Alec Gehard Olson (born September 11, 1930) is an American retired politician from the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

who served as a member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from 1963 to 1967, a member of the

Minnesota Senate The Minnesota Senate is the upper house of the Minnesota Legislature, Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At 67 members, half as many as the Minnesota House of Representatives, it is the largest upper house of any State legislature (Unite ...

from 1969 to 1976, and as

Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota The lieutenant governor of Minnesota is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Fifty individuals have held the office of lieutenant governor since statehood. The incumbent is Peggy Flanagan, a Democratic ...

from 1976 to 1979.

Biography

Olison was born in Mamre Township, Kandiyohi County, Minnesota. Olson attended public schools and graduated from Willmar High School in 1948. He farmed between 1948 and 1955, and was an insurance representative from 1955 to 1962. He was active in the

Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Minnesota ( ) is a state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the south, and No ...

from 1952 to 1962, serving as a district chairman for four years. He was a delegate to the

Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 18 ...

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Janu ...

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 – In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patria ...

and

1968 Events January–February * January 1968, January – The I'm Backing Britain, I'm Backing Britain campaign starts spontaneously. * January 5 – Prague Spring: Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Cze ...

. Olson served in the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from January 3, 1963, to January 3, 1967, during the 88th and 89th Congresses. He lost his bid for re-election in 1966. Olson served in the

from 1969 to 1976 and was Senate president from 1973 to 1976. When Wendell R. Anderson resigned the governorship to become a U.S. senator in 1976 and was succeeded by Lieutenant Governor

Rudy Perpich Rudolph George Perpich Sr. (born Rudolph George Prpić; June 27, 1928 September 21, 1995) was an American politician who served as the governor of Minnesota from 1976 to 1979 and again from 1983 to 1991. A member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor ...

, Olson became the new lieutenant governor; he served from December 29, 1976 to January 3, 1979, and was Perpich's running mate in Minnesota's 1978 gubernatorial race.

References

External links

Minnesota Historical Society: Alec Olson Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Olson, Alec G. 1930 births Living people Lieutenant governors of Minnesota People from Willmar, Minnesota People from Kandiyohi County, Minnesota Presidents of the Minnesota Senate Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 20th-century members of the Minnesota Legislature