Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature
Skip Navigation Links
  • LRL Home
    • >
  • Legislators Past & Present
    • >
  • Member Record
    • Legislators Past & Present Home

    Forsythe, Mary M.

    Sessions Served    Other Information

    House 1973-82 (District 39A); House 1983-90 (District 42B)

    Party when first elected:  Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus

    Counties Served:  Hennepin

    BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

    Date of Birth: 5/23/1920
    Birth Place: Whitehall, Wisconsin
    Birth County:
    Birth Country: United States
    Date of Death: 9/6/2007
    Gender: Female
    Religion: Lutheran
    Reported Minority: None Reported
    Other Names:
    Former Name: MacCornack
    City of Residence (when first elected): Edina
    Occupation (when first elected): Homemaker/Former Music Teacher; Elementary and High School, Wisconsin

    EDUCATION

    Whitehall High School, Wisconsin; Secondary;
    St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota; B.A.; Music, 1942

    OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

    State Board/Commission/Council: Minnesota Commission on the Future; 19?? to 19??
    State Board/Commission/Council: Minnesota Commission on Economic Status of Women; 19?? to 19??

    FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

    Spouse: Robert Ames Forsythe Sr. (married in 1942, he was a Hennepin County District Court Judge, he ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 1966 and for Attorney General in 1970, he died in June 2007)
    Children: Five children: Robert Ames Jr. (son); Pauline "Polly", Jean, Ann, and Joan (daughters)
    Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

    GENERAL NOTES

    She was a member of the Republican Party.

    She was a member of the St. Olaf Choir while attending St. Olaf College.

    She was a Girl Scout Leader.

    She was a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

    Religion provided by the Catholic Bulletin, 3/21/1975 and the Minnesota Legislative Manual, 1987-88.

    Most recent term photo
    Click to view
    Total Days Served: 6580

    SESSIONS SERVED

    76th Legislative Session (1989-1990)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 42B
    Elected: 11/8/1988
    Residence: Edina
    Term of Office: 1/3/1989 to 1/7/1991
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Legislator/Homemaker
    Party: Independent Republican
    Committees:
    • Appropriations
    • Appropriations: Health and Human Services Division
    • Commerce
    • Commerce: Tourism
    • Judiciary
    • Judiciary: Civil Law
    • Judiciary: Facilities Assessment
    • Ways and Means

    75th Legislative Session (1987-1988)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 42B
    Elected: 11/4/1986
    Residence: Edina
    Term of Office: 1/6/1987 to 1/2/1989
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Homemaker
    Party: Independent Republican
    Committees:
    • Appropriations
    • Appropriations: Health and Human Services Division
    • Commerce
    • Commerce: Tourism
    • Higher Education
    • Judiciary
    • Judiciary: Civil Law
    • Ways and Means

    74th Legislative Session (1985-1986)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 42B
    Elected: 11/6/1984
    Residence: Edina
    Term of Office: 1/8/1985 to 1/5/1987
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Homemaker
    Party: Independent Republican
    Committees:
    • Appropriations (Chair)
    • Appropriations: Agriculture, Transportation and Semi-States Division
    • Appropriations: Education Division
    • Appropriations: Human Services Division
    • Appropriations: State Departments Division
    • Budget
    • Judiciary
    term photo
    Click to view

    73rd Legislative Session (1983-1984)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 42B
    Elected: 11/2/1982
    Residence: Edina
    Term of Office: 1/4/1983 to 1/7/1985
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Homemaker/Legislator
    Party: Independent Republican
    Committees:
    • Appropriations
    • Appropriations: Health, Welfare, and Corrections Division
    • Commerce and Economic Development
    • Commerce and Economic Development: Economic Development
    • Judiciary
    • Judiciary: Law Reform

    72nd Legislative Session (1981-1982)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 39A
    Elected: 11/4/1980
    Residence: Edina
    Term of Office: 1/6/1981 to 1/3/1983
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Homemaker/Music
    Party: Independent Republican
    Committees:
    • Appropriations
    • Appropriations: Health, Welfare and Corrections Division
    • Commerce and Economic Development
    • Commerce and Economic Development: Economic Development
    • Judiciary
    • Judiciary: Law Reform
    • Rules and Legislative Administration
    Leadership Position: Assistant Minority Leader
    term photo
    Click to view

    71st Legislative Session (1979-1980)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 39A
    Elected: 11/7/1978
    Residence: Edina
    Term of Office: 1/3/1979 to 1/5/1981
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Homemaker/Legislator
    Party: Independent Republican
    Committees:
    • Appropriations
    • Appropriations: Health, Welfare and Corrections Division (Chair) [She was the Chair in 1979 only.]
    • Commerce, Economic Development and Housing
    • Commerce, Economic Development and Housing: Business and Job Development
    • Judiciary
    • Judiciary: Judiciary Law Reform
    • Rules and Legislative Administration

    70th Legislative Session (1977-1978)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 39A
    Elected: 11/2/1976
    Residence: Edina
    Term of Office: 1/4/1977 to 1/2/1979
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Homemaker/Legislator
    Party: Independent Republican
    Committees:
    • Appropriations
    • Appropriations: Health, Welfare and Corrections Division
    • Health and Welfare
    • Labor-Management Relations
    • Rules and Legislative Administration
    term photo
    Click to view

    69th Legislative Session (1975-1976)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 39A
    Elected: 11/5/1974
    Residence: Edina
    Term of Office: 1/7/1975 to 1/3/1977
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Homemaker/Former Teacher
    Party: Republican
    Committees:
    • Appropriations
    • Appropriations: Health, Welfare and Corrections Division
    • Crime Prevention and Corrections
    • Deinstitutionalization
    • Health and Welfare

    68th Legislative Session (1973-1974)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 39A
    Elected: 11/7/1972
    Residence: Edina
    Term of Office: 1/2/1973 to 1/6/1975
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Homemaker/Former Music Teacher; Elementary and High School, Wisconsin
    Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
    Committees:
    • Appropriations
    • Appropriations: Health, Welfare, and Corrections Division
    • Crime Prevention and Corrections
    • Health and Welfare
    • Labor-Management Relations
    term photo
    Click to view

    OTHER INFORMATION

    Articles & Books By
    Mary M. Forsythe: An Inventory of Her Legislative Files at the Minnesota Historical Society


    Articles & Books About
    Cohen, Ben. "Mary Forsythe, a Pioneer in State House." StarTribune, September 16, 2007, p. B6.

    "Forsythe, Mary M. (Obituary)." Star Tribune, September 11, 2007, p. B6.

    Wood, Nicole. "Forsythe Spends Winters in Arizona; Remembers Seat Belt Law with Pride." Session Weekly, St. Paul: Minnesota House of Representatives Information Office, April 10, 1998, p. 4, 18.

    Durenberger, David. "Tribute to Mary MacCornack Forsythe." Congressional Record, October 19, 1990, p. S16277-S16278.

    "Forsythe Farewell." Session Weekly, St. Paul: Minnesota House of Representatives Information Office, March 23, 1990.

    Mary M. Forsythe Profile, 1973?


    Archive Collections
    Mary M. Forsythe Papers, 1972-1990 (bulk 1980-1989) - Available in the Minnesota Historical Society's Collections
    These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.

    The Minnesota Legislative Reference Library has collected newspaper articles on legislators since 1973. They are available in the Library.

    Legislators Past & Present Home