# Joseph A. A. Burnquist *Republican politician; 19th governor of Minnesota (1915–1921) and Minnesota Attorney General (1939–1955)* Joseph Alfred Arner Burnquist (July 21, 1879 – January 12, 1961) was a Minnesota lawyer and Republican officeholder. His public career ran from a legislative seat taken in 1909 to the attorney general's office, which he left in 1955.[^1] He won election as [[Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota]] in 1912. He became the 19th [[Governor of Minnesota]] on December 30, 1915, after the death of Governor [[Winfield Scott Hammond]], and held the office until January 5, 1921.[^1][^2] As governor, Burnquist chaired the seven-member [[Minnesota Commission of Public Safety]]. The commission was created by legislation he signed on April 16, 1917, ten days after the United States entered the First World War.[^3] The [[Minnesota Historical Society]]'s account describes the commission's mandate as "broad powers to act to ensure public safety in wartime." The measures that followed included English-only school instruction in 1917 and a 1918 requirement that non-citizens register property and report family data.[^3][^4] The Minnesota Legislative Reference Library's record of Burnquist describes him as chairing the commission's anti-German enforcement during the war.[^2] Burnquist was elected in 1938 and served as [[Minnesota Attorney General]] from January 2, 1939, to January 3, 1955.[^1] ## Early years Burnquist's parents were of Swedish descent, and he was born in Dayton, Iowa. He studied at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, and completed a law degree at the [[University of Minnesota Law School]] in 1905.[^5] He practiced law briefly in Saint Paul and won a seat in the [[Minnesota House of Representatives]] in 1908. Wikipedia's biographical section gives his House service as 1909 to 1912. Its summary paragraph gives his legislative service as 1909 to 1911.[^5][^1] ## Political career ### Governor of Minnesota Burnquist was serving his second term as lieutenant governor when Hammond died unexpectedly. He took the governor's office on December 30, 1915.[^6][^2] Wikipedia's account places his first two years in office during a period of rising social and political tension. It names concern over the war in Europe, union organizing, and strikes by workers seeking better wages and conditions.[^6] According to the Wikipedia account, the 1917 legislation Burnquist signed created the commission to monitor public sentiment toward the war.[^6] MNopedia records a seven-member body chaired by the governor and holding "broad powers to act to ensure public safety in wartime."[^3][^7] The commission's documented outputs were: - county and local safety committees across the state; - badge-wearing "Peace Officers" from May 1917;[^8] - a 1917 mandate for English-only school instruction; - a 1918 requirement that non-citizens register property and report family data.[^4] Wikipedia calls the commission ostensibly nonpartisan. It says the commission opposed groups its members considered suspect, among them immigrants, labor unions and the Non-Partisan League. The same account says that Burnquist and the commission were granted what it calls near-dictatorial powers, and that the commission targeted ethnic German Minnesotans.[^6] It also reports that Burnquist threatened German-American citizens in New Ulm, Minnesota, with deportation on suspicion of loyalty to Prussia.[^6] The Legislative Reference Library's record describes the same period as the commission's anti-German enforcement, chaired by Burnquist.[^2] The commission was effectively ended in April 1919, when the Minnesota House voted 107–12 to abolish it. It was formally dissolved in December 1920, during the last weeks of Burnquist's governorship.[^9][^2] Federal law changed during the same years. The Sedition Act of 1918 limited speech during the war. The Immigration Act of 1919 permitted officials to deport any alien or naturalized citizen who advocated overthrowing the government by force.[^10] Outside the commission's work, Wikipedia credits Burnquist with initiating legislation to improve state highways.[^10] ### Attorney General Burnquist won the attorney general's office in the 1938 election. He held it without interruption from January 2, 1939, until January 3, 1955. Wikipedia describes this as the second-longest continuous tenure in that position.[^1] ## President of Saint Paul NAACP Chapter Wikipedia lists Burnquist as president of the NAACP's Saint Paul chapter from 1914 to about 1921. Its account places the Duluth lynchings within both that presidency and his second term as governor. It characterizes his response to them as cautious and limited.[^11] ## Personal life Burnquist married Mary Louise Cross (1880–1966) on January 1, 1906. He was 81 when he died in [[Minneapolis]], and he is buried in [[Lakewood Cemetery]].[^12] ## In the Minnesota record ### Who - Burnquist, the Republican governor of Minnesota from 1915 to 1921, chaired the Minnesota Commission of Public Safety.[^2][^3] ### What - The commission was a seven-member body created by legislation signed on April 16, 1917. MNopedia describes its mandate as "broad powers to act to ensure public safety in wartime."