{{short description|American politician (1940–2012)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name=Larry Haws | image= | state_house=Minnesota | state=Minnesota | district=15B | term_start=January 19, 2006 | term_end=January 3, 2011 | preceded=Joe Opatz | succeeded=King Banaian | party=Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party | birth_date={{birth date|1940|1|12}} | birth_place=Tracy, Minnesota | death_date={{death date and age|2012|3|27|1940|1|12}} | death_place=St. Cloud, Minnesota | alma_mater=St. Cloud State University<br />Minnesota State University, Mankato | profession=Educator, legislator | spouse=Faith | children=4 }}
'''Larry W. Haws''' (January 12, 1940 – March 27, 2012)<ref name="MinnPost">{{cite web|url=http://www.minnpost.com/political-agenda/2012/03/former-state-rep-larry-haws-st-cloud-has-died|title=Former state Rep. Larry Haws of St. Cloud has died|last=Kimball|first=Joe|date=March 28, 2012|work=MinnPost.com|accessdate=March 28, 2012}}</ref> was a Minnesota politician and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives who represented District 15B, which includes portions of Benton, Sherburne and Stearns counties in the north central part of the state. A Democrat, he was also a director of parks and recreation for the city of St. Cloud, and a teacher and coach.<ref name="leg.state.mn.us">{{cite web|url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=15187 |title=Minnesota Legislators Past & Present - Legislator Record - Haws, Larry |publisher=Leg.state.mn.us |date= |accessdate=2010-07-20}}</ref> On May 17, 2010, he announced that he would not seek a fourth term.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.leg.mn/archive/LegDB/AV/retirehaws2010.wmv |title=Archived copy |access-date=2010-11-11 |archive-date=2011-07-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720150140/http://www.leg.mn/archive/LegDB/AV/retirehaws2010.wmv |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Biography==
===Education and professional background=== Born in the southwestern Minnesota town of Tracy, Haws graduated from Loyola High School in Mankato, then went on to St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, receiving his B.E.S. in Recreation and Biology. He also attended Minnesota State University, Mankato, earning his B.S. in Mathematics and Physical Education. He taught at Cathedral High School in St. Cloud before joining that city's park and recreation department, where he worked for 32 years.<ref name="leg.state.mn.us" /><ref name="votesmart.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=59297 |title=Project Vote Smart - Representative Larry Haws - Biography |publisher=Votesmart.org |date= |accessdate=2010-07-20}}</ref>
===Legislative service=== Haws was first elected to the House in a December 2005 special election held after seven-term Rep. Joe Opatz resigned to become interim president of Central Lakes College in Brainerd.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=10492 |title=Minnesota Legislators Past & Present - Legislator Record - Opatz, Joseph Paul |publisher=Leg.state.mn.us |date= |accessdate=2010-07-20}}</ref> He was re-elected in 2006 and 2008. He was a member of the House Finance subcommittees for the Bioscience and Workforce Development Policy and Oversight Division, the Cultural and Outdoor Resources Finance Division, the Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division, and the Public Safety Finance Division.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/members.asp?id=15187 |title=Larry Haws (DFL) 15B - Minnesota House of Representatives |publisher=House.leg.state.mn.us |date= |accessdate=2010-07-20}}</ref>
===Community service and leadership=== Through the years, Haws was active in his local community and in local government. He was elected to the Stearns County Board of Commissioners in 1998, serving from 1999 until 2006, when he was elected to the House. He was a delegate to the Association of Minnesota Counties, a Stearns County liaison to the NorthStar Corridor light rail project, a board member of Stearns County Human Services, and a board member of the Central Minnesota Mental Health Center and Foundation. He was a member of the Central Minnesota Council on Aging, a member of the Task Force for Regional Human Rights Committee of the Great River Interfaith Partnership, and a member of the Stearns County Historical Society.<ref name="leg.state.mn.us" /><ref name="votesmart.org" />
Among other community services, Haws was a member of the Citizen Advisory Committee on Finance for School District 742, a board member of the Minnesota-North Dakota Alzheimer's Association, a member of the American Association of Retired Persons, a member of the Veterans Affairs Housing Project, a board member of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, and a board member of the Saint Cloud Kiwanis. He was also involved in the restoration of Bard Park, the oldest park in St. Cloud, and served on the Bard Park Historical Preservation Committee.<ref name="votesmart.org" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://larryhaws.com/ |title=Welcome to |publisher=Larryhaws.com |date= |accessdate=2010-07-20}}</ref>
===Later years=== Haws was diagnosed with brain cancer in January 2011. He died on March 27, 2012.<ref name="MinnPost" />
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == {{MN-legdb|15187}} * [http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/members.asp?id=15187 Rep. Haws Web Page] * [http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=59297 Project Votesmart - Rep. Larry Haws Profile] * [http://minnesota.publicradio.org/projects/ongoing/votetracker/legislator_view.php?id=215 Minnesota Public Radio Votetracker: Rep. Larry Haws] * [http://larryhaws.com/ Larry Haws Campaign Web Site] * {{YouTube|nmciFl9AkTg|Haws' retirement speech}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Haws, Larry}} Category:1940 births Category:2012 deaths Category:Democratic Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Category:Politicians from St. Cloud, Minnesota Category:St. Cloud State University alumni Category:Minnesota State University, Mankato alumni Category:People from Tracy, Minnesota Category:Schoolteachers from Minnesota Category:21st-century members of the Minnesota Legislature