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Edward J

Edward John Thye (26 April 1896-28 August 1969) was the Republican Governor of Minnesota from 27 April 1943 to 8 January 1947 (succeeding Harold Stassen and preceding Luther Youngdahl) and a US Senator from 3 January 1947 to 3 January 1959 (succeeding Henrik Shipstead and preceding Eugene McCarthy).

Biography[]

Edward John Thye was born in Frederick, South Dakota in 1896, the son of a Norwegian immigrant. He was raised in Northfield, Minnesota, and he served in the US Army in France during World War I before becoming a tractor expert with the Deere & Webber Company in Minneapolis and becoming the owner and manager of a Northfield dairy farm. He was elected to the Sciota town council in 1925 and befriended Harold Stassen, serving as his Lieutenant Governor in 1943 before succeeding him on his resignation to serve in World War II. Thye served as Governor from 1943 to 1947, and he increased spending for highway construction and unemployment compensation. While serving in the US Senate, he was more liberal than 80% of his fellow Republicans, and he voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1957. He died in 1969.

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