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An true leader like Elmer L. Andersen inspires all sorts of rich memories. We invite you to share a story or remembrance about the former Governor in the space below. Your special memory about Elmer L. Andersen will be posted on this site so that all can share in reading about the life and achievements of this special man.
Read what others have written, or share a story of your own below.
From: Tim Johnson, Special Collections & Rare Books
One of the memories that I will carry is from the opening week activities of the Andersen Library, in April 2000. On Wednesday of that week, a private tour had been arranged for Governor Andersen; he was scheduled to arrive in the early afternoon. Hearing of the tour, I consulted with Jim Cogswell, former head of Collection Development, and was given the OK to send an e-mail message to the entire Libraries staff inviting them to gather on the grand stairway and upper floor concourses in Andersen Library prior to the tour. The purpose of our gathering was to welcome the Governor to his new library. Spot on time, the Governor arrived and made his way to the first floor atrium. Rounding the corner, he was greeted by hundreds of staff members who broke out in a spontaneous applause of thanks. The clapping caught him by surprise, but just for a moment. When the applause ended, he, in turn, thanked all of us for the work that we do. It was, and always will be, a bright and shining moment.
From: David Klaassen, Social Welfare History Archives
Governor Andersen was not as directly involved with the Social Welfare History Archives as with some other archives and special collections units in Andersen Library, probably because our holdings don't emphasize the kind of rare books that he delighted in adding. But he was influential in another way many years ago. During the 1960s he served as president of the Child Welfare League of America, an important voluntary-sector organization. Our accession records include a letter he wrote to the League's executive director, recommending the new archives center established in Minnesota by Clarke Chambers as a perfect place for the CWLA records.
We are highly honored to be based in a library named for an individual whose life epitomized the spirit of private-public partnership in working to improve the quality of life for all persons.
From: Kathy Drozd, MINITEX
One of my favorite memories, was explaining the sevices that MINITEX provides the state on his private tour of the library in April 2000. I explained one of the programs in great detail. After the explanation the Governor started asking question which reflected his concern for service and cost of the program. It was very clear that his concerns were for the Minnesota citizen. After the tour Governor Andersen continued to mention MINITEX in several talks, and each time, I smiled thinking that we were lucky to be a part of his focus. The MINITEX office is very honored to be in a building named after such a wonderful Minnesota citizen and an outstanding person.
Linda Schloff, Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Governor Andersen's vision was extraordinarily broad. He felt that the history of the Jewish experience in Minnesota deserved the widest possible audience, and he then worked to make that concern a reality. He was instrumental in brokering the negotiations that resulted in our society, in 2001, being invited to place its collections at the library that bears his name. Having made our presence on the University of Minnesota campus possible he then presented us with a generous publication fund and bought us books he thought would be useful. Several of us were fortunate enough to be invited to share coffee and cookies with him, during which time he truly inspired us with his vision of the importance of communicating history in order to bring about greater communal harmony. We left with renewed dedication to our work.
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