Fred Norton

{{short description|American politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Fred C. Norton | office = Associate Judge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals | term_start = 1987 | term_end = 1997 | appointer = Rudy Perpich | predecessor = David R. Leslie | successor = G. Barry Anderson | order2 = 48th | office2 = Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives | term_start2 = 1980 | term_end2 = 1981 | predecessor2 = Rod Searle | successor2 = Harry A. Sieben, Jr. | order3 = 51st | office3 = Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives | term_start3 = January 1987 | term_end3 = June 1987 | predecessor3 = David M. Jennings | successor3 = Bob Vanasek | office4 = Minnesota State Representative | term_start4 = January 1967 | term_end4 = June 1987 | birth_date = August 19, 1928 | birth_place = Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States | death_date = {{death date and age|2000|10|28|1928|8|19}} | death_place = Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota, United States | alma_mater = Wesleyan University<br>University of Minnesota | party = DFL | spouse = Martha Holman Norton, Marvel Jonason Norton | children = Jeffrey Norton, Cynthia Norton, Katharine Norton, Kelly Jonason, Bill Jonason | profession = Attorney, judge | image = Fred Norton.jpg }} '''Fred C. Norton''' (August 19, 1928 – October 28, 2000) was a Minnesota politician, a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, a Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, and a judge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

Norton was born in 1928 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He attended the University of Minnesota before graduating in 1950 from Wesleyan University. He later received his law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School.<ref name="leg.state.mn.us">{{cite web |url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=10469 |title=Minnesota Legislators Past & Present - Legislator Record - Norton, Fred C |publisher=Leg.state.mn.us |access-date=July 20, 2010 |archive-date=December 10, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191210053316/http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=10469 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Norton worked in the office of the Minnesota Attorney General from 1955 to 1965, specializing in tax law. He was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1966, representing St. Paul, Minnesota. He became Speaker of the House in 1980 after mid-term elections broke a deadlock in the body. He did not have the support of the majority of his caucus, but 49 Independent-Republicans joined 26 DFLers to give him the Speaker's gavel. He served only one year before being replaced by Harry A. Sieben, Jr. after the 1982 elections gave Democrats a larger majority.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/LRL/Histleg/Speakers.asp |title=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library - Speakers of the House, 1849 |publisher=Leg.state.mn.us |access-date=July 20, 2010 |archive-date=August 13, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100813135321/http://www.leg.state.mn.us/LRL/Histleg/Speakers.asp |url-status=live }}</ref> He later served as minority leader from 1985 to 1987, and became speaker again in January 1987.<ref name="leg.state.mn.us"/>

Norton resigned from the House in June 1987, accepting an appointment to the Minnesota Court of Appeals by Governor Rudy Perpich. He won election to the court in 1988, and served on the court until he retired in 1997. He died of bone cancer in 2000.<ref name="leg.state.mn.us"/>

{{S-start}} {{s-legal}} {{Succession box | title=Associate Justice, Minnesota Court of Appeals | before=David R. Leslie | after=G. Barry Anderson | years=1987 – 1997}} {{S-off}} {{Succession box | title=Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives | before=Rod Searle | after=Harry A. Sieben, Jr. | years=1980 – 1981}} {{Succession box | title=Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives | before=David M. Jennings | after=Robert Vanasek | years=1987 – 1987}} {{Succession box |before=David M. Jennings |title=Minnesota House Minority Leader |years=1985-1987 |after=William R. Schreiber}} {{S-end}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{MN-legdb|10469}} *[http://www.leg.state.mn.us/LRL/Histleg/Speakers.asp Speakers of the Minnesota House of Representatives]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Norton, Fred C.}} Category:1928 births Category:2000 deaths Category:Wesleyan University alumni Category:Speakers of the Minnesota House of Representatives Category:Democratic Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Category:Minnesota Court of Appeals judges Category:Politicians from Minneapolis Category:University of Minnesota Law School alumni Category:20th-century Minnesota state court judges Category:Lawyers from Minneapolis Category:20th-century American lawyers Category:20th-century members of the Minnesota Legislature