Jalmar Martin "Jay" Kerttula (April 6, 1928 – November 13, 2020) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

businessman, farmer, and politician in Alaska. A member of the

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, Kerttula was the longest-serving member of the Alaska Legislature, having served in the

House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

from 1961 to 1963 and 1965 to 1973 and in the

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from 1973 to 1995. In January 2019, Lyman Hoffman became the longest-serving member in the history of the Alaska Legislature, surpassing Kerttula's tenure.

Early life

Jalmar Kerttula, commonly known as "Jay," was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on April 6, 1928, the son of Finnish immigrants.Stephen Haycox, "Jalmar M. 'Jay' Kerttula," in Nancy Weatherly Sharp and James Roger Sharp (eds.), ''American Legislative Leaders in the West, 1911-1994.'' Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1997; pg. 161. In 1935 the family relocated to the Matanuska Valley Colony, a

New Deal The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Cons ...

agricultural resettlement program, located Northeast of

Anchorage Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring Ma ...

. Kerttula graduated from Palmer High School and went on to study at the

University of Alaska The University of Alaska System is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Alaska. It was created in 1917 and comprises three separately accredited universities on 19 campuses. The system serves nearly 30,000 full- and part-time stud ...

and the University of Washington. Following his graduation Kerttula became the manager of a dairy cooperative. He also worked as a real estate developer in the Matanuska Valley. In 1955, Kerttula married Helen Joyce Campbell, known as Joyce, who helped manage his office and campaigns throughout his political career. She died in 2015.Hsieh, Jeremy (KTOO)
"Joyce Kerttula Dies at 91,"
February 3, 2015. Accessed March 9, 2016. Their oldest daughter,

Beth Kerttula Elizabeth J. "Beth" Kerttula (born January 8, 1956) is a Democratic former member of the Alaska House of Representatives, representing the 3rd District from 1998 to her resignation at the start of the legislative session in 2014. Sam Kito III ...

, was a state representative from Juneau for 15 years, until she left to take a fellowship at

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

and from there took a post with the Obama administration.

Political career

Kerttula was first elected to the Alaska House of Representatives in 1960, representing the city of Palmer in the state capital serving from 1961 to 1963. He ran for election again in 1964 and returned to office for four consecutive terms, 1965 to 1973. He was chosen at the organizational meeting for the body's 1969 session by his Democratic party peers to serve as the Speaker of the Alaska House of Representatives from 1969 to 1970. In 1972 he was elected to the state senate and served there from 1973 to 1995, and later became the

Alaska Senate The Alaska State Senate is the upper house in the Alaska Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. It convenes in the Alaska State Capitol in Juneau, Alaska and is responsible for making laws and confirming or rejecting gub ...

President (1981–1984).

Legacy

Matanuska-Susitna College has a Jalmar Kerttula Building (called the JKB) named for him. It is where most of the English, computer network support, and biology classes are held. It also houses the academic affairs office, director's office, marketing, student government office, and bookstore.

References

External links

Brief political graveyard bio

* ttps://books.google.com/books?id=uHqVYTkA08YC&pg=PA161 American legislative leaders in the West, 1911-1994
Jalmar Kerttula
at ''100 Years of Alaska's Legislature'' , - , - , - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Kerttula, Jay 1928 births 2020 deaths Democratic Party Alaska state senators American Lutherans American people of Finnish descent American real estate businesspeople Businesspeople from Alaska Farmers from Alaska Farmers from Minnesota Farmers from Wisconsin People from Itasca County, Minnesota People from Palmer, Alaska Politicians from Milwaukee Presidents of the Alaska Senate Speakers of the Alaska House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the Alaska House of Representatives University of Alaska alumni University of Alaska Anchorage people University of Washington alumni 20th-century American politicians

Early life

Political career

Legacy

See also

References

External links