Editing Wendell R. Anderson

{{Short description|American hockey player and politician (1933–2016)}}
{{For|the Wisconsin politician|Wendell Abraham Anderson}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|image        = Wendell Anderson (D-MN).jpg
|jr/sr        = United States Senator
|state        = [[Minnesota]]
|term_start   = December 30, 1976
|term_end     = December 29, 1978
|appointed    = [[Rudy Perpich]]
|predecessor  = [[Walter Mondale]]
|successor    = [[Rudy Boschwitz]]
|order1       = 33rd [[Governor of Minnesota]]
|lieutenant1  = Rudy Perpich
|term_start1  = January 4, 1971
|term_end1    = December 29, 1976
|predecessor1 = [[Harold LeVander]]
|successor1   = [[Rudy Perpich]]
|office2      = Member of the [[Minnesota Senate]]
|term_start2  = January 8, 1963
|term_end2    = January 4, 1971
|preceded2    = Bill Dosland
|succeeded2   = [[John C. Chenoweth]]
|constituency2= 49th district (1963–67)<br>44th district (1967–71)
|state_house4 = Minnesota
|district4    = 37th
|term_start4  = January 6, 1959
|term_end4    = January 8, 1963
|preceded4    = S. L. Beanblossom
|succeeded4   = George A. French
|birth_name   = Wendell Richard Anderson
|birth_date   = {{birth date|1933|2|1}}
|birth_place  = [[Saint Paul, Minnesota]], U.S.
|death_date   = {{death date and age|2016|7|17|1933|2|1}}
|death_place  = Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
|restingplace = [[Lakewood Cemetery]]
|party        = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|spouse       = {{marriage|Mary Christine McKee|1963|1990|reason=divorced}}
|children     = 3
|education    = [[University of Minnesota|University of Minnesota, Twin Cities]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]], [[Bachelor of Laws|LLB]])
|allegiance   = United States
|branch       = [[United States Army]]
|serviceyears = 1955–1957 (active)<br>1957–{{circa|1963}} (reserve)
|rank = [[First Lieutenant]]
}}
'''Wendell Richard''' '''"Wendy"''' '''Anderson''' (February 1, 1933 – July 17, 2016) was an American politician and hockey player who served from 1971 to 1976 as the [[List of governors of Minnesota|33rd governor of Minnesota]]. In late 1976, he resigned as governor in order to be appointed to the [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]], after Senator [[Walter Mondale]] was elected [[Vice President of the United States]]. Anderson served in the Senate for almost two years, but after losing the 1978 Senate election to [[Rudy Boschwitz]], he resigned a few days before the end of his term to give Boschwitz seniority.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.mnhs.org/people/governors/gov/gov_35.htm| title=Governors of Minnesota: Wendell R. Anderson| website=[[Minnesota Historical Society]]| access-date=July 18, 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725083620/http://www.mnhs.org/people/governors/gov/gov_35.htm| archive-date=July 25, 2013| url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| last1=Nathanson| first1=Iric| title='Spendy Wendy' and the 1970 gubernatorial election| url=http://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2010/10/spendy-wendy-and-1970-gubernatorial-election| access-date=October 3, 2014| work=[[MinnPost]]| date=October 27, 2010}}</ref>

==Background==
Anderson was born in [[Saint Paul, Minnesota]], in 1933. He attended Saint Paul's [[Johnson Senior High School (St. Paul, Minnesota)|Johnson High School]] and the [[University of Minnesota]], where he received a [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]] in 1954. He earned a law degree from the [[University of Minnesota Law School]] in 1960.

Anderson served in the [[United States Army]] from 1955 to 1957, reaching the rank of [[First Lieutenant]].<ref>[https://minnesotanewsnetwork.com/former-mn-governor-wendell-anderson-dies-83/ Former MN Governor Wendell Anderson dies at 83]</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=AixQAQAAMAAJ&dq=Wendell+R.+Anderson+First+Lieutenant+United+States+Army+Minnesota&pg=PA12 United States Congressional Serial Set - Volumes 13112-13116]</ref> He later served with an intelligence unit in the [[United States Army Reserve|Army Reserve]].<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015055031333&view=1up&seq=82&skin=2021&q1=Wendell%20Anderson The Legislative manual of the State of Minnesota. ... 1959-1960]</ref><ref>[https://www.lrl.mn.gov/docs/2013/other/130545.pdf Minnesota Legislative Manual 1961-1962]</ref><ref>[https://www.lrl.mn.gov/docs/2013/other/130546.pdf Minnesota Legislative Manual 1963-1964]</ref>

==Hockey career==
From 1951 to 1954, Anderson played defense for the [[Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey|University of Minnesota]], where he made two [[NCAA Frozen Four]] runs in his final two seasons (the Gophers were defeated in back-to-back championship finals by the [[1952–53 Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey season|Michigan Wolverines]] and the [[1953–54 RPI Bachelors men's ice hockey season|RPI Bachelors]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gophersports.com/news/2016/7/17/Remembering_Former_Gov_Wendell_Anderson|title=Remembering Former Gov. Wendell Anderson|website=gophersports.com|date=July 17, 2017|access-date=October 26, 2024}}</ref>). He was a member of the U.S. hockey team that won a silver medal at the [[Ice hockey at the 1956 Winter Olympics|1956 Winter Olympics]]. Long after his on-ice career ended, he was drafted in 1972 by the [[Minnesota Fighting Saints]] in the inaugural [[World Hockey Association]] draft, in what was seen as a publicity stunt. (Not to be outdone, another WHA team selected Soviet Premier [[Alexei Kosygin]].) Anderson chose to remain governor.

