House 1959-62 (District 37); Senate 1963-66 (District 49); Senate 1967-70 (District 44)
Party when first elected: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus
Counties Served:
Ramsey
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Date of Birth:
2/1/1933
Birth Place:
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Birth County:
Ramsey
Birth Country:
United States
Date of Death:
7/17/2016
Gender:
Male
Religion:
Reported Minority: None Reported
Other Names:
Wendy
City of Residence (when first elected):
Saint Paul
Occupation (when first elected):
Law Student
EDUCATION
Johnson High School, St. Paul; Secondary; Graduate
University of Minnesota; B.A.; 1954
Attended Graduate School; History
University of Minnesota, Law School; LL.B.; 1960; Admitted to the Minnesota Bar, 1960
OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE
Military:
United States Army Reserves (Intelligence Unit);
19?? to 19??
Military:
United States Army (Infantry Officer);
1956 to 1957
State Governor:
Minnesota;
01/04/1971 to 12/29/1976
[Elected]
U.S. Senator:
Minnesota;
12/30/1976 to 12/29/1978
[Appointed]
Board of Regents:
University of Minnesota, 6th Congressional District;
03/19/1985 to 1997
FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
Spouse:
Single (when first elected); Mary Christine McKee Anderson (married August 11, 1963)
Children:
Three children: Amy, and Elizabeth (daughters); Brett (son)
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:
John Henry McKee, Sr.
- Father-in-Law
GENERAL NOTES
He resigned as Governor of Minnesota to replace Walter Mondale in the United States Senate.
He ran and lost as the Democratic candidate for the United States Senate in 1978.
He represented the United States in the 1956 Olympic Games (hockey) at Cortina, Italy.
He was a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and chairman of the 1976 Democratic National Convention platform committee.
He had struggled with Alzheimer's for some time before dying of pneumonia while in hospice in St. Paul (Star Tribune obit).
He arranged to have his body donated to the University of Minnesota for medical research (Pioneer Press obit).
His memorial service was held on Monday, August 15 at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church (5025 Knox Avenue, Minneapolis).