Sandy Keith | |
|---|---|
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| Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court | |
| In office December 1, 1990 – January 29, 1998 | |
| Appointed by | Rudy Perpich |
| Preceded by | Peter S. Popovich |
| Succeeded by | Kathleen A. Blatz |
| Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court | |
| In office February 1, 1989 – December 1, 1990 | |
| Appointed by | Rudy Perpich |
| 37thLieutenant Governor of Minnesota | |
| In office January 8, 1963 – January 2, 1967 | |
| Governor | Elmer L. Andersen Karl Rolvaag |
| Preceded by | Karl Rolvaag |
| Succeeded by | James B. Goetz |
| Member of theMinnesota Senate from the 4th district | |
| In office January 6, 1959 – January 7, 1963 | |
| Preceded by | Walter Burdick |
| Succeeded by | Harold G. Krieger |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Alexander MacDonald Keith November 22, 1928 Rochester, Minnesota |
| Died | October 3, 2020 (aged 91) |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party |
| Spouse | Marion E. Sanford |
| Alma mater | Amherst College Yale Law School |
Alexander MacDonald "Sandy" Keith (November 22, 1928 – October 3, 2020) was an American politician and jurist who was the first person tohold office in each of the three branches ofMinnesota state government, serving asstate senator, the37th Lieutenant Governor, and as an associate justice and later chief justice of theMinnesota Supreme Court.[1][2]
Keith was born inRochester, Minnesota, to Norman M. Keith and Edna (Alexander) Keith. His father was a physician who practiced medicine at theMayo Clinic. He married Marion E. Sanford on April 29, 1955. Keith graduatedmagna cum laude fromAmherst College in 1950, and fromYale Law School in 1953. He then served in theUnited States Marine Corps during theKorean War.[3]
After returning to his hometown of Rochester, Keith took a job as counsel with theMayo Clinic, where he worked with future U.S. Supreme Court JusticeHarry Blackmun.
In 1959, he was elected to the Minnesota State Senate as a member of theDemocratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL). During his tenure as a state senator, Keith served as a delegate to the1960 Democratic National Convention. He was Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota under GovernorKarl Rolvaag from 1963 until 1967. He challenged Rolvaag for the nomination to be the DFL's candidate for governor in the1966 general election, but was defeated by Rolvaag in the primary election.
In 1989, Keith began serving as a justice of theMinnesota Supreme Court. He became chief justice in 1990 and served in that capacity until 1998.[4][5]
Keith died at his home on October 3, 2020. He was 91 years old, just a month and a half shy of his 92nd birthday.[2]
Alexander MacDonald "Sandy" Keith dedicated his life to public service and is believed to be the first person to work in roles across all three branches of Minnesota government.
Sandy was a public man—the only person in Minnesota's history to have served in all three branches of state government.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota 1963–1967 | Succeeded by |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court 1990–1998 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forLieutenant Governor of Minnesota 1962 | Succeeded by |
| Endorsed Gubernatorial Candidate, Minnesota DFL State Convention 1966 | Succeeded by | |
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| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
