Edward A. Burdick
Encyclopedia
Edward Arthur Burdick was a nonpartisan former chief clerk and parliamentarian of the Minnesota House of Representatives
and the past national president of the American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries (ASLCS).
Burdick served the citizens of the State of Minnesota more than 60 years until his “final” retirement from the legislature in 2005. According to Minnesota Public Radio
and the Board of Commissioners of Blue Earth County in Minnesota, Burdick introduced 80,953 bills and 23,268 were signed into law by the Governor. Former Governor Tim Pawlenty
characterized Burdick as "a Minnesota icon and a Minnesota institution" for his legendary service to the nation. Burdick was nationally known as the “Dean” of parliamentary procedures and legislative affairs. To recognize and honor his public service, the Minnesota Legislature
erected a bronze bust of Burdick in the State Capitol at his “first” retirement in 1994.
in southern Minnesota. He attended the Vernon Center Grade School, the Garden City High School, and the Mankato Commercial College in Minnesota. He worked in the country newspaper business as his parents operated weekly newspapers at Vernon Center, Good Thunder, and Amboy in Blue Earth County, Minnesota
. He was a Sunday school teacher and a Boy Scout
leader.
His childhood dream of owning a newspaper suddenly changed when he later discovered the opportunity and excitement of public policymaking in legislative sessions at the Minnesota State Capitol
in St. Paul. In 1941, he left his parents Harold L. and Carrie M. Burdick in Vernon Center, Minnesota
for St. Paul.
A former journalist and experienced editor, Burdick authored a booklet entitled A Few of My Favorite Anecdotes, a collection of short stories based on his public service and newspaper career. He also edited several books—including Glocalization, TRADE for PEACE, and Commercial Providence
—authored by his protégé and "adopted" son Dr. Patrick Mendis
, a former American Field Service (AFS) exchange student from Sri Lanka. Two of these books are dedicated to Burdick and TRADE for PEACE is dedicated to the late Ambassador Harlan Cleveland
, the founding dean of the University of Minnesota
's Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, who often testified in the Minnesota Legislature
and a mutual friend of Mendis and Burdick.
in St. Paul and that experience led to a full-time public service career. He worked for the legislature on a part-time basis in various capacities until 1957, during which period he served in the U.S. Army at Camp Rucker, Alabama in 1951–53 during the Korean War
.
At the time of his honorable discharge, Burdick was the sergeant major of the 135 Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army, after which he received an appointment as a warrant officer from the Minnesota National Guard
. When not working at the State Capitol he worked for the U.S. Department of Commerce in 1949–50 and the Minnesota Department of Military Affairs in 1953–57 at Mankato. He also served as the executive director of the Legislative Building Commission in St. Paul in 1957–65 and traveled widely in the State.
Other praise for Burdick came from both Republican and Democratic leaders, including former Governor Tim Pawlenty
, House Speakers Steve Sviggum, Rod Searle, David Jennings, Dee Long, Robert Vanasek, Phil Carruthers, Martin Sabo, and Irv Anderson as well as former Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson
and Honorable Kathleen Blatz, chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court
. Popularly known as the “Voice of Minnesota,” Edward Burdick “is quintessentially Minnesotan and [he] is the spirit of the Minnesota House of Representatives," concluded Republican Representative Ron Abrams of Minnetonka.
Elected national president of the American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries (ASLCS) in 1971, Burdick received many accolades during his legislative, military, and public service career. Some of which included the Joseph Beek
Distinguished Service Award (1983), the Lloyd Short Public Service Award (1985), the National Conference on State Legislatures’ Legislative Staff Award (2002), and the ASLCS Service Award (2003). In 2010, the Minnesota Legislative Society honored Edward Burdick and his counterpart in the Minnesota Senate
, Patrick Flahaven, with the Elmer Anderson Award for their years of public service to the State of Minnesota.
Governor Tim Pawlenty
proclaimed January 10, 2005 as "Edward A. Burdick Day" in Minnesota and President George W. Bush
wrote on March 14, 2005 that "our Nation is deeply indebted" for his military and public service. In his congratulations on Burdick's "retirement after 62 years of government service, including 38 years as chief clerk for the Minnesota House of Representatives
," President Bush said, "Laura and I send our best wishes for many years of happiness" in the sun-setting chapter of his philanthropic, patriotic, and legendary public service career as a great American statesman.
