James Jernberg, professor emeritus at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs who died December 30, 2025, at age 94, is being remembered by former students and colleagues as a special faculty member and friend whose legacy is one of dedication to students.
“A great professor and an even greater human being,” and “a titan of the Humphrey School,” they said of Jernberg, who was a faculty member at the University of Minnesota for 31 years before retiring in 1995.
“Although Jim had retired 30 years ago, he was still very present and remained a constant source of support for our alumni and students,” said Dean Nisha Botchwey. “He continued to attend many School functions, was energized by the work being done at the Humphrey School, and, in turn, personally energized me in my role. His spirit will always remain a part of our School community.”
Born and raised in Duluth, Jernberg earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Minnesota Duluth and his master’s degree in public affairs at the University’s Twin Cities campus. He earned his PhD at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and joined the UMN faculty in 1964.
Jernberg initially taught in the University’s political science department, then in units that preceded the creation of the Humphrey School. He also served in various Humphrey School administrative capacities over the years, including as director of graduate studies (1978–81 and 1984–93) and as associate dean (1992–93).
His teaching interests centered on the politics and processes of public budgeting and finance, and intergovernmental relations. And, according to many of his former students, Jernberg loved teaching.
“The budgeting classes that he taught with his friend and colleague, John Brandl, were legendary,” recalled one of his former students, Nancy Homans (MA ’78). “Alumni from those classes have shaped budgets at every level of government for decades—bringing professionalism, integrity, trust and good sense to the process. Jim kept track of every one of them and was exceedingly proud of their work.”
Homans herself is one of Jernberg’s accomplished students: she served in a variety of planning roles with the city of St. Paul for 37 years, the last 12 of them as policy director for then Mayor Chris Coleman. She retired in 2017.
Dedication to students
Jernberg’s most lasting contribution to the Humphrey School was his dedication to students, alumni, and community engagement. He helped establish the School’s first alumni board and its Alumni Tuition Grant Program, and created a special Jernberg fund to encourage student engagement.
That fund supported a series of dinners attended by students and faculty in the School’s dining room, according to Lee Munnich, retired senior fellow in planning. Those occasions were more than just a meal, he said.
“Two students would debate a contemporary public policy issue, and the students and faculty would then discuss,” Munnich recalled. “Jim was a gentle man and a positive force in the Humphrey School community."
Frank Douma, a former student who is now part of the Humphrey School graduate faculty, described Jernberg as “one of the most approachable and unassuming people I knew. He treated everyone like they were more important than him, regardless of actual position. He also had a keen ability to apparently never forget anyone he ever met.”
Scores of students remember the Jernberg home in Falcon Heights as their home away from home. Jernberg and his wife, Sally, had an open-door policy, and students always knew they were welcome there to eat, drink, and discuss class work, life, and everything in between.
“Humphrey students lingered around the Jernberg table for years, long after we stopped paying tuition,” said Homans in her eulogy for Sally Jernberg, who died in 2004.
“A warm fire, a beautiful table, delicious food and sparkling conversation live in the memories of many alumni as a special moment in their Humphrey experience,” she added recently.
'Lunch with Jim'
This tradition of sharing a meal and conversation with Jernberg continued for decades. A group of alumni from the 1970s and ‘80s organized regular lunch dates with him for many years, according to alumna and friend Nina Manzi.
“Before Sally passed away she charged me and others with taking care of Jim, and I think that was the impetus for what became known as ‘Lunch with Jim,’” Manzi said, adding that the conversations were “wide ranging, touching on our families, current politics, local sports — especially Gopher hockey and basketball — and Humphrey school history.”
The list of participants kept expanding over the years, with news of the lunches spreading by word of mouth.
“The alumni who attended did not always know each other, but Jim knew them all,” Homans recalled. “Thanks to his legendary memory, Jim often took the opportunity to introduce people to one another by going around the table and correctly identifying each person by what year they entered the School of Public Affairs/Humphrey Institute/Humphrey School.
“It is fitting that the last ‘Lunch with Jim’ was at his home to celebrate his 94th birthday (in November 2025). There was no indication that he wouldn’t live forever.”
A lasting legacy
Jernberg’s legacy as a champion for students lives on at the Humphrey School. The student lounge on the ground level of the School bears his name, a reflection of his commitment to the student experience. The annual Jernberg Award honors a student, staff member, or faculty member recognized by students as having made the greatest contribution to student life. In addition, the James E. Jernberg Public Service Fellowship provides student scholarships annually in his honor.
In 2008 he was recognized with the University of Minnesota Alumni Service Award. The citation described him as a "tireless guide to students and alumni through his generous gifts of time and friendship.”
Jernberg is survived by three adult children, seven grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by Sally, his wife of 50 years, in 2004.
Funeral services are Friday, February 20 at 11 a.m. at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church in Minneapolis, with visitation at the church beginning at 10 a.m. Burial is at Roselawn Cemetery in Roseville at 3 p.m.
Memorials may be directed to the Jernberg Award Fund or the Jernberg Public Service Fellowship at the Humphrey School.
Read Jernberg’s obituary in the Star Tribune.
