| Tribute marks Andersen's 100th birthday |
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| Wednesday, 24 June 2009 | |
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ECM Capitol reporter It was less the observance of a birthday than appreciation of a full life. And maybe it’s something more. Former Minnesota Gov. Elmer L. Andersen’s 100 birthday, which was celebrated at the University of Minnesota June 17, was an evening with memories, stories, a viewing of a new Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) documentary about the life and times of the late, former governor and tireless civic activist. Additionally, the centennial of Andersen’s birth is being honored with an exhibit in the library named after the businessman and philanthropist, the Elmer L. Andersen Library, located on the West Bank at the University of Minnesota. “A Man’s Reach: A Transforming Life” will be on exhibit until Aug. 15. The exhibit includes mementoes of Andersen’s political career — Minnesota Senate, governor — as well as the achievements, public and private, that marked the decades after he left office. Libraries had special meaning for Andersen, who, at an age when many older people take to the golf course or Sun City, fulfilled a life’s ambition by becoming a newspaper publisher, and pushed to enhance and strengthen local public libraries. “What is a library?” Andersen once reflected. “To me, really, a library is more an attitude of mind that can be reflected in many ways,” said Andersen in a speech at the dedication of a public library in the city of Princeton. “I kind of like that,” said University of Minnesota Librarian Wendy Pradt Lougee, speaking at the birthday celebration. Pradt Lougee spoke of Andersen’s passion for books and book collecting — Andersen and wife Eleanor J. Andersen donated more than 12,000 volumes from their personal book collection to the University of Minnesota. Andersen was no superficial book collector but read his books, admired the covers and bindings, and meticulously structured and catalogued his collection, said Pradt Lougee. “I think books have an ambience like a cathedral,” Andersen wrote in his autobiography “A Man’s Reach.” Pradt Lougee recalled the day in 1996 when moving vans arrived at the Andersen home to transfer the book collection to the university. “Elmer struggled to hold back tears,” she said. But the governor reported that he slept well that night, Pradt Lougee said. Book collecting was only one of Andersen’s passions. He was intensely intelligent, said Julian Andersen, the former governor’s son and chief executive of ECM Publishers, the newspaper group that Andersen founded. He was bold, optimistic, confident, wise, said Julian Andersen. “He could teach with a light hand.” People knew his father through the multiplicity of his actions, so may have known him slightly differently than others, Andersen said. Perceptions may have been different but not the person. “We all knew the same man,” he said. Retired University of Minnesota historian Hy Berman believes Andersen left his greatest mark on the state outside the governor’s office. “Unfortunately he doesn’t rank high as a governor because it was such a short term, only two years,” said Berman. “But as a Minnesota personality and a historical figure, he’s among the great — no question about it.” As for Andersen’s famous re-election loss by only 91 votes in the early 1960s, Berman believes Andersen lost to former Gov. Karl Rolvaag fair and square. But as for the highway controversy — Democratic allegations that highway concrete was improperly poured in order to meet a Republican political deadline — Berman dismisses them. “It was dirty politics. But everybody plays dirty politics,” he said with a smile. Lori Sturdevant, Star Tribune columnist and former Andersen editor, spoke of the Andersen legacy as having relevance and timeliness with an important election just months away. In distilling the Andersen personality, in part Sturdevant spoke of Andersen’s fondness for clean decisions — the starting gate of accomplishment, he believed — and described him as a master of the long follow through. Andersen left office to become a kind of “governor-in-exile,” tenaciously working on issues, refusing to give up, she said. One issue was the creation of Voyageurs National Park — Andersen once flew with the famous aviator and state native son Charles Lindbergh over northeast Minnesota and spoke of that flight fondly years later. Sturdevant recalled Andersen realizing, while attending an opening of a park facility, that he had been working on the creation of Voyageurs for 30 years. She suggested Andersen’s life was something more than a Minnesota success story. It’s also a guide. And a challenge. Andersen was chief executive officer of H.B. Fuller Company — being a success in business was another one of Andersen’s early goals. As a governor and state senator he pushed the creation of new state parks, signed an important housing bill into law and was instrumental in seeing that Minnesota became the first state in the nation that required special education for disabled children. As a child, Andersen felt the cold grip of polio. A University of Minnesota graduate, Andersen served on a university’s Board of Regents and as president and chairman of the University Foundation. He died Nov. 15, 2004, at age 95. Andersen’s name is still mentioned at the State Capitol by lawmakers citing examples of selfless public service and common sense government. Eleanor Andersen still lives in the metro area and the Andersen family is hopeful she will celebrate her 100th birthday with them. |
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