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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
    Body: Senate
    District: 60
    Elected: 11/4/1980
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/6/1981 to 1/3/1983
    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
    Body: Senate
    District: 60
    Elected: 11/2/1976
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/4/1977 to 1/5/1981
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Law Teacher/Professor, William Mitchell College of Law
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Commerce
    • Commerce: Insurance (Chair)
    • Judiciary (Chair)
    • Judiciary: 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
    Body: Senate
    District: 60
    Elected: 11/2/1976
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/4/1977 to 1/5/1981
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Law Teacher, Professor; William Mitchell College of Law
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Committees:
    • Commerce
    • Commerce: Insurance (Chair)
    • Judiciary (Chair)
    • Judiciary: 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
    Body: Senate
    District: 60
    Elected: 11/7/1972
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/2/1973 to 1/3/1977
    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
    Body: Senate
    District: 60
    Elected: 11/7/1972
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/2/1973 to 1/3/1977
    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
    Body: Senate
    District: 42
    Elected: 11/3/1970
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/5/1971 to 1/1/1973
    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
    Body: Senate
    District: 42
    Elected: 11/8/1966
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/3/1967 to 1/4/1971
    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
    Body: Senate
    District: 42
    Elected: 11/8/1966
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/3/1967 to 1/4/1971
    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
    Body: Senate
    District: 42
    Elected: 11/6/1962
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/8/1963 to 1/2/1967
    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
    Body: Senate
    District: 42
    Elected: 11/6/1962
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/8/1963 to 1/2/1967
    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
    Body: Senate
    District: 31
    Elected: 11/4/1958
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/6/1959 to 1/7/1963
    Counties Represented: Hennepin
    Occupation: Lawyer
    Party: Nonpartisan Election-Liberal Caucus
    Committees:
    • Civil Administration
    • Commerce
    • Judiciary
    • Local Government

    61st Legislative Session (1959-1960)

      Session Details
    Body: Senate
    District: 31
    Elected: 11/4/1958
    Residence: Minneapolis
    Term of Office: 1/6/1959 to 1/7/1963
    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.


    Archive Collections
    Jack Davies Papers, 1967-1982 - Available in the Minnesota Historical Society's Collections.
    Jack Davies Papers, 1983, 1990-2000 - Available in the Minnesota Historical Society's Collections.

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

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