A Tribute to Don Fraser; a quiet crusader

We are deeply saddened by the loss of Donald Fraser, who died on June 2, 2019 at the age of 95. Fraser was an important member of Minnesota’s human rights community who was ahead of the times in advocating for human rights reform.

Fraser served in public office for four decades as a State Senator, member of Congress and Mayor of Minneapolis. During Fraser’s term in U.S. Congress, from 1962 to 1978, he was a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and chair of the Subcommittee on International Organizations and Movements. He initiated the first comprehensive study of U.S. foreign policy and international human rights, authoring several laws requiring the U.S. Government to give greater attention to human rights related issues. His efforts transformed the State Departments work on human rights by mandating the creation of an office on human rights and that the Department write annual reports documenting the human rights practices of every county. These reports remain an important tool for human rights students and advocates around the world. 

Fraser continued to advocate for human rights, especially the rights of children, during his years as mayor of Minneapolis (1979-93) and in his private life. Fraser was one of the founders of the Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, in 1983. Fraser served on the board for many years while he was mayor, helping the organization to gain international visibility for its work, because of his long-reaching reputation. 

In May 2018, the Human Rights Program inaugurated the Donald and Arvonne Fraser Fellowships to support undergraduates with opportunities to gain field experience in human rights organizations as a way of complementing their academic studies. The 2019 Don Fraser Fellow, Tala Alfoqaha, is working with the International Justice Program of the Advocates for Human Rights.