Arlen Erdahl
Encyclopedia
Arlen Ingolf Erdahl served as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
from 1963 to 1970, Minnesota Secretary of State
from 1971 – 1975 and was a U.S. Representative from Minnesota
, serving the first district from 1979 – 1983, in the 96th
and 97th congresses
.
, Faribault County, Minnesota. He attended Faribault County public schools. He graduated from St. Olaf College
(B.A. 1953) and Harvard University
(M.P.A., 1966). He served in United States Army
from 1954–1956.
gave up the seat to make a successful run for governor of Minnesota
. His successful campaign for Minnesota's First Congressional seat in 1978 was managed by Arlen Wittrock. During his four years in the U.S. House of Representatives, Keith Hall served as his Washington Chief of Staff and Arlen Wittrock served as his Minnesota Chief of Staff. He was easily reelected in 1980. Redistricting led to an endorsement contest with Second Congressional District incumbent, Rep. Tom Hagedorn. After narrowly losing the First District Republican Convention endorsement to Hagedorn (who was narrowly defeated in 1982 by Minnesota State Senator, Tim Penny), Erdahl won the Sixth Congressional District primary, but was narrowly defeated in the general election by Gerry Sikorski. After Tim Penny's retirement, Erdahl ran for his old First District seat in 1994, but was defeated in the primary by State Representative
Gil Gutknecht
, the eventual winner.
He was Principal Deputy/Acting Assistant Secretary for International Affairs at the U.S. Department of Energy from 1989 to 1993. Erdahl also served as Associate Director/Country Director for the Peace Corps
from 1983 to 1989. He currently serves on the board of the United Nations Association of Minnesota. In 1999 he won the Twin Cities International Citizen Award, an informal joint project of the Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, and the Counties of Hennepin and Ramsey. In April, 2011 he was recognized for his public leadership and service with the Hubert H. Humphrey Public Leadership Award by the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.
The Arlen Inglof Erdahl collection at the Southern Minnesota Historical Center, Memorial Library at the Minnesota State University, Mankato
contains materials about his seven years in the Minnesota House of Representatives and his campaign for Minnesota Secretary of State in 1970.
. The couple had six children and thirteen grandchildren. His twin brother, Lowell O. Erdahl, is a former ELCA
Synod Bishop of the Saint Paul Area Synod.
Minnesota House of Representatives
The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house in the Minnesota State Legislature. There are 134 members elected to two-year terms, twice the number of members in the Minnesota Senate. Each senate district is divided in half and given the suffix A or B...
from 1963 to 1970, Minnesota Secretary of State
Minnesota Secretary of State
The Minnesota Secretary of State is the state secretary of state of the state of Minnesota.The Secretary of State is the keeper of the Great Seal of the State of Minnesota and files and certifies the authenticity of a wide variety of official documents...
from 1971 – 1975 and was a U.S. Representative from Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, serving the first district from 1979 – 1983, in the 96th
96th United States Congress
The Ninety-sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1979 to January 3, 1981, during the last two years...
and 97th congresses
97th United States Congress
The Ninety-seventh United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1981 to January 3, 1983, during the final weeks of...
.
Background
Arlen Ingolf Erdahl was born in Blue EarthBlue Earth, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,621 people, 1,535 households, and 925 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,137.0 people per square mile . There were 1,666 housing units at an average density of 523.1 per square mile...
, Faribault County, Minnesota. He attended Faribault County public schools. He graduated from St. Olaf College
St. Olaf College
St. Olaf College is a coeducational, residential, four-year, private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, United States. It was founded in 1874 by a group of Norwegian-American immigrant pastors and farmers, led by Pastor Bernt Julius Muus. The college is named after Olaf II of Norway,...
(B.A. 1953) and Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
(M.P.A., 1966). He served in United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
from 1954–1956.
Political career
Erdahl was elected to Congress in 1978 after 20-year incumbent Al QuieAl Quie
Albert Harold Quie is an American politician who served as the 35th Governor of Minnesota from January 4, 1979, to January 3, 1983.-State and national government service:...
gave up the seat to make a successful run for governor of Minnesota
Governor of Minnesota
The Governor of Minnesota is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty different people have been governors of the state, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. Alexander Ramsey, the first territorial...
. His successful campaign for Minnesota's First Congressional seat in 1978 was managed by Arlen Wittrock. During his four years in the U.S. House of Representatives, Keith Hall served as his Washington Chief of Staff and Arlen Wittrock served as his Minnesota Chief of Staff. He was easily reelected in 1980. Redistricting led to an endorsement contest with Second Congressional District incumbent, Rep. Tom Hagedorn. After narrowly losing the First District Republican Convention endorsement to Hagedorn (who was narrowly defeated in 1982 by Minnesota State Senator, Tim Penny), Erdahl won the Sixth Congressional District primary, but was narrowly defeated in the general election by Gerry Sikorski. After Tim Penny's retirement, Erdahl ran for his old First District seat in 1994, but was defeated in the primary by State Representative
Minnesota House of Representatives
The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house in the Minnesota State Legislature. There are 134 members elected to two-year terms, twice the number of members in the Minnesota Senate. Each senate district is divided in half and given the suffix A or B...
Gil Gutknecht
Gil Gutknecht
Gilbert William "Gil" Gutknecht, Jr. is an American politician. Gutknecht was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives first elected in 1994 to represent Minnesota's 1st congressional district, one of eight congressional districts in Minnesota...
, the eventual winner.
He was Principal Deputy/Acting Assistant Secretary for International Affairs at the U.S. Department of Energy from 1989 to 1993. Erdahl also served as Associate Director/Country Director for the Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
from 1983 to 1989. He currently serves on the board of the United Nations Association of Minnesota. In 1999 he won the Twin Cities International Citizen Award, an informal joint project of the Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, and the Counties of Hennepin and Ramsey. In April, 2011 he was recognized for his public leadership and service with the Hubert H. Humphrey Public Leadership Award by the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.
The Arlen Inglof Erdahl collection at the Southern Minnesota Historical Center, Memorial Library at the Minnesota State University, Mankato
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Minnesota State University, Mankato is a public four-year university located in Mankato, Minnesota, a community of 53,000 located southwest of Minneapolis-St. Paul. As of Fall 2011, the student body is the third-largest in the state of Minnesota with over 15,000 students...
contains materials about his seven years in the Minnesota House of Representatives and his campaign for Minnesota Secretary of State in 1970.
Personal life
Arlen and his wife, Ellen, now reside in Burnsville, MinnesotaBurnsville, Minnesota
Burnsville is a city south of downtown Minneapolis in Dakota County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies on the south bank of the Minnesota River, upstream from the confluence with the Mississippi River...
. The couple had six children and thirteen grandchildren. His twin brother, Lowell O. Erdahl, is a former ELCA
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
Synod Bishop of the Saint Paul Area Synod.