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...
and the past national president of the American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries (ASLCS).
Burdick served the citizens of the State of Minnesota more than 60 years until his “final” retirement from the legislature in 2005. According to Minnesota Public Radio
Minnesota Public Radio
Minnesota Public Radio , is the flagship National Public Radio member network for the state of Minnesota. With its three services, News & Information, Classical Music and The Current, MPR operates a 42-station regional radio network in the upper Midwest serving over 8 million people...
and the Board of Commissioners of Blue Earth County in Minnesota, Burdick introduced 80,953 bills and 23,268 were signed into law by the Governor. Former Governor Tim Pawlenty
Tim Pawlenty
Timothy James "Tim" Pawlenty , also known affectionately among supporters as T-Paw, is an American politician who served as the 39th Governor of Minnesota . He was a Republican candidate for President of the United States in the 2012 election from May to August 2011...
characterized Burdick as "a Minnesota icon and a Minnesota institution" for his legendary service to the nation. Burdick was nationally known as the “Dean” of parliamentary procedures and legislative affairs. To recognize and honor his public service, the Minnesota Legislature
Minnesota Legislature
The Minnesota Legislature is the legislative branch of government in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is a bicameral legislature located at the Minnesota Capitol in Saint Paul and it consists of two houses: the lower Minnesota House of Representatives and the Minnesota Senate...
erected a bronze bust of Burdick in the State Capitol at his “first” retirement in 1994.
Early education and family newspapers
Burdick was born in Vernon CenterVernon Center, Minnesota
Vernon Center is a city in Blue Earth County, Minnesota, along the Blue Earth River. The population was 332 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Mankato–North Mankato Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
in southern Minnesota. He attended the Vernon Center Grade School, the Garden City High School, and the Mankato Commercial College in Minnesota. He worked in the country newspaper business as his parents operated weekly newspapers at Vernon Center, Good Thunder, and Amboy in Blue Earth County, Minnesota
Blue Earth County, Minnesota
Blue Earth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 64,013. Its county seat is Mankato.Blue Earth County is part of the Mankato–North Mankato Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. He was a Sunday school teacher and a Boy Scout
Boy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
leader.
His childhood dream of owning a newspaper suddenly changed when he later discovered the opportunity and excitement of public policymaking in legislative sessions at the Minnesota State Capitol
Minnesota State Capitol
The Minnesota State Capitol is located in Minnesota's capital city, Saint Paul, and houses the Minnesota Senate, Minnesota House of Representatives, the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Governor...
in St. Paul. In 1941, he left his parents Harold L. and Carrie M. Burdick in Vernon Center, Minnesota
Vernon Center, Minnesota
Vernon Center is a city in Blue Earth County, Minnesota, along the Blue Earth River. The population was 332 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Mankato–North Mankato Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
for St. Paul.
A former journalist and experienced editor, Burdick authored a booklet entitled A Few of My Favorite Anecdotes, a collection of short stories based on his public service and newspaper career. He also edited several books—including Glocalization, TRADE for PEACE, and Commercial Providence
Commercial Providence
Commercial Providence: The Secret Destiny of the American Empire is a book written by Patrick Mendis in which he puts forward a new theory about the original conviction and commercial vision of the Founding Fathers of the United States...
—authored by his protégé and "adopted" son Dr. Patrick Mendis
Patrick Mendis
Patrick Mendis is an educator, diplomat, author, and executive in government service. He taught MBA/MPA as well as international trade and American foreign policy courses at the University of Minnesota, University of Maryland University College, and Yale University before joining the U.S....
, a former American Field Service (AFS) exchange student from Sri Lanka. Two of these books are dedicated to Burdick and TRADE for PEACE is dedicated to the late Ambassador Harlan Cleveland
Harlan Cleveland
Harlan Cleveland was an American diplomat, educator, and author. He served as Lyndon Johnson's U.S. Ambassador to NATO, 1965–1969, and earlier as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, 1961-1965...
, the founding dean of the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
's Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, who often testified in the Minnesota Legislature
Minnesota Legislature
The Minnesota Legislature is the legislative branch of government in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is a bicameral legislature located at the Minnesota Capitol in Saint Paul and it consists of two houses: the lower Minnesota House of Representatives and the Minnesota Senate...
and a mutual friend of Mendis and Burdick.