===Career statistics===
====Regular season and playoffs====
{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em"
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" 
! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" | 
! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | 
! colspan="5" | [[Regular season]] 
! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | 
! colspan="5" | [[Playoffs]] 
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" 
! [[Season (sports)|Season]] 
! Team 
! League 
! GP 
! [[Goal (ice hockey)|G]] 
! [[Assist (ice hockey)|A]] 
! [[Point (ice hockey)|Pts]] 
! [[Penalty (ice hockey)|PIM]] 
! GP
! G 
! A 
! Pts 
! PIM 
|-
| 1950–51
| [[St. Paul Johnson High School]]
| [[Minnesota State High School League|USHS]]
| — || — || — || — || —
| — || — || — || — || —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1951–52
| [[Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey|University of Minnesota]]
| [[Western Collegiate Hockey Association|MCHL]]
| 3 || 1 || 1 || 2 || 2
| — || — || — || — || —
|- 
| 1952–53
| University of Minnesota
| MCHL
| 32 || 2 || 6 || 8 || 26
| — || — || — || — || —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1953–54
| University of Minnesota
| WIHL
| 28 || 4 || 11 || 15 || 18
| — || — || — || — || —
|-
| 1954–55
| Minneapolis Bungalows
| MNHL
| — || — || — || — || —
| — || — || — || — || —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1961–62
| Minneapolis Rebels
| [[United States Hockey League|USHL Sr.]]
| — || — || — || — || —
| — || — || — || — || —
|-
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" | College totals
! 63 !! 7 !! 19 !! 25 !! 46
! — !! — !! — !! — !! —
|}

====International====
{{MedalTop}}
{{MedalSport | Men's [[Ice hockey at the Winter Olympics|Ice hockey]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{USA}}}}
{{MedalSilver| [[1956 Winter Olympics|1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo]] |[[Ice hockey at the 1956 Winter Olympics|Ice hockey]]}}
{{MedalBottom}}

{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:40em"
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Year
! Team
! Event
! Result
! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff"|
! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM
|- 
| [[1955 Ice Hockey World Championships|1955]]
| [[United States men's national ice hockey team|United States]]
| [[Ice Hockey World Championships|WC]]
| 4th
| 8 || 2 || 2 || 4 || 5
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[Ice hockey at the 1956 Winter Olympics|1956]]
| United States
| [[Ice hockey at the Olympics|OLY]]
| {{silver2}}
| 7 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 2
|-bgcolor="#e0e0e0" 
! colspan="4"|Totals 
! 15 !! 2 !! 3 !! 5 !! 7
|}

==Political career==
Anderson served in the [[Minnesota House of Representatives]] from 1959 to 1963 and in the [[Minnesota State Senate]] from 1963 to 1971.<ref name=MLRL>{{cite web| url=https://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail?ID=10020| title=Anderson, Wendell Richard "Wendy"| website=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library| access-date=July 8, 2020}}</ref> He was elected governor of Minnesota in [[1970 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1970]]. His 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 (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine.<ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19730813,00.html| title=Magazine Cover: Governor Wendell Anderson| date=August 13, 1973| magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]| access-date=July 18, 2016}}</ref>

After U.S. Senator [[Walter Mondale]] was elected vice president in [[1976 United States presidential election|1976]], the governor had to appoint Mondale's successor. Anderson agreed with his lieutenant governor, [[Rudy Perpich]], that Anderson would resign as governor, and Perpich, as the new governor, would appoint Anderson to the Senate.

In what became known as the "Minnesota Massacre", nearly the entire [[Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party|DFL Party]] ticket was defeated in 1978, including Perpich and the candidates for both [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] seats, Anderson and [[Bob Short]]. Anderson's arrangement to have himself appointed to the Senate—and Perpich's role in that appointment—were deemed central factors in the defeats; Anderson said the move to appoint himself senator was his big mistake.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McGrath |first1=Dennis J. |title=DFL's mishandling of 1976 Senate appointment led to party's 'Minnesota Massacre' |url=http://www.startribune.com/dfl-s-mishandling-of-1976-senate-appointment-led-to-party-s-minnesota-massacre/462396333/ |newspaper=[[Star Tribune]] |location=Minneapolis |access-date=January 28, 2019 |date=December 6, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Gilbert |first1=Curtis |title=Thirty years ago it was the Republicans' year |url=https://www.mprnews.org/story/2008/05/29/massacre |work=[[Minnesota Public Radio]] News |access-date=January 28, 2019 |date=May 30, 2008}}</ref>

