Hall of Fame Inductees
You Are Here:  Home>  Hall of Fame > Inductees > Paul Wellstone

The Yorktown High School Hall of Fame and Inspiration

Paul Wellstone

Inducted Spring 2004

1944-2002
U.S. Senator from Minnesota
YHS Class of 1962
Inducted 2004

Unconventional lawmaker; legislative accomplishments included expansion of health care coverage for mental illness, added funding for education; protecting rights of women and girls, and protecting veterans' benefits; in 1990 ran underdog campaign and traveled throughout Minnesota on trademark green bus; taught political science for 21 years at Carleton College; in 1969, earned Ph.D. at University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill; in 1965, graduated from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where he was champion wrestler (as in high school); in 1963 married former Sheila Ison (also YHS '62); while campaigning for third Senate term both were killed in airplane crash Oct. 25, 2002.