Alan Cedric Page is an American retired jurist, former professional football player, and philanthropist.
Born August 7, 1945 in Canton, Ohio, Page played college football at the University of Notre Dame; then became a first-round selection in the 1967 NFL/AFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, for whom he played for 11 seasons, through 1977. He is one of 11 Vikings to have played in all four Super Bowls (IV, VIII, IX, XI) and a member of the Vikings' "Purple People Eaters," a defensive line adept at sacking or hurrying the quarterback. Off the field, he was active as a National Football League Players Association player representative. In 1988 Page was further honored by his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
While still playing for the Vikings, Alan Page attended the University of Minnesota Law School. In 1992, Page was elected to an open seat as an Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, becoming the first African American to serve on that court. He served for 23 years, retiring in 2015.
In 1988, Alan Page and his wife, Diane Sims Page, founded the Page Education Foundation. It provides financial and mentoring assistance to students of color in exchange for those students’ commitment to further volunteer service in the community.
More recent Page audio highlights of can be found at the MPR News homepage https://www.mprnews.org/
October 4, 2001 - MPR’s Elizabeth Stawicki reports on Minnesota Supreme considering fairness of jurors asking questions during trial. Typically, attorneys question witnesses during trials in Minnesota. But in Blue Earth County two years ago, a Mankato judge invited jurors to question the witnesses and even the man on trial. The State Supreme Court heard arguments about whether allowing jurors to ask questions violates a defendant's right to a fair trial.
June 4, 2002 - MPR’s Elizabeth Stawicki reports on the Minnesota Supreme Court hearing arguments on whether DNR conservation officers have the right to enter active fish houses without permission or warrants. The State is appealing a lower court ruling that said a game warden violated an angler's constitutional right to unreasonable searches when the officer identified himself and simultaneously entered Marvin Larsen's fish house.
October 31, 2002 - MPR’s Elizabeth Stawicki reports on the high court decision on new ballots for election.
May 1, 2003 - MPR’s Elizabeth Stawicki reports on the Minnesota Supreme Court ruling that police must suspect a motorist has committed a particular crime before asking for consent to search a vehicle following a routine traffic stop. Len Castro, Hennepin County's Chief Public Defender had argued such search requests were racial profiling tools. Justice Alan Page wrote for the court’s majority decision. Report also includes commentary from Pete Cahill, Assistant Hennepin County attorney; and Rev Albert Gallmon, president of the Minneapolis chapter of the NAACP.
October 21, 2004 - MPR’s Cathy Wurzer profiles differing views of the candidates Justice Alan Page and Magistrate Tim Tingelstad for seat on the state Supreme Court.
December 17, 2008 - MPR’s Elizabeth Stawicki reports on arguments to the Supreme Court regarding ejected absantee ballots. An attorney for Norm Coleman's re-election campaign told Minnesota Supreme Court justices that the idea the estimated 1600 rejected absentee ballots in the Senate recount fit neatly into a category is an illusion. The court heard arguments on the campaign's petition to stop counties from adding wrongly rejected absentee ballots to their recount totals; or at least set uniform rules as to how counties should open and count those ballots.
June 1, 2009 - MPR’s Elizabeth Stawicki reports on arguments to the Supreme Court over Senate seat.. Minnesota's long-running U.S. Senate race is in the hands of the Minnesota Supreme Court. Justices grilled attorneys for Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken during oral arguments. Coleman is appealing a three-judge panel's decision that put Franken ahead by 312 votes.
April 19, 2010 - MPR’s Gary Eichten talks with Justice Alan Page, and wife Diane Sims Page, about the importance of educational achievement. The two co-founded the Page Education Foundation to help students of color.
November 8, 2010 - On this Midday program, MPR’s Cathy Wurzer speaks with Supreme Court Justice Alan Page.
April 5, 2013 - MPR’s Tom Crann interviews Supreme Court Justice Alan Page about the Page Educational Foundation.