Elmer Lee Andersen was an American business executive, Republican politician, publisher, and philanthropist. He led H.B. Fuller Company, served as Minnesota governor from 1961 to 1963, helped establish Voyageurs National Park, founded the Princeton Union-Eagle newspaper group, and supported the University of Minnesota, libraries, conservation, and the arts.
Background
Elmer Lee Andersen was born in Chicago, Illinois, on June 17, 1909, to Arne and Jennie (Johnson) Andersen. He grew up in Muskegon, Michigan, in a family of four children. His father died in 1925, and his mother died later that year, after which the children had to support themselves. Andersen worked as a factory employee, in real estate, and as a salesman before moving to Minnesota.
He contracted polio at the age of nine and recovered with the care of his mother and an osteopath. His early experience of work, family responsibility, and economic hardship became part of the personal story he later developed in his memoir, A Man's Reach. He married Eleanor Johnson on September 1, 1932; they had three children, Anthony, Julian, and Emily.
Education
Andersen attended Muskegon Junior College in Michigan and completed his studies there in 1928. The junior-college system provided accessible postsecondary education for students preparing for business and professional careers during a period when many Americans entered higher education through local institutions.
He graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1931 with a Bachelor of Business Administration. The university, founded in 1851 and developed as Minnesota's principal public research institution, offered professional education closely connected with the commercial and civic growth of the Upper Midwest. He later received honorary Doctor of Laws degrees or equivalent legal honors from Macalester College in 1965, a Doctor of Humane Letters from Carleton College in 1972, and an honorary Doctor of Management from the University of Minnesota in 1984.
Andersen joined H.B. Fuller Company in Saint Paul in 1934 in advertising, sales promotion, and sales. H.B. Fuller was a Minnesota manufacturer of industrial adhesives whose products served manufacturing, packaging, construction, and related industries. He became sales manager in 1937 and president in 1941 after acquiring a controlling interest in the company. Under his leadership, the firm expanded during the industrial mobilization of the Second World War and became a major adhesives manufacturer.
He served as president until 1961, returned to company leadership after leaving the governorship, and held successive positions as president and chairman, chairman and chief executive officer, and chairman of the board. His company career extended through 1992, and he remained associated with the board thereafter. He also served as a director of Davis Consolidated Industries, Prenor Group Ltd., Geo. A. Hormel & Company, and First Trust Company.
Andersen represented Minnesota's forty-second senatorial district from 1949 to 1958. His legislative work included civil-rights legislation, education, child welfare, mental-health policy, workers' compensation, metropolitan planning, and taconite development. He became governor in 1961 and supported fair housing, public health regulation, highway safety, state parks, and economic development.
After his gubernatorial service, Andersen served on the University of Minnesota Board of Regents from 1967 to 1975 and chaired the board from 1972 to 1975. He was also a trustee and later president of the University of Minnesota Foundation. In 1976 he purchased and combined two newspapers to form the Princeton Union-Eagle, beginning a publishing career that included ECM Publishers and Sun Newspapers. His editorials and columns were collected in Views from the Publisher's Desk.
Andersen was an important private advocate for Voyageurs National Park, established by Congress in 1975. He worked with landowners, conservationists, public officials, and regional interests to build support for protecting the park's northern Minnesota waterways and forests. His later philanthropy supported the University of Minnesota, the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, libraries, rare-book collections, conservation, social welfare, and the arts.
As a Minnesota state senator, Andersen was the chief Senate sponsor of the 1955 Fair Employment Practices Act, one of the state's major modern civil-rights measures.
As governor, Andersen advocated the establishment and protection of state parks and played a significant role in building support for Voyageurs National Park, established by Congress in 1975.
Andersen helped create the Princeton Union-Eagle in 1976 by combining two local Minnesota newspapers and later expanded his publishing interests through ECM Publishers.
He donated approximately 12,500 rare books to the University of Minnesota Libraries in 1999 and made further gifts supporting rare-book, archival, and special-collections programs.
Andersen served as a University of Minnesota regent and as a leader of the University of Minnesota Foundation, helping direct major university fundraising and institutional development.
(A collection of Andersen's speeches and reflections on pu...)
2004
Religion
Andersen was a Lutheran. Lutheranism is a major Protestant tradition that emerged from the sixteenth-century Reformation associated with Martin Luther and emphasizes justification by faith, the authority of Scripture, and worship centered on Word and sacrament.
His religious background was connected with the Lutheran institutions of Minnesota, including Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, where his funeral was held. His public life also reflected a Lutheran-inflected tradition of civic responsibility, philanthropy, education, and service to community institutions.
Politics
Andersen was a Republican who served in the Minnesota Senate and as governor of Minnesota. His politics combined support for private enterprise and economic development with advocacy of civil rights, education, child welfare, environmental conservation, metropolitan planning, and public institutions.
He entered the Minnesota Senate in 1949 and became a leading sponsor of the state's modern Fair Employment Practices Act in 1955. As governor from January 2, 1961, to March 20, 1963, he supported fair housing legislation, highway safety, sanitary regulation, state parks, and economic measures affecting the Iron Range and American Indian reservations. His 1962 reelection contest against Karl Rolvaag became the closest gubernatorial election in Minnesota history; after a prolonged recount and court proceedings, Rolvaag prevailed by 91 votes.
