Charles Andrew Christopherson (July 23, 1871 – November 2, 1951) was an American lawyer and politician in

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...

. He was elected to the state legislature in 1912. In 1918 he was elected to 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 ...

, where he served a total of seven terms until being defeated in 1932, during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

Early life and education

Christopherson was born in Amherst Township, Fillmore County, Minnesota, to Norwegian parents, Julia (Nelson) and Knute C. Christopherson. His father came to the United States at age fourteen. He was one of seven children and was raised in the Lutheran Church. He attended public schools. Christopherson moved to

Sioux Falls, South Dakota Sioux Falls ( ) is the List of cities in South Dakota, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the List of United States cities by population, 117th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha Coun ...

, where he attended Sioux Falls Business College and Normal School. He graduated in 1890 and read the law with an established firm until he qualified for the bar."George W. Kingsbury"
''History of Dakota Territory'', Vol. V (1915), p. 248Dana R. Bailey, ''History of Minnehaha County, South Dakota'' (1899), p. 491

Career

Christopherson was admitted to the bar in 1893, and started his practice in Sioux Falls at the Joe Kirby law office He later practiced alone until taking Fredolph H. Melquist as a partner in 1913. Christopherson became active in local issues. He was elected as a member of the Board of Education of Sioux Falls from 1908 to 1918, and President of it from 1911 to 1915 and served as president of the board of directors of the Union Savings Association (1912).

Political career

In 1912, he was elected as a Republican to the

South Dakota House of Representatives The South Dakota House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Dakota Legislature. It consists of 70 members, two from each legislative district. Two of the state's 35 legislative districts, Districts 26 and 28, are each subdivided ...

, and served as Speaker of the House beginning in 1915, in his last term.

Congress

1918 The ceasefire that effectively ended the World War I, First World War took place on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of this year. Also in this year, the Spanish flu pandemic killed 50–100 million people wor ...

, Christopherson successfully ran for Congress from

South Dakota's 1st congressional district South Dakota's 1st congressional district is an obsolete List of United States congressional districts, congressional district that existed from 1913 to 1983. When South Dakota was admitted into the Union in 1889, it was allocated two congressi ...

. He was re-elected six times, but lost re-election in

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

to Democrat Fred H. Hildebrandt. He ran against Hildebrandt again in

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

, but lost by a wider margin. In

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King Edward VIII, following the death of his father, George V, at Sandringham House. * January 28 – Death and state funer ...

, Christopherson ran for the U.S. Senate, but lost in the Republican primary to Chan Gurney.

Later career

He subsequently returned to Sioux Falls full-time to pursue his legal career.

Personal life

Christopherson married Abbie M. Deyoe (1871-1952) from

Cedar Falls, Iowa Cedar Falls is a city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the city population was 40,713. Cedar Falls is home to the University of Northern Iowa, a public university. Cedar Falls along with neighbori ...

on November 30, 1897. Her parents were both born in New York State. They had two children: Wanda M. and Charles A. Christopherson.

Affiliations

He and his family belonged to the Congregational Church. He participated in the Masons, the International Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, and the Elks.

Death and burial

He died in 1951 and was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in

Minnehaha County, South Dakota Minnehaha County is a County (United States), county on the eastern border of the U.S. state, state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 197,214, making it the state's List of counties in South D ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Christopherson, Charles A. 1871 births 1951 deaths People from Fillmore County, Minnesota Politicians from Sioux Falls, South Dakota Speakers of the South Dakota House of Representatives Republican Party members of the South Dakota House of Representatives Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from South Dakota Candidates in the 1944 United States presidential election American Congregationalists South Dakota lawyers South Dakota Republicans American people of Norwegian descent 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 20th-century members of the South Dakota Legislature