Hjalmar Petersen

Hjalmar Petersen

Hjalmar Petersen (born January 2, 1890 in Eskildstrup , Denmark , † March 29, 1968 in Columbus , Ohio ) was an American politician and governor of the state of Minnesota from 1936 to 1937 .

Early years and political advancement

Peterson attended public schools in Denmark and, after the family emigrated, to Minnesota. He left school at the age of 14 and started working in the newspaper industry. In 1914 he founded the newspaper "Askov American", whose owner he would remain until his death.

Petersen was initially employed in the administration of the town of Askov and then became mayor of this municipality. Between 1930 and 1934 he was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives . Politically, he was a member of the Farmer-Labor Party , which was mainly active in Minnesota between 1918 and 1944 and then merged with the Democratic Party to form the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party . Between 1934 and 1936, Petersen was Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota. In this capacity, he had to take over after the death of Governor Floyd B. Olson on August 22, 1936, his office and end the current until January 4, 1937 term.

Minnesota governor and additional résumé

During his short term of office, the law on the nationwide introduction of unemployment insurance came into force. In addition, the governor had to grapple with some labor disputes and fill some judicial posts. After his brief stint as governor, Petersen became a member of his state's railway committee. He held this office until 1966. In the following years he ran several unsuccessfully for a term of his own as governor of Minnesota. His candidacy for a seat in the US Senate in 1958 was equally unsuccessful . Petersen was also President of the American Publishing Company . He died in 1968. From his two marriages he had two children.

literature

• Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 2, Meckler Books, Westport, 1978. 4 volumes.

Web links

• Hjalmar Petersen in the National Governors Association (English)
• Hjalmar Petersen in the database of Find a Grave (English)
• The Minnesota Historical Society