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O'Neill, Joseph Thomas "Joe"

House 1967-70 (District 47B); Senate 1971-72 (District 47); Senate 1973-76 (District 63)

Party when first elected:  Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus

Counties Served:  Ramsey

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Date of Birth: 11/13/1931
Birth Place: Saint Paul, Minnesota
Birth County: Ramsey
Birth Country: United States
Date of Death: 1/25/2022
Gender: Male
Religion: Catholic
Reported Minority: None Reported
Other Names: Joe
City of Residence (when first elected): Saint Paul
Occupation (when first elected): Lawyer

EDUCATION

St. Luke's Catholic Grade School; Elementary School;
St. Thomas Academy; Secondary; Graduate, 1949
University of Notre Dame; B.A.; 1953
University of Minnesota, Law School; LL.B.; 1956

OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

Military: United States Air Force (Azores Islands, Portugal; Judge Advocate Officer, 1st Lieutenant); 10/1956 to 07/1959

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

Spouse: Nancy Kenefick (married on September 11, 1956; she died in 2005)
Children: Eight children: Kathleen, Maureen, and Shelagh (daughters); Joseph, Thomas, John, Michael, and Kevin (sons)
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

GENERAL NOTES

He was of Irish ancestry.

He was a member of the Republican Party. (Joseph Thomas O'Neill)

Birth place, birth date, birth year, middle name, elementary school, marriage date, and party affiliation provided by the member.

His motto was: "Community service is the rent you pay as a citizen."

His funeral was held on January 29th, 2022 at the Church of the Assumption in St. Paul. He was buried at Resurrection Cemetery in St. Paul.

Religion provided by the Catholic Bulletin, 3/21/1975.

Total Days Served: 3654

SESSIONS SERVED

69th Legislative Session (1975-1976) (second half of Senate term)

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 63
Elected: 11/7/1972
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/2/1973 to 1/3/1977
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Lawyer
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Independent Republican Caucus
Committees:
  • Education
  • Education: School Finance
  • Rules and Administration
  • Rules and Administration: Re-referrals
  • Taxes and Tax Laws
Leadership Position: Minority Caucus Floor Leader

68th Legislative Session (1973-1974)

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 63
Elected: 11/7/1972
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/2/1973 to 1/3/1977
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Lawyer
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus Party Notes: He was a member of the Republican Party. (Joseph Thomas O'Neill)
Committees:
  • Education
  • Education: School Finance
  • Judiciary
  • Judiciary: Criminal Law and Correction
  • Judiciary: Judiciary
  • Taxes and Tax Laws

67th Legislative Session (1971-1972)

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 47
Elected: 11/3/1970
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/5/1971 to 1/1/1973
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Lawyer
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus Party Notes: He was a member of the Republican Party. (Joseph Thomas O'Neill)
Committees:
  • Civil Administration
  • Corrections and Commitments
  • General Legislation
  • Higher Education
  • Judiciary
  • Pensions and Retirement

66th Legislative Session (1969-1970)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 47B
Elected: 11/5/1968
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/7/1969 to 1/4/1971
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Lawyer
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus Party Notes: He was a member of the Republican Party. (Joseph Thomas O'Neill)
Committees:
  • Appropriations
  • Cities of the First Class
  • Crime Prevention
  • Employee Compensation and Retirements
  • Judiciary
  • Metropolitan and Urban Affairs

65th Legislative Session (1967-1968)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 47B
Elected: 11/8/1966
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/3/1967 to 1/6/1969
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Lawyer
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus Party Notes: He was a member of the Republican Party. (Joseph Thomas O'Neill)
Committees:
  • Education
  • Government Employee Security
  • Health and Welfare
  • Judiciary
  • Metropolitan and Urban Affairs
  • Taxes
Articles & Books About
Salisbury, Bill. "Joseph T. 'Joe' O'Neill, 90: Lawyer Lawmaker Embodied Community Service." Pioneer Press, January 27, 2022, p. 6A.

Shellum, Bernie. "Senator Hearing Lobbyist's Defense Has Old Ties to Forbes, Attorney." Minneapolis Tribune, March 6, 1974.


These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.

The Minnesota Legislative Reference Library has collected newspaper articles on legislators since 1973. They are available in the Library.