Hjalmar Petersen | |
|---|---|
 Petersenc. 1935 | |
| 23rd Governor of Minnesota | |
| In office August 22, 1936 – January 4, 1937 | |
| Lieutenant | William B. Richardson(acting) |
| Preceded by | Floyd B. Olson |
| Succeeded by | Elmer Austin Benson |
| 28th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota | |
| In office January 8, 1935 – August 24, 1936 | |
| Governor | Floyd B. Olson |
| Preceded by | Konrad K. Solberg |
| Succeeded by | William B. Richardson |
| Member of theMinnesota House of Representatives from the 56th district | |
| In office January 5, 1931 – January 6, 1935 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1890-01-02)January 2, 1890 |
| Died | March 29, 1968(1968-03-29) (aged 78) Columbus, Ohio, U.S |
| Resting place | Askov, Minnesota, U.S |
| Political party | Farmer-Labor |
| Other political affiliations | Republican(1946) Democratic–Farmer–Labor(after 1950) |
| Spouse(s) | Rigmor C. Wosgaard (1st), Medora Grandprey (2nd) |
| Profession | Journalist, politician |
Hjalmar Petersen (January 2, 1890 – March 29, 1968) was an American journalist and politician who served as the23rd governor of Minnesota from 1936 to 1937, succeeding the lateFloyd Olson.
Hjalmar Petersen was born inEskildstrup, Denmark, to Lauritz and Anna Petersen, who moved with Hjalmar toChicago, Illinois, shortly after his birth. They later moved to theDanebod inTyler, Minnesota. Petersen attended school until the seventh grade.[1] His career in journalism, which had begun in 1904, culminated in his purchase in 1914 of theAskov American inAskov, Minnesota, a weekly newspaper he owned for the rest of his life.[2]
After serving as Askov's village clerk and mayor, Petersen won two terms in theMinnesota House of Representatives,[3] where he sponsored the state income-tax law and urged that tax revenues be spent on public education. Before he ran for the Minnesota Legislature he had been a member of the Republican Party. By the time he ran for office he was a member of theFarmer-Labor Party. He served in the legislature from 1931 to 1934, representing the old House District 56.
Petersen was elected the 28thLieutenant Governor of Minnesota in1934 and served with GovernorFloyd B. Olson. He was sworn in as governor two days after Olson died of cancer on August 22, 1936. He served the remainder of Olson's term but declined to run for governor himself in the November general election, opting instead to launch a successful bid for Railroad and Warehouse Commissioner, a position he then assumed after leaving the governorship on January 4, 1937. He later ran for governor in1940 and1942, losing both times toHarold Stassen.[4]
After his term as governor, he served as the president of the American Publishing Company. He was married twice, first to Rigmor C. Wosgaard in 1914 and later to Medora Grandprey in 1934. He died in 1968 inColumbus, Ohio.[5]
Media related toHjalmar Petersen at Wikimedia Commons| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Farmer–Labor nominee forLieutenant Governor of Minnesota 1934 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Farmer–Labor nominee forGovernor of Minnesota 1940,1942 | Succeeded by Byron G. Allen Democratic–Farmer–Labor |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota 1935–1936 | Succeeded by William B. Richardson Acting Lieutenant Governor |
| Preceded by | Governor of Minnesota 1936–1937 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
