Minnesota Association of Cooperatives

The Minnesota Association of Cooperatives is a trade organization that was formed in 1946 to advance public perception of the cooperative movement and to advocate the interests of member-owned and controlled businesses.

The impetus for the association came from several regional cooperatives who wanted a common front to counter legislation proposed by the National Tax Equality Association that would have changed the tax status of cooperatives. Organizational meetings were first held in August 1945 and the Association was incorporated as a non-stock, nonprofit membership corporation on January 12, 1946 with Harry J. Peterson as its executive secretary.

In its early years, under the leadership of organizational director Frank Paskewitz, the Association focused on a program of legislative, political, and public relations activities. Public relations activities were principally aimed at combatting the perception fostered by the National Tax Equality Association and the National Associated Businessmen that cooperatives were socialist structures that took advantage of the American free market. Political and legislative activities were directed at countering legislation that proposed taxing cooperative dividends as corporate income. Reports given during the Association's first annual meeting described accomplishments that resulted in the development of mailing lists, pamphlets, a legislative bulletin service, a speaker's bureau, county fair exhibits, a school education package, a manager training institute, and a personnel relations service.

Since its formation the Association has maintained an active legislative and public relations program representing the interests of grain elevators, dairy and poultry processing plants, livestock shipping and marketing associations, wool suppliers, credit unions, production credit associations, farm loan associations, livestock breeders, transport companies, rural electric power producers, petroleum suppliers, telephone services, publishing companies, health maintenance organizations, insurance providers, and housing communities.

In 1948 the Association succeeded in securing a proclamation from Governor Luther Youngdahl declaring October as Co-op Month and began a promotional advertising service. Programs for youth were included in the Association's annual meetings beginning in the mid-1950s and educational materials for vocational agricultural instructors and county extension services were developed. The Association and its executive director have also collaborated with a number of other international, national, regional, and state organizations including American Institute of Cooperation, Cooperative League of the USA, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, Overseas Cooperative Development Council, 4-H Foundation, Minnesota Highway Users Conference, and Minnesota Society of Association Executives. The Cooperative Foundation, a fund established in 1946 by Thomas F. Ellerbe for the promotion of cooperative education and rural development in the Midwest, moved its headquarters to the St. Paul office of the Minnesota Association of Cooperatives in 1970 and the Association's executive director also serves as a member of the Foundation's board. Annual tours of farm operations, production facitilites, and cooperative businesses for congressional staff members were added in the mid-1980s.

In 1956 Edward E. Slettom, formerly Minnesota's deputy commissioner of agriculture, replaced Harry Peterson as executive secretary. Allen Gerber replaced Slettom upon his retirement in 1986. Directors of the Association's educational acitivites have included Frank Backburn.

Historical information was taken from the collection.

From the guide to the Association records., 1943-1996., (Minnesota Historical Society)