Arthur Emanuel Nelson (May 10, 1892April 11, 1955) was an American

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

and

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

who served briefly as a

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

from Minnesota during the end of 1942 and beginning of 1943

Early life and education

Born in Browns Valley,

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 ...

, Arthur Nelson graduated from

Macalester College Macalester College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1874, Macalester is exclusively an undergraduate institution with an enrollment of 2,142 students in the fall of 2023. The college ha ...

in 1912 and

William Mitchell College of Law William Mitchell College of Law was a private law school from 1956 to 2015 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), it offered full- and part-time legal education in pursuit of the Juris Doctor (J. ...

(then the St. Paul College of Law) in 1915.Arthur E. Nelson
/ref> He also served briefly in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

from August to November 1918.

Political career

Nelson was elected Mayor of

Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (often abbreviated St. Paul) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County, Minnesota, Ramsey County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, ...

, in 1922. He served two two-year terms. Nelson unsuccessfully ran for the United States Senate as a Republican in 1928 against

Henrik Shipstead Henrik Shipstead (January 8, 1881June 26, 1960) was Norwegian-American dentist and politician who served in the United States Senate from 1923 to 1947, representing the state of Minnesota. He served first as a member of the Minnesota Farmer-Labor ...

(receiving 33.4% of the vote).

Senate

He was elected to the Senate fourteen years later, in November 1942 to finish out the term of deceased Senator

Ernest Lundeen Ernest Lundeen (August 4, 1878August 31, 1940) was an American lawyer and politician who represented Minnesota in the United States House of Representatives from 1917 to 1919 and 1933 to 1937, and in the United States Senate from 1937 until his ...

, which had temporarily been filled by appointee Joseph H. Ball (who won the November 1942 election for the full six-year term from 1943 to 1949). Nelson served less than two months, from November 18, 1942, to January 3, 1943. He never sought re-election.

Death

Nelson died in

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

on April 11, 1955.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Arthur Emanuel 1892 births 1955 deaths 20th-century mayors of places in Minnesota Republican Party United States senators from Minnesota Minnesota Republicans Macalester College alumni William Mitchell College of Law alumni Minnesota lawyers United States Army soldiers United States Army personnel of World War I People from Browns Valley, Minnesota 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century American Episcopalians 20th-century United States senators