[^3] ### When - December 30, 1915: Burnquist succeeds Hammond as governor.[^6][^2] - April 16, 1917: Burnquist signs the commission legislation, ten days after U.S. entry into the war.[^3] - May 1917: badge-wearing "Peace Officers" begin service.[^8] - 1917: English-only school instruction is mandated.[^4] - 1918: non-citizens are required to register property and report family data.[^4] - April 1919: the House votes 107–12 to abolish the commission.[^9] - December 1920: the commission is formally dissolved.[^9] - January 5, 1921: Burnquist leaves the governorship.[^1] ### Where - The commission worked through county and local safety committees statewide.[^8] - Wikipedia places Burnquist's deportation threat against German-American citizens in New Ulm, Minnesota.[^6] ### Why - Wikipedia gives the commission's stated purpose as monitoring public sentiment toward the war.[^6] MNopedia gives its mandate as ensuring public safety in wartime.[^3] The record does not establish the reasons for particular enforcement decisions. ### How - The commission set the English-only instruction mandate and the non-citizen property and family-data registration requirement.[^4] - It also acted through local safety committees and "Peace Officers."[^8] ### How many - The commission had seven members.[^3] - The House voted 107–12 to abolish it.[^9] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Joseph A. A. Burnquist* (rev. 1376039358, retrieved 2026-10-25) — summary paragraph: birth and death dates; Republican; legislature 1909–1911; elected lieutenant governor 1912; governor December 30, 1915 – January 5, 1921; elected attorney general 1938 and served January 2, 1939 – January 3, 1955, the second-longest continuous tenure. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_A._A._Burnquist [^2]: Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, *Joseph A. A. Burnquist* (legislator record, n.d.) — Minnesota governor 1915–1921; chaired the Public Safety Commission's anti-German enforcement during the First World War. https://www.lrl.mn.gov/legdb/fulldetail?id=10074 [^3]: Minnesota Historical Society, *Minnesota Commission of Public Safety* (MNopedia, n.d.) — created by legislation signed April 16, 1917, ten days after U.S. entry into the war; seven members chaired by Governor Burnquist; "broad powers to act to ensure public safety in wartime." https://www.mnhs.org/mnopedia/search/index/group/minnesota-commission-public-safety [^4]: Minnesota Historical Society, *Minnesota Commission of Public Safety* (MNopedia, n.d.) — English-only school instruction mandated (1917); non-citizens required to register property and report family data (1918). https://www.mnhs.org/mnopedia/search/index/group/minnesota-commission-public-safety [^5]: Wikipedia contributors, *Joseph A. A. Burnquist*, "Early years" (rev. 1376039358, retrieved 2026-10-25) — birthplace, parentage, Carleton College, 1905 law degree, Saint Paul practice, House election 1908 and service 1909–1912. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_A._A._Burnquist [^6]: Wikipedia contributors, *Joseph A. A. Burnquist*, "Governor of Minnesota" (rev. 1376039358, retrieved 2026-10-25) — succession on Hammond's death; wartime and labor tensions; commission created to monitor public sentiment; groups opposed; near-dictatorial powers; targeting of ethnic German Minnesotans; New Ulm deportation threat. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_A._A._Burnquist [^7]: Minnesota Historical Society, *Minnesota Commission of Public Safety* (library research guide, n.d.) — research guide to the commission, cited alongside MNopedia for its creation and membership. https://libguides.mnhs.org/publicsafety [^8]: Minnesota Historical Society, *Minnesota Commission of Public Safety* (MNopedia, n.d.) — county and local safety committees statewide; badge-wearing "Peace Officers" from May 1917. https://www.mnhs.org/mnopedia/search/index/group/minnesota-commission-public-safety [^9]: Minnesota Historical Society, *Minnesota Commission of Public Safety* (MNopedia, n.d.) — commission effectively ended April 1919 by a House vote of 107–12 to abolish it; formally dissolved December 1920. https://www.mnhs.org/mnopedia/search/index/group/minnesota-commission-public-safety [^10]: Wikipedia contributors, *Joseph A. A. Burnquist*, "Governor of Minnesota" (rev. 1376039358, retrieved 2026-10-25) — Sedition Act of 1918; Immigration Act of 1919 deportation provision; Burnquist's highway legislation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_A._A._Burnquist [^11]: Wikipedia contributors, *Joseph A. A. Burnquist*, "President of Saint Paul NAACP Chapter" (rev. 1376039358, retrieved 2026-10-25) — chapter presidency from 1914 to ca. 1921; Duluth lynchings during that presidency and his second term; response described as cautious and limited. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_A._A._Burnquist [^12]: Wikipedia contributors, *Joseph A. A. Burnquist*, "Personal life" (rev. 1376039358, retrieved 2026-10-25) — marriage on January 1, 1906; death in Minneapolis at 81; burial at Lakewood Cemetery. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_A._A._Burnquist