Luther Wallace Youngdahl was born in Minneapolis on May 29, 1896, the son of John Carl and Elizabeth (Johnson) Youngdahl. He was educated in the Minneapolis Public Schools, attended the University of Minnesota for a year and then transferred to Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minnesota. After service in World War I, he returned to Gustavus Adolphus and was graduated from there in 1919. He began his law studies at the Minnesota College of Law (later William Mitchell College of Law) and was graduated from there in 1921.
From 1921 to 1930 Youngdahl was assistant city attorney for Minneapolis and was a partner in the law office of M.C. Tifft. From 1930 to 1936 he served as a municipal judge for the city of Minneapolis and, from 1936 to 1942, as a judge on the Hennepin County District Court. In 1942 he was elected to the Minnesota Supreme Court as associate justice and held that position until 1946, when he resigned to run for governor of Minnesota on the Republican Party ticket. He was elected governor in 1946 and was re-elected in 1948 and 1950. His gubernatorial terms were highlighted by enactment of an anti-slot machine law and a new mental health law considered one of the nation's models at the time.
In 1951 he was appointed to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.) by Democratic President Harry S. Truman. The appointment generated accusations that Youngdahl was chosen so that he would not run against then Senator Hubert H. Humphrey. One of Youngdahl's most significant federal cases involved Owen J. Lattimore, who was accused of disloyalty by supporting the insurgent Chinese communist movement. Youngdahl's decisions in the case largely supported Lattimore's First Amendment rights and created much public discussion.
Youngdahl served on the federal bench until his retirement in 1966, after which he served as a senior judge for hearing special cases.
Youngdahl married Irene Annet Engdahl on June 23, 1923. They had three children: Margaret, William and David. Luther Youngdahl died June 21, 1978 at his home in Washington, D.C., ,and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Youngdahl's papers from the time of his service on the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C. include correspondence, clippings, speeches, printed items, and related materials pertaining largely to Youngdahl's appointment to the court (1951); to his exchanges of requests, congratulations, condolences, and other semi personal correspondence while serving on the court (1951-1966); to the Lattimore case; and to his public appearances and statements.
Photograph albums (9 volumes) and microfilmed scrapbooks reflect his activities as governor of Minnesota (1947-1951), his gubernatorial campaigns (especially 1946), his judicial service, his tours of Scandinavia, the 1952 presidential election, and family activities.
The papers relating to the Judicial Conference Committee on the Administration of the Probation System (1962-1967) include correspondence and miscellaneous papers, information on meetings, institutes and seminars, and files on related topics. Youngdahl's personal papers (1950-1968) include biographical data, correspondence, information on his retirement, and printed materials and newspaper clippings; and correspondence relating to Youngdahl's campaign for a Minnesota Supreme Court seat (1942).
These documents are organized into the following sections:
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota
Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics should
St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society, 1981.
Microfilm available for sale or interlibrary loan from the Minnesota Historical Society.
Includes photocopies of original documents loaned by Luther W. Youngdahl, Washington, D.C.
Original scrapbooks (5 volumes) were destroyed after filming.
Newspaper clippings were destroyed after filming; other manuscript items were removed from the scrapbooks and were interfiled in the Luther W. Youngdahl papers.
Accession number: 6998; 7004; 10,409; 10,547; 10,764; 12,932; 16,528
Processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with a Basic Project grant
awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission
Catalog ID number: 001730567
Youngdahl's gubernatorial files are part of the Minnesota State Archives, also at the Minnesota Historical Society.
Oral history materials for Luther W. Youngdahl in the Minnesota Historical Society sound and visual collection include a 1939 speech, his 1947 inaugural address, and oral history interviews (1964 and 1967). The 1964 interview has an accompanying transcript, also in the sound and visual collection.
Some photographs were transferred to the Minnesota Historical Society sound and visual collection.
1951 letters relate to Youngdahl's appointment to the U,S. District Court; additional correspondence contains speech requests, congratulatory messages, requests from school children for opinions, letters of condolence from Youngdahl to families of deceased friends, and related political and personal matters.
Owen J. Lattimore, a professor of history at Johns Hopkins University and an
expert in Chinese history and policy, was accused of disloyalty by the Senate
Internal Security Subcommittee (McCarran Committee) in 1952. The accusations
arose from Lattimore's associations with the Institute of Pacific Relations and
the publication
Transcripts of speeches made by Youngdahl on the following topics: education, religion, mental health, Americanization, safety, law, youth, family relations, human rights, and Masonry. Many were delivered as commencement addresses; others before groups such as the Salvation Army and the bonds for Israel drives.
Photographs of Youngdahl's activities while governor of Minnesota. One photograph shows Youngdahl with Hubert H. Humphrey and Madame Pandit at a meeting in the Minneapolis Auditorium.
Principally photographs of Youngdahl's activities while governor of Minnesota.
Relating principally to Youngdahl's visits to the Minnesota National Guard training grounds at Camp Ripley; also includes photographs of President Harry S. Truman's visit to St. Paul in 1949.
Photographs of the Youngdahls' tour of the Scandinavian countries.
Assorted photographs, including of Youngdahl's visit to Denmark and Germany, of him receiving awards, and of family.
Mainly of Youngdahl's inauguration.
Relate mainly to the 1952 presidential election campaign; includes photographs taken during Dwight D. Eisenhower's campaign tour of Minnesota.
Photographs mainly of Youngdahl on vacation.
Assorted photographs, including some of Youngdahl's swearing in ceremony as U.S. district judge, the awarding of the Big Brother citation to Youngdahl by President Eisenhower, and one with Pope Pius XII.
15 oversize photographs originally found loose in photograph albums; principally family photographs that may have been used in campaign literature. Also includes one photograph showing officials of the Big Brother organization with President John F. Kennedy.
Includes correspondence and clippings.
Certificates and commendations awarded by professional, civic, and Masonic organizations, including Qantas' certificate for having crossed the Equator in a sky ship.
Award issued to Youngdahl signed by many leaders of St. Paul's black community.
Contains newspaper clippings documenting Youngdahl's first gubernatorial campaign in the following order: general and districts 1-5.
Contains newspaper clippings and letters documenting Youngdahl's first gubernatorial campaign in the following order: districts 6-8, out-of-state, personal, and cartoons.
Contains clippings, campaign literature, letters, and programs pertaining to various events in the life of Youngdahl and his family; his activities as governor (1947-1951) and his appointment as federal district court judge for the District of Columbia.
Contains newspaper clippings relating to Youngdahl's 1948 trip to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark (from United States' and foreign newspapers); his appointment as federal district judge; his activities and rulings while a judge, including those involving the Owen Lattimore case; and other members of his family.
Contains newspaper clippings and a few letters pertaining to Youngdahl's judicial rulings; his other activities as a judge; and his retirement from the bench.
Newspaper clippings, speeches, programs and similar materials found loose in the scrapbooks or removed from the scrapbooks after microfilming; most of the material is political in nature.