Monrad Charles Wallgren

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Monrad Charles Wallgren

Monrad Charles Wallgren (born April 17, 1891 in Des Moines , Iowa , † September 18, 1961 in Olympia , Washington ) was an American politician . He was Governor of Washington and represented that state in both houses of Congress .

biography

Early life

Monrad Wallgren, son of Swedish immigrants, grew up in Galveston ( Texas ) from 1894 ; however, after the Galveston hurricane of 1900 , his family was forced to relocate to Seattle, Washington. After attending college in Everett , Wallgren graduated from the Washington State School of Optometry in Spokane in 1914 with an optometrist degree . In 1915 he opened a small shop specializing in the sale of jewelry and glasses.

In 1917, Wallgren was obliged to serve in the armed forces during the First World War and served as an artilleryman in the Washington National Guard until 1919 . From 1921 to 1922 he was also appointed adjutant of the 3rd Battalion .

Political career

After Wallgren had gained a foothold in the private sector by 1932, he successfully ran for a seat in the United States House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic Party in the same year . Wallgren, who took office on March 4, 1933, was re-elected three times in a row and served until his voluntary resignation on December 19, 1940. He had already been elected US Senator on November 5, 1940 and took up his new mandate on December 19, 1940. After five years in the Senate, he took the next step on the career ladder in 1945 when he became Governor of Washington on January 13, 1945. Wallgren held his office until January 10, 1949.

Later life and death

Wallgren remained politically active in the 1950s. In 1949, US President Harry S. Truman appointed him chairman of the National Security Resources Board , a military group at the time of the Cold War . But Harry P. Cain , Republican Senator from Washington, protested against this decision, so Truman withdrew the nomination. Instead, Wallgren was appointed chairman of the Federal Power Commission , and remained so from 1951 to 1952.

In 1952 Wallgren withdrew from the political stage into private life. He promoted the cultivation of citrus fruits in California's Coachella Valley and uranium mining in Twentynine Palms, California.

Wallgren was killed in a traffic accident in September 1961. When he helped a driver to change his tire, another vehicle crashed into the scene of the accident and fatally injured the politician. Wallgren was married but had no children with his wife Mabel. He was also a member of numerous organizations, such as the American Legion , Freemasons, and Rotarians .

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personal data
SURNAME Wallgren, Monrad Charles
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH April 17, 1891
PLACE OF BIRTH Des Moines , Iowa
DATE OF DEATH September 18, 1961
Place of death Olympia , Washington