PRSA has been a strong, active part of Minnesota’s communications community since 1949 when the chapter was first formulated. At that time Hubert Humphrey was elected to his first term in the United States Senate, the Minneapolis Lakers were won the NBA Championship and Earl Bakken founded Medtronic. And downtown Minneapolis looked a lot different

In 1953, the chapter elected its first President and a few years later the first enclosed shopping mall in the world was opened in Edina.

Here are a few highlights from the chapter's history.

• 1974 – First woman chapter president, Lois Wollan
• 1978 – First awards banquet, called First Annual PRSA Awards 
• 1980 – The first year the awards called Classics
• 1983 – First time Classics was held in St. Paul
• 1983 – Minnesota PRSA Recognition Award given to John Verstraete, of 3M
• 1983 – First time award winners announced at banquet and first Best of Show given.
• 1986 –  Donald Padilla wins Paul M. Lund Public Service Award
• 1986 – Classics categories align with Silver Anvils to make it easier to submit entries 
• 1990 –  Ann Barkelow, APR is the first Minnesotan inducted into the PRSA College of Fellows
• 1990 – Classics II category introduced to recognize tactical components of PR programs
• 1994 – The Minnesota chapter honored with the 1994 Best of Chapter Excellence Award from PRSA
• 1995 – First Minnesota PRSA Community Classic Award given to Roland Minda, APR
• 1995 – John Beardsley, APR serves as PRSA President
• 1996 – Minnesota PRSA launches first website
• 1996 – Community Classic Award renamed in honor of the late Donald G. Padilla, who had been the recipient of PRSA’s Paul M. Lund Award in 1986, the highest honor for public service.  
• 1997 – Minnesota PRSA hires Nonprofit Solutions to provide chapter management
• 1998 – Gov. Jess Ventura attends the Classics Awards to honor his communications manager Gerry Drewry, who won an award for his gubernatorial campaign.
• 2000 – Website redesigned; electronic Link member newsletter introduced
• 2003 – Partnership with Twin Cities Business for groundbreaking "What Business Thinks"
• 2004 – PRSA Today newsletter shifts from monthly to quarterly distribution
• 2012 – Young Professional Award introduced; first recipient is Marne Anderson
• 2013 – Doug Spong, APR, Fellow PRSA wins PRSA Gold Anvil Award 
• 2013 – David Hakensen, APR receives inaugural Midwest District Platinum Award
• 2015 – Started working with Intrinxec as management company for the chapter

Membership

1983 – 263 members

1984 – 286 members

1996 – 420 members

1997 – 450 members

1998 – 458 members

1999 – 495 members

2008 – 444 members

2010 – 384 members

2012 – 393 members

2015 – 375 members