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LIBRARY BOARD

On Jan. 7, 1885, in response to a request by the Minneapolis Athenaeum, a special committee of the City Council recommended that the city establish a free public library, and a Board of Trustees to operate it. This would require asking the state legislature to amend the city charter. The Council adopted the recommendation the same day. The State Legislature authorized the creation of the Board Feb. 28, 1885. The Trustees gathered to organize the Board on March 21, 1885, then adjourned. They held their first annual meeting on April 21, 1885.

In 2007, the Minneapolis Public Library faced long-term financial difficulties. A consensus developed that the city and Hennepin County library systems should merge. The State Legislature passed an enabling act, allowing the two library systems to consolidate. Governor Pawlenty signed the act on May 24, 2007. The Trustees held their last meeting on December 19. On Dec. 21, the City Council approved the merger. As of January 1, 2008, the Minneapolis Public Library joined the Hennepin County Library system, and the Board of Trustees ceased to exist.

Elected and Appointed Members

John B. Atwater April 21, 1885-Jan. 1893
Edward M. Johnson April 21, 1885-Jan. 1891
M.B. Koon April 21, 1885-Jan. 1891
Thomas Lowry April 21, 1885-Jan. 1893
Sven Oftedal April 21, 1885-Jan. 1895
Thomas B. Walker April 21, 1885-July 28, 1928 *

John G. Moore Jan. 1891-Jan. 1897
Albert M. Goodrich Jan. 1891-Jan. 1897

Edward M. Johnson Jan. 1893-1898
C.R. Cameron Jan. 1893-Aug. 1, 1898
Verdine Truesdale Jan. 1895-Dec. 6, 1896 *

Samuel C. Gale Jan. 1897-Jan. 1909
A.L. Crocker Jan. 1897-Jan. 10, 1902
Charles L. Wells Dec. 5, 1898-May 1, 1899
Edward M. Johnson May 1, 1899-Jan. 1901
Stanley R. Kitchel Jan. 1899-Jan. 12, 1900
Daniel Fish Jan. 1899-Jan. 1905
Frank H. Carleton Feb. 2, 1900-Feb. 1916 *

Lettie M. Crafts Jan. 1901-Jan. 1913
Jacob Stone Feb. 7, 1902-June 1, 1911
Frederick Wells Jan. 1905-Jan. 1907
Edward M. Johnson Jan. 1907-April 3, 1908 *
Henry Deutsch Jan. 1909-Jan. 1913 (to School Board)
Edward C. Gale Jan. 1909-Sept. 12, 1943 *

D. Draper Dayton Sept. 14, 1911-July 16, 1923 *
Cyrus Northrop May 1913-Jan. 1917
Harry E. Pence Jan. 1913-March 29, 1933 *
Norton M. Cross June 15, 1916-July 10, 1924
Bert F. Lum Jan.-Sept. 6, 1917 (never attended a meeting)
Cyrus Northrop Jan. 1918-April 3, 1922 *
Wilbur F. Decker Jan. 1919-July 1929

Charles V. Smith Aug. 31, 1923-July 1931
John S. McLain July 1925-July 30, 1926
Norton M. Cross July 30, 1926-Dec. 20, 1928
Archie D. Walker Aug. 10, 1928-July 1955
John Junell July 1929-July 1935
Dr. Phillips E. Osgood July 1929-April 13, 1933

Ben W. Palmer July 1931-July 1943
Daniel F. Bull July 1933-July 1935
Anna Erickson July 1933-July 1939
Leila W. Harding July 1935-July 1941
Myrtle R. Harris July 1935-July 1941
Margaret Larson July 1939-July 1945

Clifford Blanchard July 1941-Sept. 14, 1945
Harlan Strong July 1941-July 14, 1944
Myrtle R. Harris July 1943-June 27, 1947
Abel Norbeck July 14, 1944-Sept. 14, 1945 (filled in while Strong was at war)
Abel Norbeck Sept. 14, 1945-July 1947 (replaced Blanchard)
Harlan Strong Sept. 14, 1945-April 28, 1954
Ben W. Palmer July 14, 1944-April 8, 1949
Nellie Stone July 1945-July 1951
Paul S. Bessesen July 1947-June 19, 1951
Thomas O. Kachelmacher June 27, 1947-July 1949
Bernard E. Ericsson July 1949-May 13, 1960
Dorothy Bridgeman Atkinson Rood July 1949-Feb. 23, 1962

Mildred Daunt Haglin July 1951-July 1963
Charles St. Denis June 22, 1951-June 11, 1953
Florence Earle Wichman July 1953-July 1959
John A. Goldie June 15, 1954-March 5, 1955
Angelice E. (Mrs. George) Paul March 11-July 1955
Helen MacDonald July 1955-March 13, 1958
Kenneth A.W. Backstrom July 1955-Aug. 17, 1967
Yvonne Van der Boom April 10, 1958-Dec. 30, 1960
Mary Laddy July 1959-July 1965

