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In American politics, we're not surprised to see members from the same family running
for office.
There are the Kennedys, the Bushs and the Clintons.
As far back as the beginning of the country, there was the second president of the United
States, John Adams, and his son, the sixth president, John Quincy Adams.
In this Legislative Fair Factor: The Speaker Edition, we ask, how many times have a father and son become
speakers of the Minnesota House of Representatives?
Was it... A- Three B- Two
C- One or D- Zero?
The answer is C.
The only father and son to both serve as speakers of the Minnesota House of Representatives
was John L. Merriam and his son, William R. Merriam.
John Merriam served from 1870 to 1871.
William Merriam served as speaker of the House in 1887.
The speaker acts as a presiding officer over the House, and among many other duties, is
responsible for determining the number of standing committees and their areas of jurisdiction
as well as naming the chairs, vice-chairs and members of each committee.
The fact that only two speakers have ascended to the governorship may be surprising because
the House speaker is generally viewed as state government's second-most powerful post, after
the governor.
William Merriam used his role as speaker as a stepping stone to become Minnesota's 11th
governor.
While he was governor, his administration adopted the Australian ballot, also called
secret ballot, which allowed citizens to vote in comparative privacy.
Merriam's public service continued after his governorship.
President William McKinley appointed him as director of the national census in 1900.
Later, Merriam would persuade Congress to establish a permanent census bureau, becoming
the first to serve as its leader.
Merriam's contributions to state and national government are significant, something a dad
like his may have been proud of.
You can imagine yourself as speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives this year
at the State Fair.
The House has a booth in the Education Building complete with a speaker's desk and gavel.
To get a feel for what it's like to stand in this position of power, come check
out our booth. We are here every day of the great Minnesota Get-Together.