Jensen, Carl A.
House 1951-60 (District 14); Senate 1967-72 (District 17); Senate 1973-80 (District 28)
Party when first elected: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
Counties Served:
Brown, Cottonwood, Murray, Nicollet, Redwood
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Date of Birth:
12/11/1920
Birth Place:
Sleepy Eye, Minnesota
Birth County:
Brown
Birth Country:
United States
Date of Death:
5/4/1988
Gender:
Male
Religion:
Lutheran
Reported Minority: None Reported
Other Names:
City of Residence (when first elected):
Sleepy Eye
Occupation (when first elected):
Attorney
EDUCATION
Sleepy Eye High School; Secondary; Graduate
University of Minnesota; B.S.L.; Engineering, 1930s
University of Minnesota, Law School; LL.B.; With Honors, 1949
OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE
State Board/Commission/Council:
Minnesota Voyageur's National Park Commission;
19?? to 19??
School Board/Administration:
Sleepy Eye, Minnesota (School District Attorney, 9 years);
19?? to 19??
Military:
United States Army Air Force (World War II, Flight Instructor, Staff Sergeant);
194? to 194?
Municipal Attorney:
Sleepy Eye, Minnesota (City Attorney, 16 years);
196? to 19??
Judge:
Minnesota Tax Court (Appointed by Governor Al Quie; Chief Judge, 1986);
02/02/1981 to 07/1986
[Appointed]
FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
Spouse:
Lorraine Johnson (when first elected, she died in 1975); Widower; Patricia "Pat" Passman (remarried in 1977, she was a member of Governor Al Quie's staff)
Children:
Eight children: Steven "Steve," Scott, Paul, and Bruce (sons with his first wife); Karen (daughter with his first wife); Ramona (stepdaughter); Richard, and John (stepsons)
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:
Scott Jensen
- Son
GENERAL NOTES
Special Legislative Concerns: taxes.
He moved to Arden Hills, Minnesota in 1980.
He is "an active Republican party worker..." ("Know Your Minnesota Legislature: Rep. Carl A. Jensen." Minneapolis Star, Between November 1956-January 1957)
He was a member of the Republican party, until he ran unsuccessfully as the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party endorsed candidate for the Minnesota Senate in the 1986 election.
He was a Mason and a member of the Lion's Club.
He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church.
He died of cancer at home in Arden Hills, Minnesota.
Religion provided by the Catholic Bulletin, 3/21/1975.
Body:
Senate
District:
28
Elected:
11/2/1976
Residence:
Sleepy Eye
Term of Office:
1/3/1977 to 1/4/1981
Counties Represented:
Brown, Cottonwood, Murray, Nicollet, Redwood
Occupation:
Lawyer
Party:
Independent Republican
Committees:
-
Commerce
-
Commerce: Insurance
-
Commerce: Publicly Regulated Industries
-
Elections
-
Rules and Administration
-
Rules and Administration: Permanent and Joint Rules
-
Taxes and Tax Laws
-
Taxes and Tax Laws: Income Tax
Leadership Position:
Assistant Minority Leader
Body:
Senate
District:
28
Elected:
11/2/1976
Residence:
Sleepy Eye
Term of Office:
1/3/1977 to 1/4/1981
Counties Represented:
Brown, Cottonwood, Murray, Nicollet, Redwood
Occupation:
Lawyer, General Law Practice
Party:
Independent Republican
Committees:
-
Commerce
-
Commerce: Insurance
-
Commerce: Publicly Regulated Industries
-
Elections
-
Environment and Natural Resources
-
Rules and Administration
-
Rules and Administration: Election Contest Costs
-
Rules and Administration: Permanent and Joint Rules
-
Taxes and Tax Laws
Leadership Position:
Assistant Minority Leader
Body:
Senate
District:
28
Elected:
11/7/1972
Residence:
Sleepy Eye
Term of Office:
1/1/1973 to 1/2/1977
Counties Represented:
Brown, Cottonwood, Murray, Nicollet, Redwood
Occupation:
Lawyer
Party:
Nonpartisan Election-Independent Republican Caucus
Committees:
-
Judiciary
-
Judiciary: Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Privacy
-
Judiciary: Criminal Law and Corrections
-
Rules and Administration
-
Rules and Administration: Interim Commissions
-
Rules and Administration: Permanent Rules
-
Taxes and Tax Laws
Body:
Senate
District:
28
Elected:
11/7/1972
Residence:
Sleepy Eye
Term of Office:
1/1/1973 to 1/2/1977
Counties Represented:
Brown, Cottonwood, Murray, Nicollet, Redwood
