Charles Edward Swanson (January 3, 1879 – August 22, 1970) served two terms as a Republican

U.S. Representative 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 Iowa's 9th congressional district. His congressional career ended in the landslide that accompanied the election of

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

to his first term as president. Swanson was born in a farm near

Galesburg, Illinois Galesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, United States. The city is northwest of Peoria, Illinois, Peoria. At the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, its population was 32,195. It is the county seat of Knox County and the principal cit ...

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

immigrants, he attended the public schools in Galesburg. In 1890 he moved to Iowa with his parents, who settled on a farm in Ringgold County. He resumed his studies in the public school at

Clearfield, Iowa Clearfield is a city in Taylor County, Iowa, Taylor and Ringgold County, Iowa, Ringgold counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 278 at the time of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. History Clearfield was platted in 1881 ...

. He returned to Galesburg to attend Knox College, where he graduated in 1902. He then served as principal of schools at

Altona, Illinois Altona (formerly LaPier & Walnut Grove) is a village in Knox County, Illinois, United States. The population was 531 at the 2010 census, down from 570 in 2000. It is part of the Galesburg Micropolitan Statistical Area. History Altona was origin ...

from 1902 to 1904. He attended law school at

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

and graduated in 1907, when he was admitted to the bar. He went into private practice in

Council Bluffs, Iowa Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 62,799 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the state's List of cities in Iowa, te ...

, where he served as prosecuting attorney of

Pottawattamie County, Iowa Pottawattamie County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. At the 2020 census, the population was 93,667, making it the tenth-most populous county in Iowa. The county takes its name from the Potawatomi Native American tribe. The cou ...

from 1915 to 1922. In 1928, Swanson was elected as a Republican to 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 ...

. He was re-elected once, two years later. However, after reapportionment in 1931 placed him in Iowa's 7th congressional district, he prevailed in the Republican primary but lost in the general election to Democrat Otha Wearin. After resuming the practice of law, Swanson attempted to regain his seat in 1934, but was again defeated by Wearin. In all Swanson served in the Seventy-first and to the Seventy-second Congresses from March 4, 1929 to March 3, 1933. Swanson later served as chairman of the Council Bluffs Board of Tax Review from 1949 to 1968. He died in Council Bluffs on August 22, 1970, and was interred in Walnut Hill Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Swanson, Charles E. 1879 births 1970 deaths American people of Swedish descent American prosecutors Iowa lawyers Knox College (Illinois) alumni Northwestern University alumni People from Galesburg, Illinois Politicians from Council Bluffs, Iowa Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Iowa 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives