Justice Alan C. Page

Alan C. Page was elected to the Minnesota Supreme Court in 1992, becoming the first African-American on the court and one of the few associate justices ever to join initially through election, rather than appointment by the governor. He was re-elected in 1998, 2004 and 2010, and served until he reached mandatory retirement age in 2015. First known for his skills in football, Page was a first-round draft choice of the Minnesota Vikings in 1967, playing with the team until 1978. In 1971 he was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player, becoming only the second defensive player in history to be given that honor. He has since been inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame. Justice Page and his wife Diane founded the Page Education Foundation, which assists Minnesota students of color in their pursuit of post-secondary education. To date, the foundation has awarded over $13 million in grants to more than 4,500 individuals. Justice Page and his daughter, Kamie Page, have written four children’s picture books, most recently Bee Love (Can Be Hard) in 2020. In 2018 he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and in 2019 he was chosen as a member of the NFL’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.