Eric G. Hoyer (March 3, 1898 – March 17, 1990) 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 ...

interior designer Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. An interior designer is someone who plans, researches, coordina ...

and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

who served as

mayor of Minneapolis This is a list of mayors of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The current mayor is Jacob Frey (DFL). Minneapolis From 1867 to 1878 mayors were elected for a 1-year term. Beginning in 1878 the term was extended to 2 years. As the city became larger and mo ...

from 1948 to 1957.

Life and career

Hoyer was born in Sweden and emigrated to Minnesota in 1919 to settle the estate of his brother who had died during the

1918 flu pandemic The 1918–1920 influenza pandemic, commonly known by the misnomer Spanish flu or as the Great Influenza epidemic, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus. The earliest documented case was ...

. He then remained in Minneapolis, working in construction and later interior design. He took classes at the Dunwoody Institute but later remarked that he learned most of his skills on his own. His interest in politics began when he worked on the campaign of

Floyd B. Olson Floyd Bjørnstjerne "Skipper" Olson (November 13, 1891 – August 22, 1936) was an American politician and lawyer. He served as the 22nd Governor of Minnesota from January 6, 1931, to August 22, 1936, dying in office of stomach cancer. Olson wa ...

. Thereafter he became involved with local

labor unions A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits (su ...

and, in 1936, was elected to the Minneapolis City Council. When

Hubert Humphrey Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. (May 27, 1911 – January 13, 1978) was an American pharmacist and politician who served as the 38th vice president of the United States from 1965 to 1969. He twice served in the United States Senate, representing Mi ...

resigned as mayor in 1948 after winning election to the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

, Hoyer (as president of the city council) became the city's acting mayor. He was later elected to four additional terms, serving until 1957 during a largely uneventful period in the city's history. He lost his 1957 reelection bid to P. Kenneth Peterson. Hoyer died in 1990 in Manhattan Beach, California.

References

1898 births 1990 deaths Mayors of Minneapolis Minnesota Democrats 20th-century American politicians {{Minnesota-mayor-stub