From 1989 to 2002, Anderson served as [[Consulate General of Sweden, Minneapolis|honorary consul general of Sweden in Minneapolis]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://gupea.ub.gu.se/bitstream/handle/2077/59835/gupea_2077_59835_1.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |editor-last=Spiegelberg |editor-first=Christina |title=Sveriges statskalender 2002 |year=2002 |publisher=Fritzes |location=Stockholm |language=sv |isbn=9138319519 |id={{SELIBR|8428312}} |page=173}}</ref> From 1995 to 2001, he 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 [[Political commentator|commentator]] on Minnesota politics for local stations such as [[KSTP-TV]].<ref name=MLRL/>

==Personal life==
Anderson married Mary Christine McKee (1939–2018) of [[Bemidji, Minnesota]], in 1963. They had three children: Amy, Elizabeth, and Brett. They divorced in 1990.<ref>{{cite news| title=Former MN first lady, who held her own during Wendell Anderson's term, dies| url=https://www.twincities.com/2018/12/21/mary-mckee-former-wife-of-the-late-gov-wendell-anderson-dies-at-78/| last=Weniger| first=Deanna| date=December 24, 2018| newspaper=[[St. Paul Pioneer Press]]| access-date=July 8, 2020}}</ref>

In the 1970s, Anderson appeared on the TV [[game show]] ''[[What's My Line?]]'' A panel consisting of [[Gene Rayburn]], [[Arlene Francis]], [[Gene Shalit]] and [[Sheila MacRae]] was unable to guess that he was the governor of Minnesota.

In 1975, two of the Swedish District lodges of the [[Vasa Order of America]] selected Anderson as Swedish-American of the Year.<ref>"[http://www.vasaorden.se/en/index.htm?page=/en/asa/1981.asp Wendell R. Anderson]" ''Vasa Order of America''{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

Anderson died on July 17, 2016, of complications of [[Alzheimer's disease]] at the age of 83.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.startribune.com/wendell-anderson-former-minnesota-governor-dead-at-83/387172031/#1| title=Wendell Anderson, former Minnesota governor, dead at 83| newspaper=Star Tribune| last1=Coolican| first1=Patrick| last2=Walsh| first2=Paul| date=July 18, 2016| location=Minneapolis| access-date=July 8, 2020}}</ref> His cremated remains were buried in [[Lakewood Cemetery]] in August 2019.<ref>https://www.lakewoodcemetery.org/burial-result/273924/wendell-r-anderson/</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== External links ==
{{MN-legdb|10020}}{{CongBio|A000202}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071120010434/http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19730813,00.html Wendell Anderson on the cover of TIME magazine: August 13, 1973]
* {{Find a Grave|167095630}}
*{{C-SPAN|60668}}
* {{icehockeystats}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Karl Rolvaag]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[Governor of Minnesota]]|years=[[1970 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1970]], [[1974 Minnesota gubernatorial election|1974]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Rudy Perpich]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Wendell H. Ford]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Chair of the [[Democratic Governors Association]]|years=1974–1975}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Philip W. Noel]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Walter Mondale]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[United States Senator|U.S. Senator]] from [[Minnesota]]<br>([[Classes of United States Senators|Class 2]])|years=[[1978 United States Senate election in Minnesota|1978]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Joan Growe]]}}
|-
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Harold LeVander]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Governor of Minnesota]]|years=1971–1976}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Rudy Perpich]]}}
|-
{{s-par|us-sen}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Walter Mondale]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of United States Senators from Minnesota|United States Senator (Class 2) from Minnesota]]|years=1976–1978|alongside=[[Hubert Humphrey]], [[Muriel Humphrey Brown|Muriel Humphrey]], [[David Durenberger]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Rudy Boschwitz]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Governors of Minnesota}}
{{USSenMN}}
{{USCongRep-start|congresses= 94th–95th [[United States Congress]]es |state=[[Minnesota]]}}
{{USCongRep/MN/94}}
{{USCongRep/MN/95}}
{{USCongRep-end}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Wendell}}
[[Category:1933 births]]
[[Category:2016 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Lutherans]]
[[Category:20th-century Minnesota politicians]]
[[Category:American athlete-politicians]]
[[Category:American men's ice hockey defensemen]]
[[Category:American people of Swedish descent]]
[[Category:Burials at Lakewood Cemetery]]
[[Category:Deaths from Alzheimer's disease in Minnesota]]
[[Category:Democratic Party governors of Minnesota]]
[[Category:Democratic Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives]]
[[Category:Democratic Party Minnesota state senators]]
[[Category:Democratic Party United States senators from Minnesota]]
[[Category:Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey players]]
[[Category:Ice hockey people from Saint Paul, Minnesota]]
[[Category:Ice hockey players at the 1956 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Lutherans from Minnesota]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1956 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Minnesota]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for the United States in ice hockey]]
[[Category:Politicians from Saint Paul, Minnesota]]
[[Category:United States Army officers]]
[[Category:University of Minnesota Law School alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century United States senators]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the Minnesota Legislature]]