Clarence Alfred Bottolfsen (October 10, 1890July 18, 1964) was an American publisher and politician from

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...

, a member of the

Idaho Republican Party The Idaho Republican Party (IDGOP) is the Idaho state affiliate of the Republican Party (United States), United States Republican Party, headquartered in Boise, Idaho, Boise. It is currently the dominant party in the state, controlling both of I ...

. He served as the state's 17th and 19th

governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

, from 1939 to 1941 and again from 1943 to 1945.

Early years

Born on October 10, 1890, in

Superior, Wisconsin Superior (; ) is a city in Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. The population was 26,751 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located at the western end of Lake Superior in northwestern Wisconsin, the city l ...

, Bottolfsen moved with his family to

Fessenden, North Dakota Fessenden is a city in and the county seat of Wells County, North Dakota, Wells County, North Dakota, United States. It was founded in 1893 and is home of the Wells County Fairgrounds, Wells County Fair. The population was 462 at the 2020 United ...

, in 1902 where he was educated in the public schools. While in high school, he worked as a printer's devil (an apprentice or errand boy) in a local printing shop. In 1910, the owner of the shop moved to

Arco, Idaho Arco is a city in Butte County, Idaho, United States. The population was 879 as of the 2020 United States census, down from 995 at the 2010 census. Arco is the county seat and largest city in Butte County. History Arco was named as early ...

, purchased the ''Arco Advertiser,'' and sent for Bottolfsen, then nineteen, to manage it. He purchased the paper and continued to be the publisher in Arco until 1949. He married Elizabeth Hanna on August 27, 1912.

Career

Bottolfsen entered the U.S. Army on June 27, 1918 and served until four months after the Armistice and was discharged in March 1919. After the War, he took a leading part in the organization of the

American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States, U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It comprises U.S. state, state, Territories of the United States, U.S. terr ...

and served as State Commander in 1934. Bottolfsen served in the

Idaho House of Representatives The Idaho House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Idaho Legislature. It consists of 70 representatives elected to two-year terms. The state is divided into 35 districts, each of which elects two representatives to separate seats. ...

beginning in 1921; he was reelected in 1922, 1926, 1928 and 1930. From 1925 to 1927, he was the House's chief clerk, speaker in 1931, and start

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chairman from 1936 to 1938. He was the first of two in Idaho history to serve non-consecutive terms as governor (

Cecil Andrus Cecil Dale Andrus (August 25, 1931 – August 24, 2017) was an American politician who served as 26th and 28th List of Governors of Idaho, governor of Idaho, for a total of fourteen years. A Democrat, he also served as United States Secretary of ...

). Early in his first term in 1939, Bottolfsen signed the bill creating the Idaho State Police. While governor in 1944, Bottolfsen was the Republican nominee for the

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

, but was defeated by Democrat Glen Taylor in the general election. : He ran for another term as governor in

1946 1946 (Roman numerals, MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1946th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 946th year of the 2nd millennium, the 46th year of the 20th centur ...

, but lost to C. A. Robins in the June primary. In his later years, Bottolfsen served as chief clerk of the Idaho House and on the staff of U.S. Senator Herman Welker. He was elected to the

state senate In the United States, the state legislature is the legislative branch in each of the 50 U.S. states. A legislature generally performs state duties for a state in the same way that the United States Congress performs national duties at ...

in 1958 and 1960, but declined to seek reelection in 1962 due to poor health.

Death and legacy

Bottolfsen was an active

Freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

within the Grand Lodge of Idaho, serving as master of Arco Lodge No. 48. He was also active with the El Korah

Shrine A shrine ( "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred space">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ...: ''escri ...

in Boise, the

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, and the Arco Chamber of Commerce. Bottolfsen died on July 18, 1964, aged 72, in

Boise, Idaho Boise ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Idaho, most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, there were 235,685 people residing in the city. Loca ...

, from complications from

emphysema Emphysema is any air-filled enlargement in the body's tissues. Most commonly emphysema refers to the permanent enlargement of air spaces (alveoli) in the lungs, and is also known as pulmonary emphysema. Emphysema is a lower respiratory tract di ...

, which he suffered from in his final years. Bottolfsen Park in Arco is named after him. His papers are contained within the

University of Idaho The University of Idaho (U of I, or UIdaho) is a public land-grant research university in Moscow, Idaho, United States. Established in 1889 and opened three years later, it was the state's sole university for 71 years, until 1963. The un ...

Library in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

,''Clarence A. Bottolfsen, Papers'' (University of Idaho)
/ref> and he and his wife are interred at Hillcrest Cemetery in Arco.

References

External links

Bottolfsen Park in Arco, Idaho
– Clarence A. Bottolfsen (1891-1964), papers, 1926-1964.
Idaho State Historical Society:
Clarence A. Bottolfsen * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bottolfsen, C.A. 1891 births 1964 deaths American Freemasons American Lutherans Deaths from emphysema Republican Party governors of Idaho Republican Party members of the Idaho House of Representatives Republican Party Idaho state senators Politicians from Boise, Idaho Politicians from Superior, Wisconsin American people of Norwegian descent Speakers of the Idaho House of Representatives 20th-century American newspaper publishers (people) People from Butte County, Idaho 20th-century Lutherans 20th-century members of the Idaho Legislature