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Fitzsimons, Richard W. "Dick"

House 1953-66 (District 67); House 1967-72 (District 67A); Senate 1973-76 (District 1)

Party when first elected:  Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus

Counties Served:  Beltrami, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Marshall, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, Roseau

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Date of Birth: 1/19/1922
Birth Place: Argyle, Minnesota
Birth County: Marshall
Birth Country: United States
Date of Death: 1/9/1991
Gender: Male
Religion: Catholic
Reported Minority: None Reported
Other Names: Dick
City of Residence (when first elected): Argyle
Occupation (when first elected): Farmer

EDUCATION

Argyle Schools; Elementary School;
Argyle High School; Secondary; Graduate, 1939

OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

County Board/Commissioner: Marshall County, Minnesota (County Fair Board); 19?? to 19??
Municipal Government: Crookston, Minnesota (Township Clerk); 19?? to 19??
State Board/Commission/Council: Minnesota State Historical Society, Honorary Executive Council (Named a Life Member); 1981 to 1991
State Board/Commission/Council: Minnesota Agricultural Drought Task Force (Appointed by Governor Rudy Perpich); 07/1988 to 19?? [Appointed]
State Board/Commission/Council: Minnesota Blue Ribbon Commission to Determine What Constitutes a High Quality Undergraduate Degree in the Minnesota State University System (Appointed by the Minnesota State University Board); 1990 to 199? [Appointed]

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

Spouse: Janice Kyseth (married on June 6, 1960)
Children: Two children: Mark Patrick (son), Lori Anne (daughter)
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

GENERAL NOTES

He was born on a farm. He moved to Warren, Minnesota in 1972 and to Moorhead, Minnesota in 1976.

He was severely burned while refueling his tractor in 1969. Over a third of his body was burned.

He was a member of the 4-H Club, the Knights of Columbus, and the Marshall County Historical Society.

He died of a heart attack at home in Moorhead, Minnesota. His funeral was held at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Moorhead, Minnesota.

Religion provided by his obituary.

Total Days Served: 8764

SESSIONS SERVED

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

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 01
Elected: 11/7/1972
Residence: Warren
Term of Office: 1/2/1973 to 1/3/1977
Counties Represented: Beltrami, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Marshall, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, Roseau
Occupation: Farmer
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Independent Republican Caucus
Committees:
  • Finance
  • Finance: State Departments II
  • Finance: State Departments III and Semi-State Affairs
  • Rules and Administration: Staffing
  • Transportation and General Legislation
  • Transportation and General Legislation: Veterans Affairs and General Legislation

68th Legislative Session (1973-1974)

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 01
Elected: 11/7/1972
Residence: Warren
Term of Office: 1/2/1973 to 1/3/1977
Counties Represented: Beltrami, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Marshall, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, Roseau
Occupation: Farmer
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
Committees:
  • Finance
  • Finance: Administrative State Departments
  • Finance: Natural Resources, Highways and Semi-State
  • Transportation and General Legislation
  • Transportation and General Legislation: Joint Fuel Oil
  • Transportation and General Legislation: Veterans Affairs

67th Legislative Session (1971-1972)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 67A
Elected: 11/3/1970
Residence: Argyle
Term of Office: 1/5/1971 to 1/1/1973
Counties Represented: Kittson, Marshall, Roseau
Occupation: Grain Farmer
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
Committees:
  • Appropriations (Chair)
  • Appropriations: Medical Education
  • Natural Resources
  • Reapportionment and Elections
  • Rules and Legislative Administration

66th Legislative Session (1969-1970)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 67A
Elected: 11/5/1968
Residence: Argyle
Term of Office: 1/7/1969 to 1/4/1971
Counties Represented: Kittson, Marshall, Roseau
Occupation: Grain Farmer
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
Committees:
  • Agriculture
  • Appropriations (Chair)
  • Conservation
  • Elections and Reapportionment
  • Land and Water Resources
  • Legislative Administration and Rules

65th Legislative Session (1967-1968)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 67A
Elected: 11/8/1966
Residence: Argyle
Term of Office: 1/3/1967 to 1/6/1969
Counties Represented: Kittson, Marshall, Roseau
Occupation: Grain Farmer
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
Committees:
  • Agriculture
  • Appropriations (Chair)
  • Elections and Reapportionment
  • Forestry and Public Domain
  • Game and Fish
  • Rules

