Rodney N. Searle

Rodney Newell Searle Sr. (July 17, 1920 – January 5, 2014) was a Minnesota farmer, insurance agent, and public servant. Born and raised in urban New Jersey, Searle moved to rural Minnesota in 1947 with his wife Jane and their two young children. With no prior experience in agriculture, they moved to a farm, and soon were raising crops and livestock. He also became heavily involved in community activities.

Searle was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1956, and spent 24 years as a legislator, and had a particular emphasis in education. In 1979 he was selected by an evenly divided body as Speaker. Searle retired from the legislature after the 1980 session but continued in public service, serving in a variety of public and private volunteer positions for the remainder of his life. He died at his home on January 5, 2014.

Early life Rod Searle was born July 17, 1920, in Camden, New Jersey to Ruby Marie Barus Searle, a nurse, and newspaper editor William A. Searle. He recalled seeing Babe Ruth hit a home run at Shibe Park in nearby Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Searle graduated from Haddonfield Memorial High School in Haddonfield, New Jersey.

Searle married Janette (Jane) E. Christie on May 17, 1941. In 1946 they began considering relocating from the industrial East to the rural Midwest. Eight months later, in April 1947, the Searles and their two small children made the move, which Searle later characterized as "nearly traumatic at the time", but "turned out to be the biggest and wisest decision of our lives". the county extension agent, and neighbors. They grew crops, tended a small dairy herd, and raised sheep and chickens.

In May 1979, Democrats gained a seat, giving the party a majority in the body, and selected Fred C. Norton as Speaker. Searle was named Minority Leader by his caucus.

Later career Searle retired from the House after conclusion of the 1980 session. In later years, as the Minnesota Republican Party moved further to the right, Searle became an independent, stating "My party has abandoned me." In 2010 Searle was among a group of Republican former lawmakers who endorsed Independence Party candidate for governor Tom Horner, rather than the Republican-endorsed candidate, Tom Emmer. The state Republican party took action against those in the group, preventing them from serving as delegates to the state or national party conventions for two years.

After retirement from the legislature, Searle was president of the Minnesota State University Board, chair of the Minnesota College Merger Board, and chair of the Minnesota Higher Education Board. and the Waseca County Historical Society, which he also served as a member of its board of directors.

Personal life Rod Searle's first wife Jane was a librarian and volunteer who assisted children with reading disabilities. She died on October 10, 2000. Searle said of her that "she was the real speaker of the house", and had assisted him with speeches and writing. They had two sons and a daughter. Searle died on January 5, 2014, at his home since 1947, in Alton Township in rural Waseca County. He was survived by his wife Ruth and his three children from his marriage with Jane.