Associate Justice Wahl was appointed to the Court by Governor Rudy Perpich on October 3, 1977 to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Harry MacLauglin on September 29, 1977 to accept an appointment by President Jimmy Carter to become a U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Minnesota. Wahl was a resident of Lake Elmo, former public defense attorney, a professor at William MItchell College of Law, and the first woman to serve on the Minnesota Supreme Court in state history.
Mattson was an attorney from Bloomginton, former Attorney General (1964-1967), and nominee for HD 61 in 1954.
Foley was a resident of Wabasha, Third Judicial District Judge, former Wabasha City Attorney (1949-1959), former national commander of the American Legion, and candidate for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in 1966.
Plunkett was a resident of St. Paul, First Judicial District Judge, and former St. Paul municipal judge (1954-1967).