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Grittner, Karl Frederick

Sessions Served

Other Information

House 1953-58 (District 39); Senate 1959-62 (District 39); Senate 1963-66 (District 46); Senate 1967-70 (District 43)

Party when first elected: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus

Counties Served: Ramsey

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Date of Birth: 11/22/1922

Birth Place: West Saint Paul, Minnesota

Birth County: Dakota

Birth Country: United States

Date of Death: 3/3/2011

Gender: Male

Religion: No Religious Affiliation

Reported Minority: None Reported

Other Names:

City of Residence (when first elected): Saint Paul

Occupation (when first elected): Teacher, Cleveland Junior High School, St. Paul

EDUCATION

Bryant Elementary School; Elementary School;
Douglas Elementary School; Elementary School;
Mechanic Arts High School, St. Paul; Secondary; Graduate, 1940
Hamline University; College Graduate; History, Political Science, and Education; 1945
National Institute of Public Affairs, Washington D.C.; Attended Graduate School; Scholarship, Government Studies
University of Minnesota; M.A.; Secondary School Administration, 1959
University of Minnesota; Ph.D.; Educational Administration, 1969

OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

State Board/Commission/Council: Minnesota Commission on the Problems of Mentally Retarded, Handicapped and Gifted Children; 19?? to 196?

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

Spouse: Carolyn "Carol" Pierce (married on May 26, 1945; she died on February 9, 2004)
Children: Three children: Linda, and Laura (daughters); Frederick "Fred" (son)
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

GENERAL NOTES

He was of Swedish and German ancestry.

He was a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.

"In 1953, as chairman of the Education Committee, he put freshman DFLer Karl Grittner on the panel…" (Hahn, Trudi. "Ex-Legislator Stanley Holmquist Dies at 93." Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 17, 2003)

He died of pancreatic cancer, in San Antonio, Texas.

Birth county, ancestry, marriage date, and spouse's death date provided by his daughter.

Religion provided by his daughter.

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Total Days Served: 6573

SESSIONS SERVED

66th Legislative Session (1969-1970) (second half of Senate term)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/7/1969

Body: Senate

District: 43

Elected: 11/8/1966

Residence: Saint Paul

Term of Office: 1/2/1967 to 1/3/1971
Oath Date: 1/3/1967

Counties Represented: Ramsey

Occupation: School Administrator, St. Paul Public Schools

Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus Party Notes: "His extraordinary memory helped him stand apart from his peers at the Capitol and earn a spot as minority leader for the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party in 1967, according to Tony Perpich,…" (Horner, Sarah. "Karl Grittner, 88: Former Legislator, Educator Had a Tale for Any Subject (Obituary)." St. Paul Pioneer Press, March 8, 2011.)

Committees:

Civil Administration and Metropolitan Affairs
Civil Administration and Metropolitan Affairs: Pensions and Retirement Division
Education
Finance
General Legislation
Local Government
Public Domain

Leadership Position: Minority Leader

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65th Legislative Session (1967-1968)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/3/1967

Body: Senate

District: 43

Elected: 11/8/1966

Residence: Saint Paul

Term of Office: 1/2/1967 to 1/3/1971
Oath Date: 1/3/1967

Counties Represented: Ramsey

Occupation: Principal, Mounds Park Junior High School

Committees:

Civil Administration and Metropolitan Affairs
Civil Administration and Metropolitan Affairs: Pensions and Retirement Division
Education
Finance
General Legislation
Local Government
Public Domain

Leadership Position: Minority Leader

64th Legislative Session (1965-1966) (second half of Senate term)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/5/1965

Body: Senate

District: 46

Elected: 11/6/1962

Residence: Saint Paul

Term of Office: 1/7/1963 to 1/1/1967
Oath Date: 1/8/1963

Counties Represented: Ramsey

Occupation: Principal, Mounds Park Junior High School

Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus

Committees:

Cities of the First Class
Education
Finance
General Legislation
Public Domain
Towns and Counties

