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    Davies, II, John Thomas "Jack"

    Sessions Served    Other Information

    Senate 1959-62 (District 31); Senate 1963-72 (District 42); Senate 1973-82 (District 60)

    Party when first elected:  Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus

    Counties Served:  Hennepin

    BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

    Date of Birth: 1/6/1932
    Birth Place: Harvey, North Dakota
    Birth County:
    Birth Country: United States
    Date of Death:
    Gender: Male
    Religion:
    Reported Minority: None Reported
    Other Names: Jack
    City of Residence (when first elected): Minneapolis
    Occupation (when first elected): Law School Student, University of Minnesota/Former Sports Editor on KSTP-TV

    EDUCATION

    Greenway High School; Secondary; Graduate
    Itasca Junior College; Junior College/Community College; Graduate
    University of Minnesota; B.A.; Journalism, Magna Cum Laude, 1954
    University of Minnesota, Law School; LL.B.; Juris Doctor, Cum Laude, 1960

    OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

    Military: United States Army (Korea and Japan); 195? to 19??
    State Board/Commission/Council: Minnesota Commission on Uniform State Laws; 1966 to 19??
    State Board/Commission/Council: Minnesota Constitutional Study Commission; 1971 to 19??
    Judge: Minnesota Court of Appeals (First Appointed, Then Elected); 07/01/1990 to 09/01/2000 [Appointed]

    FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

    Spouse: Janet Tripp (first listed in 1963); Patricia "Pat" (first listed in 1969)
    Children: Three children: Elizabeth (daughter); Ted Elliot, and John Thomas III (sons)
    Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

    GENERAL NOTES

    Special Legislative Concerns: law reform, criminal law, commerce.

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

    He was the youngest Senator in the 62nd legislative session (Minneapolis Star, 1959).

    Most recent term photo
    Click to view
    Total Days Served: 8764

    SESSIONS SERVED

    72nd Legislative Session (1981-1982)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/6/1981
    Body: Senate
    District: 60
    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: Law Teacher; Professor, William Mitchell College of Law
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Commerce
    • Commerce: Insurance (Chair)
    • Judiciary (Chair)
    • Judiciary: Judicial Administration
    • Judiciary: Law Revision
    • Local Government and Urban Affairs
    • Rules and Administration
    • Rules and Administration: Bill Referral (Chair)
    • Rules and Administration: Bill Scheduling
    • Rules and Administration: Permanent and Joint Rules (Chair)
    • Taxes and Tax Laws
    • Taxes and Tax Laws: Government Development Finance Tax
    • Taxes and Tax Laws: Income Tax
    Leadership Position: President of the Senate
    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: 60
    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: Law Teacher/Professor, William Mitchell College of Law
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Commerce
    • Commerce: Insurance (Chair)
    • Judiciary (Chair)
    • Judiciary: Criminal Law (Chair) [He was the Chair in 1980 only.]
    • Rules and Administration
    • Rules and Administration: Permanent and Joint Rules (Chair)
    • Rules and Administration: Referrals (Rule 35)
    • Taxes and Tax Laws
    • Taxes and Tax Laws: Inheritance, Estates and Trusts

    70th Legislative Session (1977-1978)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/4/1977
    Body: Senate
    District: 60
    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: Law Teacher, Professor; William Mitchell College of Law
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Commerce
    • Commerce: Insurance (Chair)
    • Judiciary (Chair)
    • Judiciary: Criminal Law (Chair)
    • Rules and Administration
    • Rules and Administration: Permanent and Joint Rules (Chair)
    • Rules and Administration: Referral (Rule 35)
    • Taxes and Tax Laws
    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: 60
    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: Professor, William Mitchell College of Law
    Party: Nonpartisan Election-Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus
    Committees:
    • Committees (Chair)
    • Finance
    • Finance: Education (Chair)
    • Finance: State Departments I
    • Judiciary (Chair)
    • Judiciary: Criminal Law and Corrections (Chair)
    • Judiciary: Private Law Reform
    • Labor and Commerce
    • Labor and Commerce: Commerce and Insurance
    • Rules and Administration
    • Rules and Administration: Constitutional Amendments (Chair)
    • Rules and Administration: Permanent Rules (Chair)
    • Rules and Administration: Revisor's

