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    Kirchner, William G. "W.G., Bill"

    Sessions Served    Other Information

    House 1963-66 (District 32); Senate 1967-1972 (District 28); Senate 1973-1980 (District 37)

    Party when first elected:  Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus

    Counties Served:  Hennepin

    BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

    Date of Birth: 12/2/1916
    Birth Place: Iowa
    Birth County: Plymouth
    Birth Country: United States
    Date of Death: 3/2/1999
    Gender: Male
    Religion: Methodist
    Reported Minority: None Reported
    Other Names: W.G., Bill
    City of Residence (when first elected): Richfield
    Occupation (when first elected): Banker, Richfield Bank and Trust Company

    EDUCATION

    Marcus Public Schools, Iowa; Secondary; Graduate
    Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa; B.A.; 1938
    Harvard University, Graduate School of Business; M.B.A.;

    OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

    State Board/Commission/Council: Minnesota Historical Society (Board Member); 19?? to 19??
    Military: United States Navy (World War II, Pacific Theatre); 1944 to 1946

    FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

    Spouse: Garnett
    Children: Four children: Janet, Terry, and Linda (daughters); Steven (son)
    Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

    GENERAL NOTES

    Special Legislative Concerns: metro problems, welfare, health, corrections, parks and open space, finance.

    He moved to Richfield, Minnesota in 1940.

    He was a member of the Republican Party.

    He became a Richfield, Minnesota resident in 1940.

    His funeral was held at the Richfield United Methodist Church in Minnesota.

    Religion provided by the Minnesota Legislative Manual, 1979-80 and the Catholic Bulletin, 3/21/1975.

    Most recent term photo
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    Total Days Served: 6573

    SESSIONS SERVED

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

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/3/1979
    Body: Senate
    District: 37
    Elected: 11/2/1976
    Residence: Richfield
    Term of Office: 1/3/1977 to 1/4/1981
    Oath Date: 1/4/1977
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Banker; Chair, Richfield Bank and Trust Company
    Party: Independent Republican
    Committees:
    • Finance
    • Finance: Computers
    • Finance: Health, Welfare and Corrections
    • Finance: State Departments
    • Governmental Operations
    • Governmental Operations: Civil Administration Regulatory Reform-1980
    • Governmental Operations: Metropolitan Government-1980
    • Governmental Operations: Regulatory Reform-1979
    • Health, Welfare and Corrections
    • Joint Agriculture and Natural Resources/Governmental Operations/Local Government/Taxes and Tax Laws/Transportation: Agricultural Land Preservation
    • Joint Agriculture and Natural Resources/Health, Welfare and Corrections: Nutrition
    • Transportation
    • Transportation: Pipelines-1979
    • Transportation: Transit
    • Transportation: Transportation Policy

    70th Legislative Session (1977-1978)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/4/1977
    Body: Senate
    District: 37
    Elected: 11/2/1976
    Residence: Richfield
    Term of Office: 1/3/1977 to 1/4/1981
    Oath Date: 1/4/1977
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Banker; Chair, Richfield Bank and Trust Company
    Party: Independent Republican
    Committees:
    • Finance
    • Finance: Health, Welfare and Corrections
    • Finance: State Departments
    • Governmental Operations
    • Governmental Operations: Metro Affairs
    • Health, Welfare and Corrections
    • Transportation
    • Transportation: Transit
    term photo
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    69th Legislative Session (1975-1976) (second half of Senate term)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/7/1975
    Body: Senate
    District: 37
    Elected: 11/7/1972
    Residence: Richfield
    Term of Office: 1/1/1973 to 1/2/1977
    Oath Date: 1/2/1973
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Banker, Richfield Bank and Trust Company
    Party: Nonpartisan Election-Independent Republican Caucus
    Committees:
    • Finance
    • Finance: State Departments III and Semi-State Affairs
    • Finance: Welfare-Corrections
    • Health, Welfare and Corrections
    • Health, Welfare and Corrections: Adult Corrections
    • Health, Welfare and Corrections: Institutional Closings
    • Health, Welfare and Corrections: Welfare
    • Metropolitan and Urban Affairs
    • Metropolitan and Urban Affairs: Metropolitan Governments
    • Metropolitan and Urban Affairs: Operations and Structure