Leadership Position: Assistant Minority Leader

63rd Legislative Session (1963-1964)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/8/1963

Body: Senate

District: 46

Elected: 11/6/1962

Residence: Saint Paul

Term of Office: 1/7/1963 to 1/1/1967
Oath Date: 1/8/1963

Counties Represented: Ramsey

Occupation: Assistant Principal, Wilson High School/Former Secretary, St. Paul Federation of Teachers, Local 28, AFL-CIO

Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus

Committees:

Cities of the First Class
Education
General Legislation
Public Domain
Public Welfare
Towns and Counties

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62nd Legislative Session (1961-1962) (second half of Senate term)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/3/1961

Body: Senate

District: 39

Elected: 11/4/1958

Residence: Saint Paul

Term of Office: 1/5/1959 to 1/6/1963
Oath Date: 1/6/1959

Counties Represented: Ramsey

Occupation: Teacher, Cleveland High School

Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus

Committees:

Cities of the First Class
Education
General Legislation
Public Domain

61st Legislative Session (1959-1960)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/6/1959

Body: Senate

District: 39

Elected: 11/4/1958

Residence: Saint Paul

Term of Office: 1/5/1959 to 1/6/1963
Oath Date: 1/6/1959

Counties Represented: Ramsey

Occupation: Teacher, Cleveland High School

Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus

Committees:

Cities of the First Class
Education
General Legislation
Public Domain

60th Legislative Session (1957-1958)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/8/1957

Body: House

District: 39

Elected: 11/6/1956

Residence: Saint Paul

Term of Office: 1/7/1957 to 1/4/1959
Oath Date: 1/8/1957

Counties Represented: Ramsey

Occupation: Teacher, Cleveland Junior High School

Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus

Committees:

Cities of the First and Second Class
Civil Administration
Education
Elections (Chair)
Law Enforcement and Crime Prevention
Rules

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59th Legislative Session (1955-1956)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/4/1955

Body: House

District: 39

Elected: 11/2/1954

Residence: Saint Paul

Term of Office: 1/3/1955 to 1/6/1957
Oath Date: 1/4/1955

Counties Represented: Ramsey

Occupation: Teacher, Cleveland Junior High School

Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus

Committees:

Cities of the First and Second Class
Civil Administration
Communications
Education
Elections (Chair)
Law Enforcement and Crime Prevention

58th Legislative Session (1953-1954)

Session Details Convened Date: 1/6/1953

Body: House

District: 39

Elected: 11/5/1952

Residence: Saint Paul

Term of Office: 1/5/1953 to 1/2/1955
Oath Date: 1/6/1953

Counties Represented: Ramsey

Occupation: Teacher, Cleveland Junior High School, St. Paul

Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus Party Notes: "In 1953, as chairman of the Education Committee, he put freshman DFLer Karl Grittner on the panel…" (Hahn, Trudi. "Ex-Legislator Stanley Holmquist Dies at 93." Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 17, 2003)

Committees:

Crime Prevention
Education
Municipal Affairs
Reapportionment
Veterans and Military Affairs

OTHER INFORMATION

Articles & Books About

Brandt, Steve. "Legislator, Educator Karl Grittner Dies at 88 (Obituary). Star Tribune, March 13, 2011, p. B8.
Horner, Sarah. "Karl Grittner, 88: Former Legislator, Educator Had a Tale for Any Subject (Obituary)." St. Paul Pioneer Press, March 8, 2011.
Grittner, Karl Frederick (Obituary). Star Tribune, March 6, 2011, p. B9.
Blake, Laurie. "Ex-Legislators/Where Are They Now?" Star Tribune, March 14, 1988.

Photographs

Photo of Karl Frederick Grittner of St. Paul on the Senate floor. c. 1965. Photo credit: This image courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society Visual Resources Database.

Photo of Karl Frederick Grittner of St. Paul. c. 1955. Photo credit: This image courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society Visual Resources Database.

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Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, 321 State Capitol, Saint Paul, MN 55155