Edward John Thye
| Edward J. Thye | |
|---|---|
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United States Senator from Minnesota |
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In office January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1959 |
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| Preceded by | Henrik Shipstead |
| Succeeded by | Eugene McCarthy |
| 26th Governor of Minnesota | |
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In office April 27, 1943 – January 8, 1947 |
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| Lieutenant |
C. Elmer Anderson Archie H. Miller |
| Preceded by | Harold Stassen |
| Succeeded by | Luther Youngdahl |
| 31st Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota | |
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In office January 4, 1943 – April 27, 1943 |
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| Governor | Harold Stassen |
| Preceded by | C. Elmer Anderson |
| Succeeded by | Archie H. Miller |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
April 26, 1896 Frederick, South Dakota, U.S |
| Died | August 28, 1969 (aged 73) Northfield, Minnesota, U.S |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Hazel Ramage (1921), Myrtle Ennor Oliver (1942) |
| Profession | politician |
| Religion | Lutheranism |
Edward John Thye (April 26, 1896 – August 28, 1969) was an American politician. A member of the Republican Party, he was the 26th Governor of Minnesota (1943–1947) before serving as a United States Senator from 1947 to 1959.
Edward Thye was born on a farm near Frederick, South Dakota. One of nine children, he was the son of Andrew John and Bertha (née Wangan) Thye. His father, a farmer, was born in Norway and immigrated to the United States in 1872. His brother was Ted Thye, who became a professional wrestler in the Pacific Northwest.
In 1904, Thye and his family moved to Northfield, Minnesota, where he received his early education at local public schools. He took courses at the Tractor and Internal Combustion School in Minneapolis in 1913, and graduated from the American Business College in 1916. Following the entry of the United States into World War I, he enlisted as a private in the United States Army Air Corps in 1917. He served overseas in France, and was eventually promoted to the rank of second lieutenant.
Following his military service, Thye returned to Minnesota in 1919 and was employed as a tractor expert with the Deere & Webber Company in Minneapolis, becoming a salesman in 1920. He married Hazel Ramage in 1921, and the couple remained married until her death in 1936; they had one daughter, Jean Roberta. He continued to work for Deere until 1922, when he became manager and owner of a dairy farm near Northfield.
In 1925, Thye was elected to the town council of Sciota. He later served a number of years on the Sciota school board. He was president of the Dakota County Farm Bureau (1929–1931), director of Twin City Milk Producers Association (1933), and appraiser for the Federal Land Bank of Minnesota (1933–1934). He became friends with Harold Stassen, and actively supported his successful campaign for Governor of Minnesota in 1938. He subsequently served as the Dairy and Food Commissioner of Minnesota and deputy commissioner of agriculture (1939–1942).
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