Fred C. Norton
Encyclopedia
Fred C. Norton was a Minnesota
politician, a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, a Speaker
of the Minnesota House of Representatives
, and a judge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals
.
Norton was born in 1928 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He attended the University of Minnesota
before graduating in 1950 from Wesleyan University
. He later received his law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School
.
Norton worked in the office of the Minnesota Attorney General from 1955 to 1965, specializing in tax law. He was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives
in 1966, representing St. Paul, Minnesota. He became Speaker of the House in 1980 after mid-term elections broke a deadlock in the body. He did not have the support of the majority of his caucus
, but 49 Independent-Republicans joined 26 DFLers
to give him the Speaker's gavel. He served only one year before being replaced by Harry A. Sieben, Jr. after the 1982 elections gave Democrats a larger majority. He later served as minority leader
from 1985 to 1987, and became speaker again in January 1987.
Norton resigned from the House in June 1987, accepting an appointment to the Minnesota Court of Appeals
by Governor Rudy Perpich
. He won election to the court in 1988, and served on the court until he retired in 1997. He died of bone cancer in 2000.
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, a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, a Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of 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...
, and a judge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals
Minnesota Court of Appeals
The Minnesota Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court for the state of Minnesota. It began operating on November 1, 1983. It is housed in the Minnesota Judicial Center in St...
.
Norton was born in 1928 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He attended the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
before graduating in 1950 from Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
. He later received his law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School
University of Minnesota Law School
The University of Minnesota Law School, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, is a professional school of the University of Minnesota. The school offers a Juris Doctor , Masters of Law for Foreign Lawyers, and joint degrees with J.D./M.B.A., J.D./M.P.A, J.D./M.A., J.D./M.S., J.D./Ph.D.,...
.
Norton worked in the office of the Minnesota Attorney General from 1955 to 1965, specializing in tax law. He was elected to 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...
in 1966, representing St. Paul, Minnesota. He became Speaker of the House in 1980 after mid-term elections broke a deadlock in the body. He did not have the support of the majority of his caucus
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
, but 49 Independent-Republicans joined 26 DFLers
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party is a major political party in the state of Minnesota and the state affiliate of the Democratic Party. It was created on April 15, 1944, with the merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Farmer–Labor Party...
to give him the Speaker's gavel. He served only one year before being replaced by Harry A. Sieben, Jr. after the 1982 elections gave Democrats a larger majority. He later served as minority leader
Minority leader
In U.S. politics, the minority leader is the floor leader of the second largest caucus in a legislative body. Given the two-party nature of the U.S. system, the minority leader is almost inevitably either a Republican or a Democrat, with their counterpart being of the opposite party. The position...
from 1985 to 1987, and became speaker again in January 1987.
Norton resigned from the House in June 1987, accepting an appointment to the Minnesota Court of Appeals
Minnesota Court of Appeals
The Minnesota Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court for the state of Minnesota. It began operating on November 1, 1983. It is housed in the Minnesota Judicial Center in St...
by 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...
. He won election to the court in 1988, and served on the court until he retired in 1997. He died of bone cancer in 2000.