    68th Legislative Session (1973-1974)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/2/1973
    Body: Senate
    District: 60
    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: Professor, William Mitchell College of Law
    Party: Nonpartisan Election-Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus
    Committees:
    • Committees (Chair)
    • Finance
    • Finance: Administrative State Departments
    • Finance: Education (Chair)
    • Judiciary (Chair)
    • Judiciary: Judiciary (Chair)
    • Judiciary: Law Reform (Chair)
    • Labor and Commerce
    • Labor and Commerce: Commerce and Insurance
    • Rules and Administration
    • Rules and Administration: Interim Commissions (Chair)
    • Rules and Administration: Permanent Rules
    term photo
    Click to view

    67th Legislative Session (1971-1972)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/5/1971
    Body: Senate
    District: 42
    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: Professor, William Mitchell College of Law
    Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus
    Committees:
    • Civil Administration
    • Commerce and Insurance
    • Finance
    • Judiciary
    • Urban Affairs

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

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/7/1969
    Body: Senate
    District: 42
    Elected: 11/8/1966
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/2/1967 to 1/3/1971
    Oath Date: 1/3/1967
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Professor, William Mitchell College of Law
    Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus
    Committees:
    • Civil Administration and Metropolitan Affairs
    • Civil Administration and Metropolitan Affairs: Metropolitan Problems Division
    • Commerce
    • Finance
    • Judiciary
    • Local Government
    term photo
    Click to view

    65th Legislative Session (1967-1968)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/3/1967
    Body: Senate
    District: 42
    Elected: 11/8/1966
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/2/1967 to 1/3/1971
    Oath Date: 1/3/1967
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Professor, William Mitchell College of Law
    Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus
    Committees:
    • Civil Administration and Metropolitan Affairs
    • Civil Administration and Metropolitan Affairs: Metropolitan Problems Division
    • Commerce
    • Finance
    • Game and Fish
    • Judiciary
    • Local Government

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

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/5/1965
    Body: Senate
    District: 42
    Elected: 11/6/1962
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/7/1963 to 1/1/1967
    Oath Date: 1/8/1963
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Lawyer; Firm of Fine, Simon and Schneider
    Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus
    Committees:
    • Cities of the First Class
    • Civil Administration
    • Commerce
    • Finance
    • Judiciary
    • Towns and Counties

    63rd Legislative Session (1963-1964)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/8/1963
    Body: Senate
    District: 42
    Elected: 11/6/1962
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/7/1963 to 1/1/1967
    Oath Date: 1/8/1963
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Lawyer; Firm of Fine, Simon and Schneider
    Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus
    Committees:
    • Cities of the First Class
    • Civil Administration
    • Commerce
    • Finance
    • Judiciary
    • Towns and Counties
    term photo
    Click to view

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

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/3/1961
    Body: Senate
    District: 31
    Elected: 11/4/1958
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/5/1959 to 1/6/1963
    Oath Date: 1/6/1959
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Lawyer
    Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus
    Committees:
    • Civil Administration
    • Commerce
    • Judiciary
    • Local Government

    61st Legislative Session (1959-1960)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/6/1959
    Body: Senate
    District: 31
    Elected: 11/4/1958
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/5/1959 to 1/6/1963
    Oath Date: 1/6/1959
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Law School Student, University of Minnesota/Former Sports Editor on KSTP-TV
    Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus
    Committees:
    • Civil Administration
    • Commerce
    • Local Government

    OTHER INFORMATION

    Articles & Books By

    • Davies, Jack. Legislative Law and Process in a Nutshell. St. Paul, Minn.: West, 1986.

    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

    Photographs

    Senator James Pehler and Senator Jack Davies in a discussion during a Senate floor session, St. Paul, Minnesota. c. 1981-1982. Photo credit: This image was scanned from the files of the Minnesota Senate Photographer with the generous help of the Minnesota Digital Library.
    Senator Jack Davies and Senator Doug Johnson confer during a Senate floor session, St. Paul, Minnesota. c. 1977-1982. Photo credit: This image was scanned from the files of the Minnesota Senate Photographer with the generous help of the Minnesota Digital Library.
    Senator Sam Solon confers with Senator Jack Davies on the Senate floor in the late 1970s. c. 1977-1980. Photo credit: This image was scanned from the files of the Minnesota Senate Photographer with the generous help of the Minnesota Digital Library.
    Portrait of John Thomas Davies II. c. 1973. Photo credit: Minnesota Senate.

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