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    Tennessen, Robert J.

    Sessions Served    Other Information

    Senate 1971-72 (District 38); Senate 1973-82 (District 56)

    Party when first elected:  Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus

    Counties Served:  Hennepin

    BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

    Date of Birth: 8/24/1939
    Birth Place: Adrian, Minnesota
    Birth County: Nobles
    Birth Country: United States
    Date of Death:
    Gender: Male
    Religion: Catholic
    Reported Minority: None Reported
    Other Names:
    City of Residence (when first elected): Minneapolis
    Occupation (when first elected): Attorney

    EDUCATION

    St. Anthony High School, Lismore; Secondary; Graduate, 1957
    University of Minnesota; B.A.; Economics, 1965
    University of Minnesota, Law School; J.D.; 1968

    OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

    State Board/Commission/Council: Minnesota Commission on Uniform State Laws; [Dates Unknown]
    State Board/Commission/Council: Minnesota Constitutional Study Commission; 19?? to 19??
    Military: United States Air Force; 1957 to 1961
    U.S. Legislative Staff/Council/Commission: United States Privacy Protection Study Commission; 1975 to 1977

    FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

    Spouse: Christine Hestad Tennessen
    Children: Three children: (daughters)
    Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

    GENERAL NOTES

    Special Legislative Concerns: finance, judiciary, health, welfare, corrections, banking, insurance.

    He was born in Adrian but grew up in nearby Lismore.

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

    The Tennessen Warning, which is named after former Sen. Tennessen, "gives individuals the information they need to make an informed choice about surrendering the privacy of their personal data by providing it to the government" (Pioneer Press, June 21, 2008).

    He was a member of the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

    Religion provided by the Minnesota Historical Society.

    Most recent term photo
    Click to view
    Total Days Served: 4382

    SESSIONS SERVED

    72nd Legislative Session (1981-1982)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/6/1981
    Body: Senate
    District: 56
    Elected: 11/4/1980
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/5/1981 to 1/2/1983
    Oath Date: 1/6/1981
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Attorney
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Commerce (Chair)
    • Finance
    • Finance: Education
    • Judiciary
    • Judiciary: Corporate Law
    • Judiciary: Judicial Administration
    • Judiciary: Privacy (Chair)
    • Rules and Administration
    • Rules and Administration: Personnel
    term photo
    Click to view

    71st Legislative Session (1979-1980) (second half of Senate term)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/3/1979
    Body: Senate
    District: 56
    Elected: 11/2/1976
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/3/1977 to 1/4/1981
    Oath Date: 1/4/1977
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Attorney
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Commerce (Chair)
    • Commerce: Banking - Ex Officio Member
    • Commerce: Consumer Protection - Ex Officio Member
    • Commerce: Insurance - Ex Officio Member
    • Commerce: Publicly Regulated Industries - Ex Officio Member
    • Finance
    • Finance: Education
    • Finance: Health, Welfare and Corrections
    • Judiciary
    • Judiciary: Judicial Administration
    • Judiciary: Privacy (Chair)
    • Rules and Administration

    70th Legislative Session (1977-1978)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/4/1977
    Body: Senate
    District: 56
    Elected: 11/2/1976
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/3/1977 to 1/4/1981
    Oath Date: 1/4/1977
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Attorney
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Commerce (Chair)
    • Commerce: Banking - Ex Officio Member
    • Commerce: Consumer Protection and Economic Development - Ex Officio Member
    • Commerce: Insurance - Ex Officio Member
    • Commerce: Publicly Regulated Industries - Ex Officio Member
    • Finance
    • Finance: Education
    • Finance: Health, Welfare and Corrections
    • Judiciary
    • Judiciary: Judicial Administration
    • Judiciary: Privacy (Chair)
    • Rules and Administration
    term photo
    Click to view

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

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/7/1975
    Body: Senate
    District: 56
    Elected: 11/7/1972
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/1/1973 to 1/2/1977
    Oath Date: 1/2/1973
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Attorney
    Party: Nonpartisan Election-Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus
    Committees:
    • Finance
    • Finance: Education
    • Finance: Welfare-Corrections
    • Health, Welfare and Corrections
    • Health, Welfare and Corrections: Corrections (Chair)
    • Health, Welfare and Corrections: Institutional Closings
    • Judiciary
    • Judiciary: Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Privacy (Chair)
    • Judiciary: Judicial Administration (Chair)
    • Judiciary: Public Law Reform

    68th Legislative Session (1973-1974)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/2/1973
    Body: Senate
    District: 56
    Elected: 11/7/1972
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/1/1973 to 1/2/1977
    Oath Date: 1/2/1973
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Attorney
    Party: Nonpartisan Election-Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus
    Committees:
    • Finance
    • Finance: Education
    • Finance: Welfare and Corrections
    • Health, Welfare and Corrections
    • Health, Welfare and Corrections: Corrections (Chair)
    • Judiciary
    • Judiciary: Judicial Administration (Chair)
    • Judiciary: Judiciary
    term photo
    Click to view

    67th Legislative Session (1971-1972)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/5/1971
    Body: Senate
    District: 38
    Elected: 11/3/1970
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/4/1971 to 12/31/1972
    Oath Date: 1/5/1971
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Attorney
    Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus
    Committees:
    • Corrections and Commitments
    • Education
    • Judiciary
    • Urban Affairs

    OTHER INFORMATION

    News Sources

    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.
    These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.

    Archive Collections

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