Wendell Richard "Wendy" Anderson (February 1, 1933 – July 17, 2016) was an American politician and the 33rd Governor of Minnesota from January 4, 1971 to December 29, 1976. In late 1976, he resigned the governor's office in order to be named U.S. Senator to replace Walter Mondale, who had been elected Vice President of the United States. He served in the U.S. Senate from December 30, 1976 until his resignation on December 29, 1978 to give his successor seniority. Anderson faced backlash from voters when he arranged to have himself appointed to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Walter Mondale by resigning the governorship. He was not elected to the Senate.

Background

Anderson was born in Saint Paul in 1933. He attended Saint Paul's Johnson High School and went on to the University of Minnesota, where he received a B.A. in 1954. He later served in the United States Army during 1956 and 1957 and earned his law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1960.

Hockey career

Anderson played defense for the University of Minnesota from 1951 to 1954, and was a member of the U.S. hockey team that won a silver medal at the 1956 Winter Olympics. Long after his on-ice career ended, he was drafted by the Minnesota Fighting Saints in the inaugural World Hockey Association draft of 1972, in what was seen as a publicity stunt. (Not to be outdone, another WHA team selected Soviet premier Alexei Kosygin.) While flattered, he chose to remain Governor.

Political career

Anderson served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1959 to 1962; he then served in the Minnesota State Senate from 1963 to 1970. Anderson's signature accomplishment as governor was helping to create the "Minnesota Miracle of 1971," an innovative reform in financing of Minnesota public schools and local governments that created a fairer distribution in taxation and education. For his efforts, Anderson was featured on a 1973 cover of Time.

After U.S. Senator Walter Mondale was elected vice president at the 1976 elections, the governor needed to appoint a successor. Anderson agreed with his lieutenant governor Rudy Perpich that Anderson would resign as governor, and Perpich, as the new governor, would appoint Anderson senator.

Nearly the entire DFL Party ticket was defeated in 1978, including Gov. Rudy Perpich and the candidates for both U.S. Senate seats, Anderson and Bob Short. Anderson's previous arrangement to have himself appointed to the Senate seat—and Perpich's role in that appointment—were deemed central factors in the defeats.

From 1995 to 2001, Anderson served as a director for and head of the legal committee of Turbodyne Technologies Inc. (TRBD) in Carpinteria, California. In his later years, he was regularly called upon to act as a commentator on Minnesota politics for local stations such as KSTP-TV.

Personal

Anderson married Mary Christine McKee of Bemidji, Minnesota, in 1963. They had three children: Amy, Elizabeth, and Brett. In 1975, Wendell R. Anderson was honored by two of the Swedish District lodges of the Vasa Order of America and was selected to be Swedish-American of the Year. Anderson died on July 17, 2016, while being treated in hospice care.