# Douglas K. Amdahl *American lawyer and judge; Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, 1981–1989* Douglas Kenneth Amdahl (January 23, 1919 – August 24, 2010) was a [[Minnesota]] lawyer and judge.[^1] He was Chief Justice of the [[Minnesota Supreme Court]] from December 1981 until January 1989. Before that, he was a Hennepin County judge from 1961 to 1980.[^1][^2] While he was chief justice, the [[Minnesota Court of Appeals]] was created in 1983, and Amdahl took a leading part in establishing it.[^2] He also worked to fund the Minnesota Judicial Center, which was completed in 1992.[^3] [[Minnesota Public Radio]] reported his death on August 24, 2010, under the headline *Retired Minnesota Justice Douglas Amdahl dies*.[^4] The [[Star Tribune]] published an obituary.[^5] ## Early life and education Amdahl grew up in Mabel, a small town in the southeastern part of the state. His parents were Olean and Beaulah Amdahl. His father, an immigrant from Norway, ran a shoe repair shop.[^6] In World War II he was a cryptologist in the European theater with the Signals Intelligence Service of the United States Army Air Force. The source identifies that unit with the later National Security Agency.[^6] He flew in and landed three days after the D-Day invasion of Normandy, and he then coordinated work to decrypt German Enigma traffic. His poor eyesight had earlier barred him from combat. Even so, he briefly commanded a tank at the Battle of the Bulge.[^6] ## Career From 1961 to 1980 Amdahl sat on the bench in Hennepin County.[^2] As chief justice, he helped lead the effort that produced the Minnesota Court of Appeals in 1983.[^2] Until then, a party who believed a district judge had ruled in error could appeal only to the state supreme court, where a decision could take as long as three years. The new intermediate court shortened the time needed to resolve cases and added another layer of review.[^2] Amdahl graduated *summa cum laude*, as class valedictorian, from William Mitchell College of Law (now [[Mitchell Hamline School of Law]]). He later taught at the school and sat on its board of trustees.[^2] ## Hennepin County Government Center Amdahl was a sponsor of the Hennepin County government center in downtown [[Minneapolis]]. As chief judge of Hennepin County, he campaigned for its funding, recommended the design of the judicial chambers, and cut the ribbon.[^7] In his own later account, he had reserved the courthouse's thirteenth floor for the chief judge's office, the media office, and several offices serving administration and the public. He moved in on Friday, December 13, 1973, and was the first judge to occupy the new building. "There wasn't any bad luck connected with that at all," he recalled.[^7] ## Minnesota Judicial Center Amdahl worked to secure funding for the Minnesota Judicial Center.[^3] He led its design with his friend Warren Burger, a United States Supreme Court justice, who had also graduated from the Saint Paul College of Law, a predecessor of William Mitchell College of Law.[^3] The building houses the Minnesota Court of Appeals, the Minnesota Supreme Court, the law library, and court administration. Construction was finished in 1992.[^3] Amdahl wrote to then Chief Justice [[William Rehnquist]], inviting him to an April dedication of the building, and Rehnquist accepted. Amdahl later had to tell him that the building would not be ready, so the date had to be moved.[^3] ## Personal life and death Amdahl was ranked first among the 100 most influential lawyers in the history of Minnesota and first in Minnesota's Legal Hall of Fame.[^8] While he was chief justice, he kept a cottage on the Saint Croix River near Hudson, in Saint Croix County, Wisconsin.[^8] He survived two plane crashes. The first was during the war. The second was on a fishing trip in Canada while he was chief justice.[^8] He died on August 24, 2010, at age 91.[^8][^4] He was buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.[^8] The Minnesota State Law Library maintains a biography of him.[^9] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia, *Douglas K. Amdahl* (revision 1373139200, retrieved 2026-10-26) — lead section: birth and death dates, Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court December 1981 to January 1989. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_K._Amdahl [^2]: Wikipedia, *Douglas K. Amdahl* (revision 1373139200, retrieved 2026-10-26) — "Career" section: Hennepin County judge 1961–1980; role in creating the Minnesota Court of Appeals (1983); William Mitchell College of Law. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_K._Amdahl [^3]: Wikipedia, *Douglas K. Amdahl* (revision 1373139200, retrieved 2026-10-26) — "Minnesota Judicial Center" section: funding and design, the building's occupants, completion in 1992, the Rehnquist dedication invitation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_K._Amdahl [^4]: Minnesota Public Radio, *Retired Minnesota Justice Douglas Amdahl dies* (August 24, 2010) — report of his death. https://www.mprnews.org/story/2010/08/24/amdahl-obit [^5]: Star Tribune, *Douglas K. Amdahl Obituary* (undated) — obituary. https://www.startribune.com/obituaries/detail/12712400/ [^6]: Wikipedia, *Douglas K. Amdahl* (revision 1373139200, retrieved 2026-10-26) — "Early life and education" section: Mabel upbringing, parents, World War II service. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_K._Amdahl [^7]: Wikipedia, *Douglas K. Amdahl* (revision 1373139200, retrieved 2026-10-26) — "Hennepin County Government Center" section: sponsorship, his role as chief judge, his recollection of moving in on December 13, 1973. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_K._Amdahl [^8]: Wikipedia, *Douglas K. Amdahl* (revision 1373139200, retrieved 2026-10-26) — "Personal life and death" section: rankings, the Wisconsin cottage, two plane crashes, death at 91, burial at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_K._Amdahl [^9]: Minnesota State Law Library, *Douglas K. Amdahl Biography* (undated) — biographical entry maintained by the state law library. https://mncourts.libguides.com/amdahl