Rod Searle | |
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47th Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives | |
In office 1979–1980 | |
Preceded by | Martin Olav Sabo |
Succeeded by | Fred Norton |
Personal details | |
Born | July 17, 1920 Camden, New Jersey, United States |
Died | January 5, 2014 |
Political party | Republican Independent-Republican |
Rodney Newell Searle Sr. (July 17, 1920 – January 5, 2014) was a Minnesota farmer, insurance agent, and public servant. Born and raised in urban New Jersey, Searle moved to rural Minnesota in 1947 with his wife Jane and their two young children. With no prior experience in agriculture, they moved to a farm, and soon were raising crops and livestock. He also became heavily involved in community activities.
Searle was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1956, and spent 24 years as a legislator, and had a particular emphasis in education. In 1979 he was selected by an evenly divided body as Speaker.[1] Searle retired from the legislature after the 1980 session but continued in public service, serving in a variety of public and private volunteer positions for the remainder of his life. He died at his home on January 5, 2014.