University of Minnesota Athletics
Remembering Former Gov. Wendell Anderson
7/17/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
Former Minnesota Gov. Wendell Anderson, who served as a state legislator, governor, U.S. Senator and University of Minnesota regent for 32 years, passed away on Sunday morning. He was 83.
Gopher Hockey Remembers Wendell Anderson
While politics proved to be Governor Wendell Anderson's life's work, his life's passion was hockey.
After playing as a prep at St. Paul Johnson High School, Anderson enrolled at the University of Minnesota and went on to earn three letters for the Golden Gophers while playing in 63 games with 25 points (seven goals, 18 assists) on the blue line.
Playing in an era where freshmen were ineligible, the defenseman made the most of his three years on the varsity squad. Anderson helped Minnesota win a share of the 1953 Midwest Collegiate Hockey League (MCHL) Championship and the 1954 Western Intercollegiate Hockey League (WIHL) Championship. Both leagues were precursors to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). He also made two NCAA Frozen Four runs in his final two seasons (1953, 1954) including a 14-1 win over Boston College in the 1954 semifinals.
But perhaps his greatest claim to hockey fame came following college when he made his international debut.
After a fourth-place finish at the 1955 IIHF World Championships in West Germany, Anderson was one of several Gophers who played for John Mariucci at the 1956 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy with the U.S. squad earning a silver medal.
Anderson's passion for hockey never faltered - even after his political career took off.
He continued to skate and play "old-timer" hockey for 40 years and was drafted by the Minnesota Fighting Saints in the inaugural World Hockey Association draft of 1972 - long after his legitimate playing days were behind him.
Wendell Anderson Obituary
Wendell Anderson was born on February 1, 1933, in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He graduated from Johnson High School, and went on to attend the University of Minnesota, where he played collegiate hockey from 1951 to 1954. Anderson later earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team, winning a silver medal in the 1956 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.
After serving in ROTC at the University of Minnesota, in 1955 Wendell Anderson enlisted in the United States Army as a Second Lieutenant, serving his country honorably in the U.S. Army through 1957.
In 1958, while attending law school at the University of Minnesota, Wendell Anderson ran for and was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives at the age of 26, and was re-elected in 1960. Anderson was elected to serve in the Minnesota Senate in 1962 and 1966. He also served as chairman of Hubert H. Humphrey's 1968 Presidential Campaign in Minnesota.
In 1970, then-Senator Anderson ran for Governor. At the age of 37, Anderson became one of the youngest Governors in Minnesota's history, serving from January 4, 1971, through December 29, 1976. One of Governor Anderson's signature accomplishments in office was securing the historic "Minnesota Miracle of 1971," a momentous bipartisan agreement that reformed the financing of Minnesota's public schools and local governments.
In 1976, Governor Anderson succeeded Vice President Walter Mondale in the United States Senate. Anderson served as a member of the Senate from December 30, 1976, through December 29, 1978, concluding his 20-year career in elected office. Throughout his service in public office, Governor Anderson embodied the spirit and aspirations of Minnesotans, earning a place in the hearts of our people and the history of our state.
Following his service in public office, Governor Anderson continued to serve the people of Minnesota as one of our state's foremost public leaders. He practice law, worked on various business ventures, and served as a political commentator and mentor. Governor Anderson was also an honorary consul general for Sweden, and served on the University of Minnesota's Board of Regents from 1985 until 1997.
Governor Anderson was married to Mary Christine McKee of Bemidji, Minnesota in 1963. Together, they raised three children: Amy, Elizabeth, and Brett.
Service arrangements for Anderson will be announced in the next few days.