64th Legislative Session (1965-1966)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 67
Elected: 11/3/1964
Residence: Argyle
Term of Office: 1/5/1965 to 1/2/1967
Counties Represented: Marshall
Occupation: Grain Farmer
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
Committees:
  • Agriculture and Cooperatives
  • Appropriations (Chair)
  • Reapportionment
  • Rules

63rd Legislative Session (1963-1964)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 67
Elected: 11/6/1962
Residence: Argyle
Term of Office: 1/8/1963 to 1/4/1965
Counties Represented: Marshall
Occupation: Grain Farmer
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
Committees:
  • Agriculture
  • Appropriations (Chair)
  • Elections and Reapportionment
  • Forestry and Public Domain
  • Rules

62nd Legislative Session (1961-1962)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 67
Elected: 11/8/1960
Residence: Argyle
Term of Office: 1/3/1961 to 1/7/1963
Counties Represented: Marshall
Occupation: Grain Farmer
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
Committees:
  • Appropriations
  • Cooperatives and Marketing
  • Game and Fish
  • Towns and Counties
  • Veterans and Military Affairs

61st Legislative Session (1959-1960)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 67
Elected: 11/4/1958
Residence: Argyle
Term of Office: 1/6/1959 to 1/2/1961
Counties Represented: Marshall
Occupation: Farmer
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
Committees:
  • Agriculture
  • Appropriations
  • Banking
  • Cooperatives and Marketing
  • Veterans and Military Affairs

60th Legislative Session (1957-1958)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 67
Elected: 11/6/1956
Residence: Argyle
Term of Office: 1/8/1957 to 1/5/1959
Counties Represented: Marshall
Occupation: Farmer
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
Committees:
  • Appropriations
  • Compute Mileage Special
  • Drainage and Soil Conservation
  • General Legislation
  • Veterans and Military Affairs
  • Welfare

59th Legislative Session (1955-1956)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 67
Elected: 11/2/1954
Residence: Argyle
Term of Office: 1/4/1955 to 1/7/1957
Counties Represented: Marshall
Occupation: Farmer
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
Committees:
  • Appropriations
  • Claims
  • Markets and Marketing
  • Reforestation
  • Veterans and Military Affairs

58th Legislative Session (1953-1954)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 67
Elected: 11/5/1952
Residence: Argyle
Term of Office: 1/6/1953 to 1/3/1955
Counties Represented: Marshall
Occupation: Farmer
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
Committees:
  • Agriculture
  • Cooperatives
  • Drainage and Soil Conservation
  • General Legislation
  • State and County Fairs

Senate Photos

The photos in this collection were scanned from the files of the Minnesota Senate Photographer with the generous help of the Minnesota Digital Library.

Articles & Books About
"Richard W. Fitzsimons, 68, Long Time Co. Politician, Dead (Obituary)." Warren Sheaf, January 16, 1991.

"Former Legislator Richard W. Fitzsimons Dead at 68 (Obituary)." St. Paul Pioneer Press, January 11, 1991.

"Former State Legislator Fitzsimons Dies at 68 (Obituary)." Brainerd Daily Dispatch, January 10, 1991.

"Richard W. Fitzsimons Dies; was Representative, Senator (Obituary)." Star Tribune, January 10, 1991, p. 6B.

Mattson, Neil. "Sheaves, Kernels, and Some Chaff." Warren Sheaf, December 14, 1983.

"Rep. Fitzsimons is Satisfactory After Mishap." Minneapolis Tribune, August 10, 1969/Rep. Fitzsimons Transferring to U Hospitals." Minneapolis Tribune, August 18, 1969.

"Severe Burns Put Fitzsimons in Hospital." Minneapolis Tribune, August 9, 1969/"Severe Burns Put Legislator in Hospital." Minneapolis Star, August 9, 1969.


Archive Collections
Richard W. Fitzsimons Papers, 1953-1978 - Available at the Minnesota Historical Society in the manuscripts collections.
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.