    68th Legislative Session (1973-1974)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/2/1973
    Body: Senate
    District: 37
    Elected: 11/7/1972
    Residence: Richfield
    Term of Office: 1/1/1973 to 1/2/1977
    Oath Date: 1/2/1973
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Banker, Richfield Bank and Trust Company
    Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
    Committees:
    • Finance
    • Finance: Natural Resources, Highways and Semi-State
    • Finance: Welfare and Corrections
    • Health, Welfare and Corrections
    • Health, Welfare and Corrections: Welfare
    • Metropolitan and Urban Affairs
    • Metropolitan and Urban Affairs: Metropolitan Government
    • Metropolitan and Urban Affairs: Metropolitan Transportation
    term photo
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    67th Legislative Session (1971-1972)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/5/1971
    Body: Senate
    District: 28
    Elected: 11/3/1970
    Residence: Richfield
    Term of Office: 1/4/1971 to 12/31/1972
    Oath Date: 1/5/1971
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Banker, Richfield Bank and Trust Company
    Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
    Committees:
    • Commerce and Insurance
    • Corrections and Commitments
    • Finance
    • Health and Welfare (Chair)
    • Natural Resoures and Environment
    • Urban Affairs

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

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/7/1969
    Body: Senate
    District: 28
    Elected: 11/8/1966
    Residence: Richfield
    Term of Office: 1/2/1967 to 1/3/1971
    Oath Date: 1/3/1967
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Banker, Richfield Bank and Trust Company
    Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
    Committees:
    • Civil Administration and Metropolitan Affairs
    • Civil Administration and Metropolitan Affairs: Metropolitan Problems Division
    • Civil Administration and Metropolitan Affairs: Pensions and Retirement Division
    • Commerce
    • Game and Fish
    • Labor
    • Public Welfare
    term photo
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    65th Legislative Session (1967-1968)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/3/1967
    Body: Senate
    District: 28
    Elected: 11/8/1966
    Residence: Richfield
    Term of Office: 1/2/1967 to 1/3/1971
    Oath Date: 1/3/1967
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Banker, Richfield Bank and Trust Company
    Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
    Committees:
    • Civil Administration and Metropolitan Affairs
    • Civil Administration and Metropolitan Affairs: Metropolitan Problems Division
    • Commerce
    • Game and Fish
    • Labor
    • Public Welfare

    64th Legislative Session (1965-1966)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/5/1965
    Body: House
    District: 32
    Elected: 11/3/1964
    Residence: Richfield
    Term of Office: 1/4/1965 to 1/1/1967
    Oath Date: 1/5/1965
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Banker, Richfield Bank and Trust Company
    Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
    Committees:
    • Appropriations
    • Cities of the First and Second Class
    • Financial Institutions and Securities
    • Law Enforcement and Juvenile Delinquency
    • Metropolitan and Urban Affairs
    • Temperance and Liquor Control

    63rd Legislative Session (1963-1964)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/8/1963
    Body: House
    District: 32
    Elected: 11/6/1962
    Residence: Richfield
    Term of Office: 1/7/1963 to 1/3/1965
    Oath Date: 1/8/1963
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Banker, Richfield Bank and Trust Company
    Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
    Committees:
    • Appropriations
    • Financial Institutions and Securities
    • Insurance
    • Law Enforcement and Juvenile Delinquency
    • Metropolitan and Urban Affairs
    term photo
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    OTHER INFORMATION

    Articles & Books About

    • "Bank Founder and Politician Kirchner Dies (Obituary)." St. Paul Pioneer Press, March 4, 1999.

    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.

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