Harold Windingstad
Encyclopedia
| Harold Windingstad | |
| Born | 1929 |
| Place of Birth | Providence Township Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 8,067 people, 3,316 households, and 2,225 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile . There were 3,774 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile... |
| Died | November 18, 2006 |
| Place of Death | Dawson, Minnesota Dawson, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 1,539 people, 677 households, and 398 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,043.4 people per square mile . There were 756 housing units at an average density of 512.6 per square mile... |
| Spouse | Dolores |
| Profession | farmer Farmer A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain... , political activist, community organizer |
| Political Affiliation | Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party 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... |
| Years Active | 1955 - 2005 |
Harold Oliver Windingstad, Jr. (1929 – November 18, 2006) was an American politician and farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
from Minnesota
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...
, and a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
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...
.
Political "go to" man
Windingstad lived his entire life on his family's farm in Providence Township in Lac qui Parle CountyLac qui Parle County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,067 people, 3,316 households, and 2,225 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile . There were 3,774 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile...
. A populist
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
, he had grass roots
Grass Roots
Grass Roots is an Australian television series produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation between 2000 and 2003.The series is set around the fictional Arcadia Waters Council near Sydney, and was primarily a satirical look at the machinations of local government...
political experience and an "uncanny sense of community." He was considered the man in southwestern Minnesota to whom candidates turned for advice, fundraising and get-out-the-vote efforts. His knowledge of the political landscape defined strategies for many local and state-wide races through the years.
DFL Party leader
Windingstad served as chair of the 2nd Congressional District DFLMinnesota 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...
for nearly twenty years, and was a delegate to two Democratic national conventions
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
. He is credited with helping the Minnesota delegation come together after Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
won the endorsement for President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
in 1976, saying of the Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
governor: "Looks like a nice young man. He might go someplace." After handing his 2nd District chair position over to Jonette Engan
Jonette Engan
Jonette Ellen Engan is an American politician and a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.-DFL Party leader:...
in 1989, the district chose to honor him by establishing an annual golf tournament in Willmar
Willmar, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 18,351 people, 7,302 households, and 4,461 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,549.9 people per square mile . There were 7,789 housing units at an average density of 657.8 per square mile...
known as the Windingstad Open. The event attracted golfers and political leaders from throughout the region each August.
Farmers Union leader and public service
In 1987, Windingstad won the Hubert HumphreyHubert Humphrey
Hubert Horatio Humphrey, Jr. , served under President Lyndon B. Johnson as the 38th Vice President of the United States. Humphrey twice served as a United States Senator from Minnesota, and served as Democratic Majority Whip. He was a founder of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and...
Award for his dedication to and leadership in the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
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...
. A leader in the Minnesota Farmers Union and chair of the local chapter for many years, he, along with his wife, Dolores, received the inaugural Minnesota Farmers Union Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. He served on the Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership (SWHP) Board from its inception in 1992 until his death, and also served four terms on the Minnesota Board on Aging. He was also a member of the Prairie Five Community Action Council Board for over 25 years.