Perpich

A Minnesota Original

Benjamin M. Schierer with Lori Sturdevant. Forward by Governor Mark Dayton

Minnesota Historical Society Press (April 2025)

Description

The story of Minnesota’s longest-serving governor and his role in propelling the state to the global stage, woven together from interviews with influential civic leaders.

Rudy Perpich was one of a kind. As Minnesota’s longest-serving governor, he built bridges where others saw impassible divides: between rural and urban life, labor and business interests, local politics and international trade. 

Perpich: A Minnesota Original explores the life and legacy of one of the state’s most consequential political figures. Crafted from oral histories of influential leaders—including Paul Wellstone, Marlene Johnson, James Oberstar, Joan Growe, Mark Dayton, Sandra Gardebring Ogren, Roger Moe, and Arne Carlson, this volume demonstrates how Perpich’s political fortunes mirrored those of the state. It follows Perpich from his youth on the Iron Range to his political forays on the school board and in the statehouse, including his decade-spanning stints in the governor’s mansion. 

A tale of globetrotting economic tours, major construction projects, and support for education and the arts, this historical biography is also the story of bocce-ball, failed chopstick factories, and even USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev. Schierer and Sturdevant examine the qualities and quirks that allowed Perpich to develop policies that crossed geographic and partisan boundaries. Rudy Perpich is a portrait of a unique civic leader who left an indelible mark on the state. 

Author Information

Benjamin M. Schierer is the two-term and current mayor of Fergus Falls, Minnesota. A former Bush Fellow and NewDEAL Leader, he received his MPA from the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute. 
Lori Sturdevant is a retired Star Tribune editorial writer and columnist, author, and three-time winner of the Minnesota Book Award. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.