Sandy Keith
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 Minnesota Supreme Court.
Alexander MacDonald 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 |
| 37th Lieutenant 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 the Minnesota 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 | November 22, 1928 Rochester, Minnesota |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party |
| Spouse(s) | Marion E. Sanford |
| Alma mater | Amherst College Yale Law School |
Early life
Keith was born in Rochester, Minnesota 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. Keith graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College in 1950, and from Yale Law School in 1953. He then served in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War.
Career
After returning to his hometown of Rochester, Minnesota, Keith took a job as counsel with the Mayo Clinic, where he worked with future U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun. In 1959, he was elected to the Minnesota State Senate as a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL). 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. He challenged Rolvaag for the nomination to be the DFL's candidate for governor in the 1966 general election, but was defeated by Rolvaag in the primary election. In 1989, Keith began serving as a justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. He became Chief Justice in 1990 and served in that capacity until 1998.
External links
- Sandy Keith at Minnesota Legislators Past & Present
- Minnesota State Law Library biography: Alexander M. Keith
- The Harvard Crimson 11/1/1966: "How to Get Mangled in Minnesota Politics: Sandy Keith Succumbs to Sympathy Vote"
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Karl Rolvaag |
Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota 1963–1967 |
Succeeded by James B. Goetz |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by Peter S. Popovich |
Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court 1990–1998 |
Succeeded by Kathleen A. Blatz |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Karl Rolvaag |
Endorsed Gubernatorial Candidate, Minnesota DFL State Convention 1966 |
Succeeded by Wendell Anderson |
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