Andersen later described himself as a liberal Republican, a position associated with the party's mid-twentieth-century moderate tradition. He remained active in public affairs after leaving office, including work on constitutional reform, conservation, and university governance.
Views
Andersen's public philosophy joined private enterprise with public responsibility. His career and writings emphasized perseverance, accountability, ethical leadership, education, conservation, and service to communities. A recurring theme in his memoir and speeches was that worthwhile public goals justified sustained effort even when success was uncertain.
His support for libraries and archives reflected a belief that cultural memory was a public trust. His philanthropy connected business success with obligations to universities, historic preservation, environmental protection, social welfare, and the arts.
Quotations:
"A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?" — Robert Browning, a line associated with the title and theme of Andersen's memoir, A Man's Reach.
Membership
Andersen participated in professional, civic, humanitarian, educational, conservation, and cultural organizations. His memberships and board service connected his business and political career with Minnesota's philanthropic institutions and with national organizations concerned with child welfare, conservation, libraries, foundations, and professional development.
He was active in the Minnesota Historical Society, the American Antiquarian Society, the Morgan Library, the Adhesive Manufacturers Association of America, the Voyageurs National Park Association, the Boy Scouts of America, and Rotary International. He also served on boards and committees associated with the Child Welfare League of America, Augsburg College, the Bush Foundation, the Council on Foundations, the University of Minnesota, and the Minnesota Constitutional Study Commission.
Political affiliation; described in party_affiliation_description rather than as a civic or professional membership.
Republican Party
,
United States
Served as regent and chaired the board from 1972 to 1975.
University of Minnesota Board of Regents
,
United States
1967 - 1975
Served as trustee and presided over the foundation from 1978 to 1981.
University of Minnesota Foundation
,
United States
1968 - 1988
Served as president.
Child Welfare League of America
,
United States
1965 - 1967
Served on the executive committee and as president from 1966 to 1970.
Minnesota Historical Society
,
United States
American Antiquarian Society
,
United States
Served as a fellow.
Morgan Library
,
United States
Served as president.
Adhesive Manufacturers Association of America
,
United States
Served as president.
Voyageurs National Park Association
,
United States
Served as president of the Saint Paul club and as a district governor.
Rotary International
,
United States
Served on the executive committee.
Boy Scouts of America
,
United States
Served as chairman of the board.
Bush Foundation
,
United States
Served on the board of directors.
Council on Foundations
,
United States
Served as a trustee.
Augsburg College
,
United States
Grolier Club
,
United States
Rowfant Club
,
United States
Personality
Andersen's autobiographical and public writings present him as disciplined, optimistic, civic-minded, and committed to long-term public service. His career combined business leadership with political work, conservation advocacy, publishing, collecting, and philanthropy.
Quotes from others about the person
The University of Minnesota recognized Andersen as a major benefactor and named its library for him in 1999. The library's account of his service emphasizes his belief that universities had an archival responsibility to preserve knowledge and culture for future generations.
Interests
Book collecting, rare books, printing history, farming, conservation, the Minnesota State Capitol, libraries, horticulture, and the arts.
Writers
Andersen maintained strong interests in American and English history and literature, inspirational poetry, and the history of printing and books.
Connections
Andersen married Eleanor Johnson in 1932. They had three children: Anthony L. Andersen, Julian L. Andersen, and Emily E. Andersen. Eleanor was a major partner in the family's philanthropic work, including support for the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.
The couple's shared interest in books led to the development of Andersen's personal library. In 1999 he donated approximately 12,500 rare volumes to the University of Minnesota Libraries, which later received additional books and papers. The Elmer L. Andersen Library and the Elmer and Eleanor Andersen Library at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum commemorate their contributions.
Father:
Arne Andersen
Mother:
Jennie Johnson Andersen
Wife:
Eleanor Johnson
Married Andersen on September 1, 1932, and collaborated with him in philanthropic support for the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.
Son:
Anthony L. Andersen
Son:
Julian L. Andersen
Daughter:
Emily E. Andersen
References
Minnesota Legislative Reference Library: Governor Elmer Andersen
Official gubernatorial biography documenting Andersen's birth and death, business career, legislative service, governorship, civil-rights work, conservation advocacy, publishing career, and University of Minnesota service.
University of Minnesota Libraries: About Elmer L. Andersen
Institutional biography documenting Andersen's early life, H.B. Fuller career, family, book collecting, university service, philanthropy, and gifts to the University of Minnesota Libraries.
Minnesota Historical Society: Elmer L. Andersen Papers
Finding aid for Andersen's papers, documenting his Republican political career, H.B. Fuller leadership, newspaper publishing, corporate boards, foundations, and University of Minnesota service.
Elmer Andersen Oral History Project
Oral-history record documenting Andersen's childhood, education, marriage, entry into H.B. Fuller, and the company's wartime industrial expansion.
