Chap. 315
    Function: The Commission was charged with selecting a plan for a state veterans service building and "the enlargement and beautification of the state capitol grounds".

    The State Veterans Service Building shall be designed to provide, in addition to public rooms, quarters for the State Department of Veterans Affairs and the state organization of any war veterans organization chartered by the Congress of the United States and of the auxiliaries of such veterans organizations.
    Succeeded by:
    Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board
    History: The history of the Veterans Service Building Commission begins with the Governor's War Memorial Committee. The committee was appointed in 1944 to conduct a study on the advisability of erecting a war memorial on the Capitol grounds and for the beautification of the grounds. After the committee submitted its report the legislature created the Veterans Service Building Commission (Laws 1945 c315). It was charged with the responsibility, in conjunction with the city of St. Paul, for the acquisition of lands to enlarge the Capitol site; the development and beautification thereof; providing the necessary approaches to the Capitol; and the erection of a Veterans Service Building.

    The commission was appointed by the governor and was composed of two members at large and one member from each congressional district. It was superseded in 1967 by the Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Commission (Ex. Sess. Laws 1967 c13) which was charged with preserving the architectural integrity of the Capitol area.
    Membership: Members of the War Memorial Commission, December 7, 1944, to April 14, 1945; Edward B. Cosgrove, 1944-1945; Maj. William Curtis, 1944-1945; Dr. J. H. Drake, 1944-1945; Arthur Eggert, 1944-1945; Alvin H. Friberg, 1944-1945; Edward Hayek, 1944-1945; Col. Donald S. Holmes, 1944-1945; Jay C. Hormel, 1944-1945; Henry Lund, 1944-1945; Dr. C. I. Oliver, 1944-1945; J. Cameron Thompson, 1944-1945; Maj. Gen. Ellard W. Walsh (chairman), 1944-1945.

    Members of the Veterans Service Building Commission: none listed, 1945-1946 or 1965-1966; Governor - Ex officio chairman; H. N. Bishop, 1949-1966; Mrs. C. A. Carlson, 1953-1966; Homer Clark, 1947-1966; Edward B. Cosgrove, 1947-1962; Ole A. Flaat, 1947-1952; O. F. Grangaard, 1951-1952; Robert Herberger, 1947-1948; Donald S. Holmes, 1947-1948; William O. Johnson, 1947-1954; A. Karlson, 1947-1962; Kenneth Law, 1947-[1966?]; Henry J. Lund (vice chairman, 1961-1966), 1947-[1966?]; Russell B. Rathbun, 1949-[1966?]; Richey B. Reavill, 1949-[1966?]; Dr. F. J. Rogstad, 1953-[1966?]; J. Cameron Thompson, 1947-1948; Maj. Gen. Ellard A. Walsh (vice chairman), 1947-1960.
    Agency heads: Secretaries: none listed, 1945-1948; William H. Fallon, 1949-1964; none listed, 1965-1966.
    Internet resource:
    Veterans Service Building
    Minnesota Historical Society: Veterans Service Building Commission, A History of Its Records
    Documents/Articles:
    News clippings and documents. Agencies Notebook Collection, no date.
    Record last updated: 05/29/2014
     

    All information on this group from the Library’s collection of agency notebooks has been digitized. These materials are incorporated into the “documents/articles” section of the record. Please contact a librarian with any questions. The Minnesota Agencies database is a work in progress.

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