Gideon S. Ives

Gideon Sprague Ives
Member of the Minnesota Senate from the 27th district
In office January 4, 1887 – January 5, 1891
11th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota
In office January 5, 1891 – January 3, 1893
Governor	William Rush Merriam
Preceded by	Albert E. Rice
Succeeded by	David Marston Clough
Personal details
Born	(1846-01-19)January 19, 1846 Dickinson, New York
Died	December 20, 1927(1927-12-20) (aged 81) Saint Paul, Minnesota
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Mary Elizabeth Swift
Alma mater	University of Michigan Law School
Profession	lawyer, politician, president of Minnesota Historical Society

Gideon Sprague Ives (January 19, 1846 – December 20, 1927) was an American politician who served as Mayor of St. Peter, Minnesota, Minnesota State Senator and as the 11th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota.

Life and career

Ives was born in Dickinson, New York in 1846. His parents Warren and Elizabeth Ives (née Ladd) were descendants of early American settlers with roots going as far back as the 1630s. Ives later moved to Potsdam, New York and, in 1864, enlisted in the 50th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment taking part in the American Civil War. He was later transferred to the 15th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment (with whom he served for the majority of the war) and was discharged from service in June 1865.

After the war Ives returned to Potsdam to continue his schooling. He later attended the University of Michigan Law School and, after graduating in 1871, relocated to St. Peter, Minnesota. He served in several local offices there including city attorney, mayor and Nicollet County attorney. In 1878 he married Mary Elizabeth Swift, daughter of Governor Henry A. Swift. He later won election to state office as a Republican, first to the Minnesota Senate in 1886 then as Lieutenant Governor under Governor William Rush Merriam in 1890. Ives was a candidate for the Republican nomination for governor in 1892 but was defeated by Knute Nelson.

While he did not hold another elected office, Ives remained active in state politics and later moved to St. Paul, Minnesota in 1902 to continue his law practice. Later in life he became an important figure to the Minnesota Historical Society, leading efforts to build a home for the organization's collections and library (now the Minnesota Judicial Center) and serving as its president from 1918 to 1921.

Ives died on December 20, 1927. He is buried in Oakland Cemetery in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Publications

• Ives, Gideon S. 1919. "William Gates Le Duc". Minnesota History Bulletin. 3.

References

• In Memorian, Gideon S. Ives
• University of Michigan. Michigan Alumnus. [Ann Arbor]: Alumni Association of the University of Michigan, 1894, page 506. Also available from Google Books.