State Law Librarians Since 1849

Librarians were appointed by the Governor until 1965 (Minn. Laws ch. 45 s. 67) when appointment authority was transferred to the Minnesota Supreme Court. The Court had controlled the management of the Library since July 1, 1878 (Minn. Laws ch. 88).

Before the appointment of the first State Law Librarian, Dr. Thomas Foster, who served as private secretary to first Territorial Governor Alexander Ramsey, also served as ex-officio territorial librarian from May 27, 1849 to November 1849.   *Librarians with asterisks before their names served both as State Librarian and Private Secretary to the Governor of Minnesota.

        Territorial Librarians

1. Charles Cavaleer, November 1849 to November 6, 1850
           - issued Library's first annual report
2. Wallace B. White, February 1851 to 1853
3. Robert A. Smith, May 1853 to 1858
           - contended with 1857 Capitol fire which destroyed much of the Library
           - subsequently served as Mayor of St. Paul

   Since Statehood

4. *William F. Wheeler, August 12, 1858 to January 2, 1860
           - earned $600/year; paid $50 to index Minnesota Constitution
5. *Samuel Pierce Jennison, January 2, 1860 to January 24, 1861
           - previously practiced law with former Justice David Cooper
           - resigned to enter the Second Regiment of Minnesota Volunteers, General
           - later served as Secretary of State
6. *Dr. Thomas Foster, January 24, 1861 to November 7, 1861
           - resigned to accept appointment of Commissary of Subsistence,
             in the service of the General Government
7. *Robert F. Fisk, November 7, 1861 to December 16, 1863
           - "his recent sudden death has robbed the State of a worthy citizen"

   Pennock Pusey, Assistant Secretary of State, served very briefly as Acting State Librarian after Fisk's death and issued the 1863 Annual Report. He was never appointed as State Librarian and his name was not included in the list of state librarians published in editions of the Minnesota Legislative Manual. When this list was developed for the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Library in 1999, Pusey was numbered as a librarian. We now correct that error. [February 2009]

8. DeWitt C. Smith, January 14, 1864 to April 30, 1864
           - fought in civil war with 1st Minnesota Regiment; wounded at Antietam
           - resigned to return to the military where he died a hero
9. *George H. Oakes, April 30, 1864 to March 3, 1865
10. Louisa F. Goodwin (Jones), March 3, 1865 to April 1, 1867
            - civil war widow; first woman state librarian in country
11. Melissa R. Smith, April 1, 1867 to April 1, 1873
            - civil war widow of former State Librarian DeWitt Smith
            - first husband & wife to hold same position in Minnesota state government
12. John C. Shaw, April 1, 1873 to August 1877
13. William Henry Harrison Taylor, August 1, 1877 to January 1894
            - a grandson of President William Henry Harrison
14. Charles Andrew Gilman, February 1894 to January 24, 1899
            - previously served as state senator, state representative, and lieutenant governor
15. Fred W. Johnson, January 24, 1899 to January 29, 1901
16. Emil Alfred Nelson, January 29, 1901 to March 1, 1905
17. John E. King, March 1, 1905 to January 1911
18. Elias Johnson Lien, January 1911 to January 1921
            - Assistant Librarian from January 1905 to January 1911
            - President of American Association of Law Libraries, 1914-1916
19. Charles F. Ebel, January 15, 1921 to May 30, 1925
20. Paul Dansingberg, June 1, 1925 to July 30, 1945
            - died during his bus commute to the office at age 61
21. Josephine Wernicke Smith, September 10, 1945 to June 1, 1953
22. Margaret S. Andrews, June 9, 1953 to 1975
23. Ronald L. Cherry, 1976-1979
24. Marvin Roger Anderson, March 5, 1980 to September 24, 2002. 
25. Barbara L. Golden, October 31, 2002 to June 9, 2009. 
    • "New State Law Librarian Named" Loquitor, Autumn 2002, 2. 
    • An Oral History of Law Librarianship: Barbara L. Golden. 
    • Golden was followed by a period of state-wide budget crisis and an acting state law librarian, Judy Rehak, 2009-2012.
26. Liz Reppe, September 4, 2012-