Jack Baker was the first gay activist elected student body president at a major university (University of Minnesota, 1971; re-elected 1972); by winning this election he became the first open gay man to win any public office in the U.S. In 1970, Jack Baker and Mike McConnell became the first gay couple to seek legal marriage. They were featured in Life magazine.

The couple lives now in Minneapolis, where Baker is a lawyer and McConnell is a librarian.

Former University students Jack Baker and Mike McConnell were the first gay couple to seek legal marriage. Since 2004 they are filing a joint tax return

Photo: Boyd Hagen