Alexander M. Keith
Encyclopedia
Alexander MacDonald (Sandy) Keith (born November 22, 1928) is a Minnesota
lawyer who served as a state senator, the 37th Lieutenant Governor, and an associate justice and chief justice of the state supreme court
.
to Norman M. Keith and Edna (Alexander) Keith. His father was a physician who practiced medicine at the Mayo Clinic
.
He married Marion E. Sanford April 29, 1955.
in 1950, and from Yale Law School
in 1953. He then served in the United States Marine Corps
during the Korean War
.
.
In 1959, he was elected to the Minnesota State Senate as a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. During his tenure as a State Senator, Keith served as a delegate to the 1960 Democratic National Convention
. He was Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota under Governor Karl Rolvaag
from 1963 until 1967. In 1989, Keith began serving as a justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court. He became Chief Justice in 1990 and served in that capacity until 1998. While serving as Chief Justice (having been appointed to the position by (then) Governor Rudy Perpich
), Keith handed down a ruling that allowed Arne Carlson
onto the ballot after the previously endorsed candidate stepped out of the race for cavorting in a swimming pool with minor girls. Carlson eventually won the election, with Perpich and others blaming Keith for the loss.
, but currently serves on the board for the conservative Center of the American Experiment
and is outspoken in his endorsement of Republican
candidates and policies.
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...
lawyer who served as a state senator, the 37th Lieutenant Governor, and an associate justice and chief justice of the state 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...
.
Personal life
Sandy Keith was born in Rochester, MinnesotaRochester, Minnesota
Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the...
to Norman M. Keith and Edna (Alexander) Keith. His father was a physician who practiced medicine at the Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...
.
He married Marion E. Sanford April 29, 1955.
Education and military service
Keith graduated magna cum laude from Amherst CollegeAmherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
in 1950, and from Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
in 1953. He then served in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
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...
.
Public life and politics
After returning to his hometown of Rochester, Minnesota, Keith took a job as counsel with the Mayo Clinic, where he worked with future United States Supreme Court Justice Harry BlackmunHarry Blackmun
Harold Andrew Blackmun was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1970 until 1994. He is best known as the author of Roe v. Wade.- Early years and professional career :...
.
In 1959, he was elected to the Minnesota State Senate as a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. During his tenure as a State Senator, Keith served as a delegate to the 1960 Democratic National Convention
1960 Democratic National Convention
The 1960 Democratic National Convention was held in Los Angeles. In the end, the Kennedy-Johnson ticket was assembled and went on to secure an electoral college victory and a narrow popular vote plurality in the fall over the Republican candidates Richard M...
. He was Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota under Governor Karl Rolvaag
Karl Rolvaag
Karl Fritjof Rolvaag was a U.S. politician and the son of Norwegian-American author and professor Ole E. Rølvaag...
from 1963 until 1967. In 1989, Keith began serving as a justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court. He became Chief Justice in 1990 and served in that capacity until 1998. While serving as Chief Justice (having been appointed to the position by (then) Governor Rudy Perpich
Rudy Perpich
Rudolph George "Rudy" Perpich, Sr. was an American politician and the longest-serving governor of Minnesota. A member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, he served as the 34th and 36th Governor of Minnesota from December 29, 1976 to January 4, 1979, and from January 3, 1983, to January 7, 1991...
), Keith handed down a ruling that allowed Arne Carlson
Arne Carlson
Arne Helge Carlson, Sr. is an American politician and the 37th Governor of the state of Minnesota.-Early years, education and family:...
onto the ballot after the previously endorsed candidate stepped out of the race for cavorting in a swimming pool with minor girls. Carlson eventually won the election, with Perpich and others blaming Keith for the loss.
Return to private sector
After retiring from the Minnesota Supreme Court, Keith returned to private practice at Dunlap & Seeger in Rochester where he concentrates on mediating civil and family law disputes. He self-identifies as a DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, but currently serves on the board for the conservative Center of the American Experiment
Center of the American Experiment
The Center of the American Experiment is a conservative free market think tank in Minnesota, USA.-Overview:The Center of the American Experiment was founded in 1990. Its founder and President is Michael Pearlstein, a former Reagan appointee. Annette Meeks used to serve as its CEO. It has received...
and is outspoken in his endorsement of Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidates and policies.