KEN WOLFE

Ken Wolfe was one of Park’s most notable mayors, serving from 1958 to 1966. The city’s primary lake and park are named in honor of Wolfe, who worked long and hard to preserve parklands.

Wolfe was born in Minneapolis in 1908. He lived in Wayzata and Robbinsdale before he and his wife Alice (married in 1931) settled in St. Louis Park in 1941. Although he graduated from the law school that would become the William Mitchell School of Law, he never practiced law.

Wolfe first sat on the Village Council in 1954 and was elected mayor in 1960. It was a heady time, when the city was growing almost faster than services could keep up. Wolfe was proud that “we were able to transform this town which had no parks, no sewers or good streets into one of the best communities in the state.”

Wolfe was a strong supporter of regional government, feeling that the individual suburbs couldn’t handle many of the problems they were facing. His work helped set up the Metropolitan Sewer Commission, and launched him into the state legislature, where he served from 1968 to 1972. At one point in 1966, he was considered for candidacy for Governor. The former Johnson’s Lake was renamed for Wolfe, and the City’s premiere park was named for him as well.

Ken Wolfe died on January 11, 1981 at Methodist Hospital.

Home    St. Louis Park History    History Index    About the Society    Research Resources
Brookside Timeline    Something In The Water    The Re-Echo    Contact Us

This information comes from a variety of sources: newspapers, books, yearbooks, phone directories, interviews, etc. Given the varied sources, we cannot guarantee that all of this information is correct, and welcome any additions and corrections. Please contact us with your contributions and comments.