Frank M. Kohout June 10, 1960-July 1961
St. Clair Beeman Dec. 30, 1960-July 1961
William F. Kunze July-Aug. 17, 1961
Grace Mulcahy Ennen July 1961-Oct. 2, 1989 *
Grant R. Willard Dec. 8, 1961-July 1963
Bruce D. Smith Feb. 23, 1962-Jan. 1976
Robert J. White July 1963-July 1969
Caroline K. Barron July 1963-July 1967
Ralph Forrester July 1965-July 1971
Frank C. Kent Nov. 12, 1965-June 20, 1968
Francis J. Sorauf Jan. 13, 1966-July 1969
Virginia F. Kremen July 1967-Dec. 31, 1973
Robert J. Denny July 1967-July 1971
Arnulf Ueland Nov. 17, 1967-Jan. 28, 1971
Johnaton H. Byrd Feb. 20, 1969-July 8, 1971
Lloyd C. Anderson July 1969-June 29, 1970

Richard W. LeRoy June 30, 1970-June 1, 1972
David S. Doty Feb. 25, 1971-Jan. 1980
Marie C. Goss July 1971-Jan. 1984
Frances H. Naftalin July 1971-Jan. 1990
James O. Jackson Sept. 16, 1971-Jan. 1976
Robert J. Van Krevelen June 9, 1972-May 31, 1973
Neil A. Solberg July 31, 1973-Jan. 1974
J. Harold Kittleson March 29, 1974-Feb. 26, 1982
Denis Wadley March 31, 1974-Jan. 1976
Ann Higgins Jan. 1976-Jan. 1990
Jo Anne Stefanska Thorbeck Jan. 1976-Oct. 15, 1983
Sean Rice Feb. 10, 1978-Jan. 1980
Helen Ziemba Feb. 13, 1976-Jan. 1978

Gary Neil Sudduth Jan. 1980-July 28, 1997 *
Lee A. Burress III Jan. 1980-Aug. 31, 1988
Ross A. Sussman Feb. 26, 1982-June 7, 1984
Mary Doty Jan. 1984-Jan. 2002
Richard "Rip" Rapson Feb. 16, 1984-April 17, 1989
Diane Hofstede June 21, 1984-Jan. 2006
Jean Greener Jan. 12, 1989-Jan. 1994
Ron Otterson April 26, 1989-Jan. 1994
Marilyn Borea Jan. 1990-Jan. 2002
Charlotte Anderson Jan. 1990-Nov. 26, 2001 *
Thomas A. O'Connor Jan. 1, 1990-June 1, 1995
Kathleen Lamb Jan. 1994-Feb. 1, 2006
Laurie Savran Jan. 1994-Dec. 31, 2007
Patricia Barker Sept. 6, 1995-Jan. 1998
Rod Krueger Jan. 1998-Dec. 31, 2007
Elladean Webster Feb. 6, 1998-March 1, 2002
George A. Garnett Jan. 2002-Aug. 31, 2003
Anita Duckor Jan. 2002-Dec. 31, 2007
Virginia "Ginny" Holte Jan. 2002-Jan. 2006
Laura Waterman Wittstock March 1, 2002-Dec. 31, 2007
Gregory Gray Oct. 3, 2003-Jan. 2006
Sheldon Mains Jan. 2006-Dec. 31, 2007
Alan Hooker Jan. 2006-Dec. 31, 2007
Hussein Samatar Jan. 2006-Dec. 31, 2007
Gary Thaden March 1, 2006-Dec. 31, 2007


Ex Officio Members

The Mayor, who has been allowed to appoint a representative since 1965
The President of the University of Minnesota (until 1965)
The President of the Board of Education (until 1965)
A member, or representative, of the City Council


Presidents Of The University Of Minnesota

Cyrus Northrop 1885-April 1, 1911
George E. Vincent April 1, 1911-June 30, 1917
Marion Burton July 1, 1917-June 30, 1920
Lotus Delta Coffman July 1, 1920-Sept. 22, 1938 *
Guy Stanton Ford (Acting Oct. 10, 1931-March 9, 1932, Sept. 25. 1937-June 30, 1938) Oct. 19, 1938-June 30, 1941
Walter C. Coffey Nov. 22, 1941-June 30, 1945 (Acting July 1-Nov. 22, 1941)
James L. Morrill July 1, 1945-June 30, 1960
O. Meredith Wilson July 1, 1960-1965

