Rudy Perpich

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Rudy Perpich: A short, easy-to-understand biography

Rudolph George Perpich, born Rudolph George Prpić on June 27, 1928, in Carson Lake near Hibbing, Minnesota, was an American politician who served as Minnesota’s governor twice—34th and 36th—on non-consecutive terms. He was a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL). He died on September 21, 1995, in Minnetonka, Minnesota, at age 67.

Early life
Perpich came from Croatian-speaking immigrant roots. His father, Anton Prpić, was a miner from Croatia, and his mother, Mary Vukelich, was of Croatian descent. He didn’t learn English until about the first grade. At 14, he worked for the Great Northern Railway. He finished Hibbing High School in 1946, served in the U.S. Army from 1946 to 1948, and then studied at Marquette University in Milwaukee, finishing with a dental degree (DDS) in 1954. He returned to Hibbing to work as a dentist.

Entry into politics
Perpich began public service on the Hibbing school board (1955–1956), where the board was known for promoting equal pay for men and women. In 1962, he was elected to the Minnesota Senate, representing the northeastern part of the state, and he was reelected in 1966. He became the 39th lieutenant governor of Minnesota in 1971 and was reelected in 1974.

Governor of Minnesota
When Governor Wendell R. Anderson resigned in 1976 to take a U.S. Senate seat, Perpich, then lieutenant governor, became governor. He served as the 34th governor from 1976 to 1979, and he was the first Iron Range resident to hold the office. He later returned to the governorship, winning election in 1982 (defeating Warren Spannaus in the primary and Wheelock Whitney Jr. in the general election) and serving as the 36th governor from 1983 to 1991. Perpich was Minnesota’s first Catholic governor and, as of today, remains the only Catholic to have held the office. He was reelected in 1986 but lost to Arne Carlson in 1990 after a controversial campaign.

Notable actions and legacy
Perpich was known for his colorful and sometimes unconventional style. He once donated his $25,000 pay raise to a bocce program, suggested ideas like a chopstick factory in northern Minnesota, and even proposed selling the governor’s mansion to save money. National attention came with the nickname “Governor Goofy” from Newsweek, reflecting both affection and frustration from observers. Despite the humor, he is credited with shaping Minnesota’s international and economic role.

His projects include the Minnesota World Trade Center in St. Paul, the Perpich Center for Arts Education in Golden Valley, and the Center for Victims of Torture in Minneapolis. He also helped establish the Natural Resources Research Institute at the University of Minnesota Duluth and played a role in the Mall of America in Bloomington. In 1984, he traveled to 17 countries and hosted leaders like Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union and Franjo Tuđman of Croatia in Minnesota in 1990. He opposed the Reagan-era proxy war in Central America and argued against sending National Guard troops overseas from U.S. bases in Honduras.

Perpich v. Department of Defense
In 1990, he was the plaintiff in Perpich v. Department of Defense, a U.S. Supreme Court case that dealt with whether the U.S. Department of Defense could deploy state National Guard units overseas over the governor’s objection. The case affirmed that the federal government could mobilize the National Guard overseas even if a governor objected.

Post-political life and death
After leaving office in 1991, Perpich worked abroad briefly, including time in Croatia and Paris. He was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 1992, underwent surgery, and returned to Minnesota in 1993. The cancer returned in 1995, and he passed away on September 21, 1995, in Minnetonka. He is buried in Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis. His wife, Lola Perpich, who had been Minnesota’s First Lady, died in 2025.

Summary
Rudy Perpich is remembered as Minnesota’s only governor to serve non-consecutive terms, the first Catholic to hold the job, and a leader who promoted Minnesota on the world stage through trade, culture, and international relations. His presidency covered a period of bold ideas and memorable public moments that left a lasting impact on the state.