Legislative and military service
During the 1941 legislative session, Burdick was employed as a page by the Minnesota House of RepresentativesMinnesota 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...
in St. Paul and that experience led to a full-time public service career. He worked for the legislature on a part-time basis in various capacities until 1957, during which period he served in the U.S. Army at Camp Rucker, Alabama in 1951–53 during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
At the time of his honorable discharge, Burdick was the sergeant major of the 135 Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army, after which he received an appointment as a warrant officer from the Minnesota National Guard
Minnesota National Guard
The Minnesota National Guard is composed of approximately 14,000 soldiers of the Minnesota Army National Guard and Airmen of the Minnesota Air National Guard, serving in 63 communities across the state. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal...
. When not working at the State Capitol he worked for the U.S. Department of Commerce in 1949–50 and the Minnesota Department of Military Affairs in 1953–57 at Mankato. He also served as the executive director of the Legislative Building Commission in St. Paul in 1957–65 and traveled widely in the State.
Honors and awards
As the longest-served chief clerk in the nation, Burdick was recognized as the national authority on parliamentary procedure and legislative process. Minnesota House Minority Leader Matt Entenza (DFL-St. Paul) said: “Ed, you are our rock star” in “the Star of the North” (Minnesota).Other praise for Burdick came from both Republican and Democratic leaders, including former Governor Tim Pawlenty
Tim Pawlenty
Timothy James "Tim" Pawlenty , also known affectionately among supporters as T-Paw, is an American politician who served as the 39th Governor of Minnesota . He was a Republican candidate for President of the United States in the 2012 election from May to August 2011...
, House Speakers Steve Sviggum, Rod Searle, David Jennings, Dee Long, Robert Vanasek, Phil Carruthers, Martin Sabo, and Irv Anderson as well as former Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson
Dean Johnson
Dean Elton Johnson is a former Minnesota politician and a member of the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota...
and Honorable Kathleen Blatz, chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court
Minnesota Supreme Court
The Minnesota Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Minnesota and consists of seven members. The court was first assembled as a three-judge panel in 1849 when Minnesota was still a territory. The first members were lawyers from outside of the region who were appointed by...
. Popularly known as the “Voice of Minnesota,” Edward Burdick “is quintessentially Minnesotan and [he] is the spirit of the Minnesota House of Representatives," concluded Republican Representative Ron Abrams of Minnetonka.
Elected national president of the American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries (ASLCS) in 1971, Burdick received many accolades during his legislative, military, and public service career. Some of which included the Joseph Beek
Joseph Beek
Joseph Allan Beek was the longest-serving Secretary of the Senate in California history . The Secretary of the California State Senate is a nonpartisan officer of the Senate who advises the presiding officer and Senators on parliamentary procedures and is the chief recordkeeper of the Senate...
Distinguished Service Award (1983), the Lloyd Short Public Service Award (1985), the National Conference on State Legislatures’ Legislative Staff Award (2002), and the ASLCS Service Award (2003). In 2010, the Minnesota Legislative Society honored Edward Burdick and his counterpart in the Minnesota Senate
Minnesota Senate
The Minnesota Senate is the upper house in the Minnesota Legislature. There are 67 members, half as many as are in the Minnesota House of Representatives. In terms of membership, it is the largest upper house of any state legislature. Each Senate district in the state includes an A and B House...
, Patrick Flahaven, with the Elmer Anderson Award for their years of public service to the State of Minnesota.
Governor Tim Pawlenty
Tim Pawlenty
Timothy James "Tim" Pawlenty , also known affectionately among supporters as T-Paw, is an American politician who served as the 39th Governor of Minnesota . He was a Republican candidate for President of the United States in the 2012 election from May to August 2011...
proclaimed January 10, 2005 as "Edward A. Burdick Day" in Minnesota and President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
wrote on March 14, 2005 that "our Nation is deeply indebted" for his military and public service. In his congratulations on Burdick's "retirement after 62 years of government service, including 38 years as chief clerk for the Minnesota House of Representatives
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...
," President Bush said, "Laura and I send our best wishes for many years of happiness" in the sun-setting chapter of his philanthropic, patriotic, and legendary public service career as a great American statesman.