Aubrey W. Dirlam
Encyclopedia
Aubrey W. "A.W." Dirlam (October 20, 1913 – June 3, 1995) was a Minnesota
politician and a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
who represented the old District 14, District 17, District 17A, and District 21B, which included all or portions of
Brown
, Kandiyohi
, Redwood
, Renville
and Yellow Medicine
counties in the southwestern part of the state. The district number and boundaries changed through the years due to redistricting
.
and Minority Leader
. He was a member of the Legislature at a time when candidates, representatives and leadership positions were officially non-partisan. He allied with the House's Conservative Caucus
, and was known to be a Republican
.
Dirlam originally sought the House speakership in 1963, but lost the contest by one vote to Lloyd Duxbury, accepting the majority leader position in compensation. He later succeeded Duxbury as Speaker in 1971 and was the last officially nonpartisan Speaker. He had occasion to preside over the longest special session in state history (159 calendar days) that same year after Governor Wendell Anderson
called the Legislature back to Saint Paul
. After a series of meetings with the governor and Senate Majority Leader Stanley Holmquist, they were able to craft the "Minnesota Miracle," which set a new pattern in the state's financing of education.
Dirlam served as chair of the Agriculture Committee from 1949–1955, and as chair of the Rules Committee from 1963–1971. He was also a member of the Education, Governmental Operations, Rules and Legislative Administration, and Taxes committees.
, Dirlam moved with his family to the Redwood Falls, Minnesota
area in 1919, where they farmed. In addition to being a life-long grain and livestock farmer, he and his family were also involved with a meat and locker business. He also served on the Redwood Falls School Board.
In 1981, Governor Al Quie
appointed Dirlam to serve on the Minnesota Board of Residential Utility Consumers, a position he held until 1985. He died in 1995 from complications related to Alzheimer's Disease
and was buried in Redwood Falls Cemetery.
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 and a former member 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...
who represented the old District 14, District 17, District 17A, and District 21B, which included all or portions of
Brown
Brown County, Minnesota
Brown County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 25,893. Its county seat is New Ulm.-Geography:...
, Kandiyohi
Kandiyohi County, Minnesota
Kandiyohi County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, its population was 42,239. Its county seat is Willmar.- History :...
, Redwood
Redwood County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,815 people, 6,674 households, and 4,524 families residing in the county. The population density was 19 people per square mile . There were 7,230 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile...
, Renville
Renville County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,154 people, 6,779 households, and 4,623 families residing in the county. The population density was 18 people per square mile . There were 7,413 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile...
and Yellow Medicine
Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota
-External links:***...
counties in the southwestern part of the state. The district number and boundaries changed through the years due to redistricting
Redistricting
Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to...
.
House service and leadership
First elected in 1940, Dirlam was re-elected every two years until he retired in 1975. During his 34 years in the House, he served as Speaker, Majority LeaderMajority leader
In U.S. politics, the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.In the federal Congress, the role differs slightly in the two houses. In the House of Representatives, which chooses its own presiding officer, the leader of the majority party is elected the Speaker of the...
and 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...
. He was a member of the Legislature at a time when candidates, representatives and leadership positions were officially non-partisan. He allied with the House's Conservative 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:...
, and was known to be a Republican
Republican Party of Minnesota
The Republican Party of Minnesota is the Minnesota branch of the United States Republican Party. Elected by the party’s state central committee in June 2009, its chairman is Tony Sutton, and its deputy-chairman is Michael Brodkorb.-Early history:...
.
Dirlam originally sought the House speakership in 1963, but lost the contest by one vote to Lloyd Duxbury, accepting the majority leader position in compensation. He later succeeded Duxbury as Speaker in 1971 and was the last officially nonpartisan Speaker. He had occasion to preside over the longest special session in state history (159 calendar days) that same year after Governor Wendell Anderson
Wendell Anderson
Wendell Richard "Wendy" Anderson is an American politician and was the 33rd Governor of Minnesota from January 4, 1971 to December 29, 1976. In late 1976, he resigned the governor's office in order to be named U.S. Senator to replace Walter Mondale, who had been elected Vice President of the...
called the Legislature back to Saint Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
. After a series of meetings with the governor and Senate Majority Leader Stanley Holmquist, they were able to craft the "Minnesota Miracle," which set a new pattern in the state's financing of education.
Dirlam served as chair of the Agriculture Committee from 1949–1955, and as chair of the Rules Committee from 1963–1971. He was also a member of the Education, Governmental Operations, Rules and Legislative Administration, and Taxes committees.
Background and later years
Born in Panora, IowaPanora, Iowa
Panora is a city in Guthrie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,175 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, Dirlam moved with his family to the Redwood Falls, Minnesota
Redwood Falls, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,459 people, 2,266 households, and 1,389 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,167.1 people per square mile . There were 2,377 housing units at an average density of 508.2 per square mile...
area in 1919, where they farmed. In addition to being a life-long grain and livestock farmer, he and his family were also involved with a meat and locker business. He also served on the Redwood Falls School Board.
In 1981, Governor Al Quie
Al Quie
Albert Harold Quie is an American politician who served as the 35th Governor of Minnesota from January 4, 1979, to January 3, 1983.-State and national government service:...
appointed Dirlam to serve on the Minnesota Board of Residential Utility Consumers, a position he held until 1985. He died in 1995 from complications related to Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
and was buried in Redwood Falls Cemetery.