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Prifrel, Jr., Joseph L. "Joe"

House 1939-62 (District 38); House 1963-66 (District 47); House 1967-72 (District 45A)

Party when first elected:  Nonpartisan Election

Counties Served:  Ramsey

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Date of Birth: 12/1/1905
Birth Place: Moson
Birth County:
Birth Country: Hungary
Date of Death: 11/6/1997
Gender: Male
Religion: Catholic
Reported Minority: None Reported
Other Names: Joe
City of Residence (when first elected): Saint Paul
Occupation (when first elected): Furrier

EDUCATION

St. Bernard's Grade School; Elementary School; Graduate
Night School; Secondary; 8 years

OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

Spouse: Widower (first listed in 1941); Evelyn (remarried, first listed in 1947)
Children: Five children (3 children were with his first wife): Thomas "Tom", James "Jim", and Robert (sons); Josette and Kathleen (daughters)
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

GENERAL NOTES

He was a Liberal.

He was born in northern Hungary and moved with his parents to St. Paul when he was 6 or 7 years old. He became a United States citizen on July 28, 1922.

He was a baseball coach for St. Bernard's Catholic School in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was a catcher with the industrial baseball leagues and a lifetime member of the St. Paul Amateur Baseball Association.

He was a member of the Industrial Relations Center Advisory Council at the University of Minnesota from 1947-1984.

His funeral was held at St. Bernard's Catholic Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was buried in Calvary Cemetery in St. Paul, Minnesota.

He was a member of St. Bernard's Catholic Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Religion provided by his obituary.

Total Days Served: 12418

SESSIONS SERVED

67th Legislative Session (1971-1972)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 45A
Elected: 11/3/1970
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/4/1971 to 12/31/1972
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Labor Union Representative
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus
Committees:
  • Crime Prevention
  • Governmental Operations
  • Labor Relations
  • Regulated Industries
  • Taxes

66th Legislative Session (1969-1970)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 45A
Elected: 11/5/1968
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/6/1969 to 1/3/1971
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Labor Union Representative
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus
Committees:
  • Employee Compensation and Retirements
  • Governmental Operations
  • Labor Relations
  • Regulated Industries and Utilities
  • Taxes

65th Legislative Session (1967-1968)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 45A
Elected: 11/8/1966
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/2/1967 to 1/5/1969
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Union Representative
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus
Committees:
  • Civil Administration
  • Employees Compensation
  • Government Employee Security
  • Labor-Management Relations
  • Law Enforcement and Liquor Control
  • Taxes

64th Legislative Session (1965-1966)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 47
Elected: 11/3/1964
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/4/1965 to 1/1/1967
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Union Representative
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus
Committees:
  • Cities of the First and Second Class
  • Civil Administration
  • Employees Compensation
  • Labor-Management Relations
  • Taxes
  • Temperance and Liquor Control

63rd Legislative Session (1963-1964)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 47
Elected: 11/6/1962
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/7/1963 to 1/3/1965
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Union Representative
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus
Committees:
  • Cities of the 1st and 2nd Class
  • Civil Administration
  • Employees Compensation
  • Industrial and Employee Relations
  • Taxes

62nd Legislative Session (1961-1962)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 38
Elected: 11/8/1960
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/2/1961 to 1/6/1963
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Union Representative
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus
Committees:
  • Civil Administration
  • Employees Compensation (Chair)
  • Labor
  • Rules
  • Taxes
  • Temperance and Liquor Control

61st Legislative Session (1959-1960)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 38
Elected: 11/4/1958
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/5/1959 to 1/1/1961
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Union Business Agent, Teamsters
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus
Committees:
  • Civil Administration
  • Employees Compensation (Chair)
  • Labor
  • Rules
  • Taxes
  • Temperance and Liquor Control

60th Legislative Session (1957-1958)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 38
Elected: 11/6/1956
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/7/1957 to 1/4/1959
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Union Business Agent, Teamsters
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus
Committees:
  • Civil Administration
  • Employees Compensation (Chair)
  • Labor
  • Rules
  • Taxes
  • Temperance and Liquor Control

59th Legislative Session (1955-1956)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 38
Elected: 11/2/1954
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/3/1955 to 1/6/1957
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Union Business Agent, Teamsters
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus
Committees:
  • Civil Administration
  • Employees Compensation (Chair)
  • Labor
  • Penal Institutions
  • Rules
  • Taxes
  • Temperance and Liquor Control

58th Legislative Session (1953-1954)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 38
Elected: 11/5/1952
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/5/1953 to 1/2/1955
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Union Business Agent
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus
Committees:
  • Civil Administration
  • Employees Compensation
  • Labor
  • Municipal Affairs
  • Temperance and Liquor Control

57th Legislative Session (1951-1952)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 38
Elected: 11/7/1950
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/1/1951 to 1/4/1953
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Union Business Agent
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus
Committees:
  • Civil Administration
  • Employees Compensation
  • Health
  • Labor
  • Temperance and Liquor Control

56th Legislative Session (1949-1950)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 38
Elected: 11/2/1948
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/3/1949 to 12/31/1950
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Union Business Agent
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus
Committees:
  • Civil Administration
  • Commercial Transportation
  • Employees Compensation
  • Health
  • Temperance and Liquor Control

55th Legislative Session (1947-1948)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 38
Elected: 11/5/1946
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/6/1947 to 1/2/1949
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Labor Union Business Agent
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus
Committees:
  • Civil Administration
  • Conservation
  • Employees Compensation
  • Health
  • Temperance and Liquor Control
Leadership Position: Minority Leader

54th Legislative Session (1945-1946)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 38
Elected: 11/7/1944
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/1/1945 to 1/5/1947
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Labor Union Business Agent
Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus
Committees:
  • Employees Compensation
  • Game and Fish
  • Health
  • Temperance and Liquor Control
  • Transportation

53rd Legislative Session (1943-1944)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 38
Elected: 11/3/1942
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/4/1943 to 12/31/1944
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Labor Union Business Agent
Party: Nonpartisan Election
Committees:
  • Cities of the First Class
  • Civilian Defense, Veterans and Military Affairs
  • Commercial Transportation
  • Health
  • Workmens and Unemployment Compensation

52nd Legislative Session (1941-1942)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 38
Elected: 11/5/1940
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/6/1941 to 1/3/1943
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Labor Union Business Agent
Party: Nonpartisan Election
Committees:
  • Commercial Transportation
  • Game and Fish
  • Public Health and Hospitals
  • Public Highways
  • Workmens Compensation

51st Legislative Session (1939-1940)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 38
Elected: 11/8/1938
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/2/1939 to 1/5/1941
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Furrier
Party: Nonpartisan Election
Committees:
  • Commerce, Manufacture and Retail Trade
  • Commercial Transportation
  • Cooperatives
  • Game and Fish
  • Motor Vehicles and Motor Tax Laws

Articles & Books About

These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.