Sam Solon
Encyclopedia
Sam George Solon was a Minnesota
politician, and a member of the Minnesota Senate
and the Minnesota House of Representatives
. A Democrat, he served in the legislature for over 30 years, 28 of those years in the senate. He died of malignant melanoma in 2001.
in 1931. He graduated from Duluth Central High School in 1949 and served in the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954. He earned his B.S.
in Education
in 1958 from the University of Minnesota
in Duluth. After graduation, he worked as a high school teacher and coach. He also served as chair of Duluth's alcoholic beverage board from 1967 to 1970.
. He served one term, then ran for and won a seat in the Minnesota Senate in 1972, representing the new District 7. From then on, he faced scant opposition, defeating most opponents by better than 70 percent.
While in the senate, Solon chaired the Health, Welfare, and Corrections committee from 1981 to 1982, then chaired the Commerce Committee in its various incarnations from 1983 until his death. He was also chair of the Education Subcommittee for Assessment and Accountability from 1975 to 1976, and of the Commerce Subcommittee for Banking from 1977 to 1980. He was an appointed member of the Minnesota Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board from 1979 to 2001.
maintenance base and the construction of a new aquarium. He was also the primary sponsor legislation mandating the extension of Interstate 35
through downtown Duluth. In August 2001, the University of Minnesota in Duluth honored his contributions to the school by naming a campus center after him.
, succeeded him in the Minnesota Senate.
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...
politician, and a member of 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...
and 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...
. A Democrat, he served in the legislature for over 30 years, 28 of those years in the senate. He died of malignant melanoma in 2001.
Early years and education
Solon was born in DuluthDuluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
in 1931. He graduated from Duluth Central High School in 1949 and served in the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954. He earned his B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
in 1958 from the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota Duluth
The University of Minnesota Duluth is a regional branch of the University of Minnesota system located in Duluth, Minnesota, USA. As Duluth's public research university, UMD offers 13 bachelor's degrees in 74 majors, graduate programs in 24 different fields, a two-year program at the School of...
in Duluth. After graduation, he worked as a high school teacher and coach. He also served as chair of Duluth's alcoholic beverage board from 1967 to 1970.
Legislative career
In 1970, Solon ran for and won a seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives, representing the old District 60 prior to legislative redistrictingRedistricting
Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to...
. He served one term, then ran for and won a seat in the Minnesota Senate in 1972, representing the new District 7. From then on, he faced scant opposition, defeating most opponents by better than 70 percent.
While in the senate, Solon chaired the Health, Welfare, and Corrections committee from 1981 to 1982, then chaired the Commerce Committee in its various incarnations from 1983 until his death. He was also chair of the Education Subcommittee for Assessment and Accountability from 1975 to 1976, and of the Commerce Subcommittee for Banking from 1977 to 1980. He was an appointed member of the Minnesota Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board from 1979 to 2001.
Legislative accomplishments
Through the years, Solon's special legislative concerns included health and welfare, education, economic development, higher education, seniors, drugs and crime, health insurance, and employment. Among his accomplishments, he worked to improve the Lake Superior Zoo and expand Duluth's convention center. He helped attract the Northwest AirlinesNorthwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
maintenance base and the construction of a new aquarium. He was also the primary sponsor legislation mandating the extension of Interstate 35
Interstate 35
Interstate 35 is a north–south Interstate Highway in the central United States. I-35 stretches from Laredo, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border to Duluth, Minnesota, at Minnesota Highway 61 and 26th Avenue East. Many interstates used to have splits or spurs indicated with suffixed letters , but I-35...
through downtown Duluth. In August 2001, the University of Minnesota in Duluth honored his contributions to the school by naming a campus center after him.
Family life
Solon was married three times, and had six children. He died of complications arising from malignant melanoma on December 28, 2001. His last wife, Yvonne Prettner SolonYvonne Prettner Solon
Yvonne Prettner Solon is the 47th and current Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota. She is the sixth consecutive woman to serve in that capacity and is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.-Education:...
, succeeded him in the Minnesota Senate.