House 1963-66 (District 10); House 1967-70 (District 10A)
Party when first elected: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
Counties Served:
Faribault
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Date of Birth:
2/27/1931
Birth Place:
Blue Earth, Minnesota
Birth County:
Faribault
Birth Country:
United States
Date of Death:
9/21/2023
Gender:
Male
Religion:
Reported Minority: None Reported
Other Names:
City of Residence (when first elected):
Blue Earth
Occupation (when first elected):
Grain and Livestock Farmer
EDUCATION
Faribault County Public Schools; Elementary School; One Room Grade School
Faribault County Public Schools; Secondary; Graduate
St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota; B.A.; Liberal Arts/Speech, 1953
Harvard University; M.P.A.; Bush Foundation Fellowship, Public Administration, 1966
OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE
Military:
United States Army (Ft. Riley, KS and Tachikawa Air Base, Japan);
1954 to 1956
State Secretary of State:
Minnesota;
01/04/1971 to 01/05/1975
[Elected]
State Board/Commission/Council:
Minnesota Public Service Commission;
1975 to 1978
U.S. Representative:
1st Congressional District, Minnesota;
01/15/1979 to 01/03/1983
[Elected]
U.S. Executive Branch:
U.S. Peace Corps, Jamaica (Country Director);
1983 to 1985
U.S. Executive Branch:
U.S. Peace Corps (Associate Director);
1986 to 1989
U.S. Executive Branch:
U.S. Department of Energy (Principal Deputy/Acting Assistant Secretary for International Affairs);
1989 to 1993
FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
Spouse:
Ellen Syrdal (married in 1958)
Children:
Six children: Rolf, Eric, John, and Lars (sons); Laura, Kari (daughters)
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:
Dale E. Erdahl
-
Cousin
GENERAL NOTES
He was raised on a farm near Blue Earth, Minnesota.
As a Minnesota legislator "he authored the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, advancing women's rights" (Star Tribune Obituary, September 24, 2023).
He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the United States House of Representatives in 1982.
His funeral will be held at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, on October 14, 2023 at 11am. He will be buried at Oaklawn Cemetery in Northfield, Minnesota.