Occupation:
Lawyer
Party:
Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
Committees:
-
Judiciary
-
Judiciary: Criminal Law and Correction
-
Judiciary: Judiciary
-
Rules and Administration
-
Rules and Administration: Interim Commissions
-
Rules and Administration: Permanent Rules
-
Taxes and Tax Laws
Body:
Senate
District:
17
Elected:
11/3/1970
Residence:
Sleepy Eye
Term of Office:
1/4/1971 to 12/31/1972
Counties Represented:
Brown, Redwood
Occupation:
Lawyer
Party:
Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
Committees:
-
Agriculture
-
Commerce and Insurance
-
General Legislation (Chair)
-
Judiciary
-
Public Highways
-
Taxes and Tax Laws
Body:
Senate
District:
17
Elected:
11/8/1966
Residence:
Sleepy Eye
Term of Office:
1/2/1967 to 1/3/1971
Counties Represented:
Brown, Redwood
Occupation:
Lawyer
Party:
Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
Committees:
-
Agriculture
-
Commerce
-
General Legislation
-
Judiciary
-
Public Highways
Body:
Senate
District:
17
Elected:
11/8/1966
Residence:
Sleepy Eye
Term of Office:
1/2/1967 to 1/3/1971
Counties Represented:
Brown, Redwood
Occupation:
Lawyer
Party:
Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
Committees:
-
Commerce
-
Game and Fish
-
General Legislation
-
Judiciary
-
Public Highways
Elected:
11/4/1958
Residence:
Sleepy Eye
Term of Office:
1/5/1959 to 1/1/1961
Counties Represented:
Brown
Occupation:
Attorney
Party:
Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
Committees:
-
Elections
-
Employees Compensation
-
General Legislation
-
Judiciary
-
Reapportionment
Elected:
11/6/1956
Residence:
Sleepy Eye
Term of Office:
1/7/1957 to 1/4/1959
Counties Represented:
Brown
Occupation:
Attorney
Party:
Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
Party Notes: He is "an active Republican party worker..." ("Know Your Minnesota Legislature: Rep. Carl A. Jensen." Minneapolis Star, Between November 1956-January 1957)
Committees:
-
Education
-
Elections
-
Employees Compensation
-
Judiciary
-
Reapportionment
Elected:
11/2/1954
Residence:
Sleepy Eye
Term of Office:
1/3/1955 to 1/6/1957
Counties Represented:
Brown
Occupation:
Attorney
Party:
Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
Party Notes: He is "an active Republican party worker..." ("Know Your Minnesota Legislature: Rep. Carl A. Jensen." Minneapolis Star, Between November 1956-January 1957)
Committees:
-
Elections
-
Employees Compensation
-
General Legislation
-
Public Domain
-
Reapportionment
Elected:
11/5/1952
Residence:
Sleepy Eye
Term of Office:
1/5/1953 to 1/2/1955
Counties Represented:
Brown
Occupation:
Attorney
Party:
Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
Committees:
-
Education
-
Elections
-
Employees Compensation
-
Judiciary
-
Municipal Affairs
-
University
Elected:
11/7/1950
Residence:
Sleepy Eye
Term of Office:
1/1/1951 to 1/4/1953
Counties Represented:
Brown
Occupation:
Attorney
Party:
Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
Committees:
-
Dairy Products and Livestock
-
Education
-
Elections
-
General Legislation
-
Judiciary
-
University
Articles & Books About
-
"Carl Jensen, Former State Legislator and Tax Judge, Dies at 67 (Obituary)." Star Tribune, May 5, 1988, p. 16B.
-
"Lawmaker Carl Jensen Dies at 67 (Obituary)." Mankato Free Press, May 5, 1988, p. 9, 11.
-
Salisbury, Bill. "Former Lawmaker Carl A. Jensen Dies (Obituary)." St. Paul Pioneer Press, May 5, 1988, p. 1B, 3B.
-
Sturdevant, Lori. "Tax Court's Carl Jensen May Quit, Become DFLer, Seek Senate Seat." Minneapolis Star and Tribune, July 10, 1986, p. 4B.
-
Matthews, Tom. "'Ornery' Senator Jars Tradition." St. Paul Dispatch, March 24, 1969.
-
“Know Your Minnesota Legislature: Rep. Carl A. Jensen." Minneapolis Star, Between November 1956-January 1957.
These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.
The Library maintains newspaper clippings on individual legislators during their terms. Clippings are available from 1973 to the present in a variety of formats: 1973-1999, microfiche available at the Library; 2000-2009, scanned in yearly compilations and digitally available on the legislative network; 2009-present, archived in a searchable database maintained by the Library and available on the legislative network.