The Legislature removed the President from the Board in 1965


President Of The Board Of Education

J.W. Johnson April 1881-Nov. 25, 1885
Sven Oftedal Nov. 25, 1885-Jan. 1889
A.C. Austin Jan. 1889-Jan. 1891
A.T. Ankeny Jan. 1891-Jan. 1895
Rev. M. Falk Gjertsen Jan. 1895-Jan. 1897
Jennie C. Crays Jan. 1897-Jan. 1899
Thomas F. Quinby Jan. 1899-Jan. 1903
John A. Schlener Jan. 1903-Feb. 3, 1905
Robert Pratt Feb. 3, 1905-Jan. 1907
C.J. Bintliff Jan. 1907-Jan. 1909
George H. Elwell Jan. 1909-Jan. 1915
Horace N. Leighton Jan. 1915-July 1921
A.P. Ortquist July 1921-July 1926
Lowell E. Jepson July 1926-July 1927
J.E. Meyers July 1927-July 1928
James F. Gould July 1928-July 1929
Helen Kilgore July 1929-July 1930
Lowell E. Jepson July 1930-July 1932
Walter E. Johnson July 1932-July 1933
Helen L. Bauman July 1933-July 1934
Lynn M. Thompson July 1934-July 1935
Dr. Charles R. Drake July 1935-July 1936
Henry J. Bessesen July 1936-July 1937
Helen L. Bauman July 1937-July 1938
Lynn M. Thompson July 1938-July 1939
Dr. Charles R. Drake July 1939-July 1940
Helen L. Bauman July 1940-July 1941
Lynn M. Thompson July 1941-July 1942
Helen L. Bauman July 1942-July 1943
Dr. Charles Drake July 1943-July 1944
Owen Cunningham July 1944-July 1946
The Rev. Morris Robinson July 1946-July 1949
Constance W. Rustad July 1949-July 1951
George M. Jensen July 1951-July 1956
Frank E. Adams July 1956-July 1957
Florence Lehmann July 1957-July 1958
Einar T. Pettersen July 1958-July 1960
Arnett W. Leslie July 1960-July 1961
Stella (Mrs Samuel) Gale July 1961-July 1963
Gordon A. Mikkelson July 1963-July 1965

The President was removed from the Board in 1965


President Of The Library Board

Thomas B. Walker April 21, 1885-July 28, 1928 *
Edward C. Gale Aug. 2, 1928-Sept. 12, 1943 *
Archie Walker Jan. 14, 1944-July 1955
Dorothy Rood July 1955-Feb. 23, 1962
Kenneth Backstrom Feb. 1962-July 1964
Bruce Smith July 1964-July 1972
Virginia Kremen July 1972-Jan. 1974
Marie Goss Jan. 1974-Jan. 1978
Frances Naftalin Jan. 1978-Jan. 1987
Ann Higgins Jan. 1987-Jan. 1989;
Richard "Rip" Rapson Jan.-April 13, 1989
Ann Higgins April 17, 1989-Jan. 1990
Diane Hofstede Jan. 1990-Jan. 1991
Gary Sudduth Jan. 1991-Jan. 1993
Mary Doty Jan. 1993-Jan. 1996
Charlotte Anderson Jan. 1996-Jan. 1997
Diane Hofstede Jan. 1997-Jan. 2000
Laurie Savran Jan. 2000-Jan. 2003
Laurie Waterman Wittstock Jan. 2003-Jan. 2004
Gregory Gray Jan. 2004-Jan. 2005
Rodney Krueger Jan. 2005-Jan. 2006
Anita S. Duckor Jan. 2006-Dec. 31, 2007


Librarians Of The Minneapolis Public Library

Thomas Hale Williams (librarian of the Mpls Athenaeum) May 16, 1859-Feb. 11, 1890
Herbert Putnam Feb. 20, 1884-1892
James K. Hosmer Feb. 3, 1892-1904
Gratia A. Countryman 1904-1936
Carl Vitz 1937-1946
Glenn M. Lewis 1946-1957
Raymond E. Williams 1957-1963
Margaret M. Mull (Acting) 1963-1964
Ervin J. Gaines (Director) 1964-1974
Mary L. Dyar (Interim Director) 1974-1975
Joseph Kimbrough (Director) 1975-July 7, 1989
Susan Goldberg (Director) 1990-1995
Mary Lawson (Interim Director) Feb. 1995-Nov. 6, 1996 (Director) Nov. 6, 1996-Jan. 4, 2002
Jan. Feye-Stukas (Interim Director) Jan. 24, 2002-March 2003
Katherine G. "Kit" Hadley March 2003-Nov. 25, 2007
Jane Eastwood (Acting Director) Nov. 26, 2007-Jan. 1, 2008

* Trustee died in office

Highwood Press — Minneapolis, MN — (612) 872-9156

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