Albin Walter Norblad

Albin Walter Norblad (born March 19, 1881 in Malmö , Sweden , † April 17, 1960 in Astoria , Oregon ) was a Swedish -American politician and from 1929 to 1931 the 19th governor of the state of Oregon.

Early years and political advancement

Norblad came to the United States from Sweden with his parents as a child. The family settled in Grand Rapids ( Michigan down). Since the age of twelve, Norblad earned his own living doing temporary work. After making enough money, he was able to attend a business school in Grand Rapids. He then studied law at the University of Chicago . He graduated there in 1902. Then he returned to Michigan where he opened a law firm .

In Michigan, Norblad soon became a district attorney in Delta County . In 1909 he accepted an old friend's invitation to Astoria, Oregon, where he then settled permanently. There Norblad worked as a lawyer and also took part in the political events of his new home. Between 1910 and 1915 he was a trial attorney for the city of Astoria. He also sat on the city's school board and was president of the local chamber of commerce. In addition to politics, Norblad was also represented in many other social organizations and associations. He was first elected to the Oregon Senate in 1918 . In 1926 he managed again to move into this body; in the following legislative period he was even its president.

Governor of Oregon

After the death of Governor Isaac Lee Patterson on December 21, 1929, Norblad had to take over his office according to the state constitution. The effects of the Great Depression fell during his tenure . Unemployment rose and there were also banking crises. The governor's attempts to get the crisis under control were largely unsuccessful. This led to his defeat in the Republican primaries for the gubernatorial elections of 1930. Although he would have had the chance to be nominated again after the death of the elected candidate, he renounced it and left his office on January 12, 1931 out.

However, as governor, he set up the first employment offices in Oregon in the final months of his tenure. He had job creation measures put in place. This included the further expansion of the motorways. At that time, construction of the Oregon Coast Highway began. Public buildings have also been renovated or rebuilt. In total, around 5,000 jobs were created through these measures. Regardless, with federal help, he was able to arbitrate a conflict between the cattle farmers and shepherds in Oregon. A pardon committee was also established at that time. In federal politics, Norblad supported the introduction of general conscription.

Another résumé

After the end of his tenure in early 1931 Albin Norblad returned to his hometown of Astoria. There he worked again as a lawyer until his death in 1960 and he continued to be involved in many of the city's social organizations. Albin Norblad was married to Edna Lyle Cates, with whom he had two children, including son Walter , who became a member of Congress .

Web links

• Albin Norblad in the National Governors Association (English)
• Oregon State Library ( Memento of November 26, 2004 in the Internet Archive )
• Albin Walter Norblad in the database of Find a Grave (English)