Robert William (Bob) Mattson Sr. (August 26, 1924 – March 14, 1982) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

army veteran,

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

, and politician in Minnesota, where he was the state

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

from 1964 to 1967. He was a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. Mattson attended public schools in the Minnesota Iron Range city of Virginia, where he was born in 1924. He served in the U.S. Army in WWII and received the Purple Heart for wounds received in France. Upon return to his home town, Mattson was active in the

Disabled American Veterans The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) is an organization created in 1920 by World War I veterans for disabled military veterans of the United States Armed Forces that helps them and their families through various means. It was issued a federal ch ...

and was named first commander of the local chapter. Mattson attended

Carleton College Carleton College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota. Founded in 1866, it had 2,105 undergraduate students and 269 faculty members in fall 2016. The 200-acre main campus is between Northfield and the 800-acre Cowling ...

and was a graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School. He served as Deputy and Chief Deputy Attorney General under Miles W. Lord before entering private legal practice in Minneapolis in 1961. In 1964, Mattson was appointed Attorney General by Governor Karl F. Rolvaag to fill the remaining two years of

Walter F. Mondale Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale (January 5, 1928 – April 19, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 42nd vice president of the United States from 1977 to 1981 under President Jimmy Carter. A U.S. senator from Minnesota ...

's term upon Mondale's appointment to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy created by Hubert H. Humphrey's election as Vice President of the United States. He did not seek re-election and returned to the private practice of law in 1967. Mattson, who was of Finnish descent,In Memorian Robert W. ("Bob") Mattson Sr.
MLHP married Shirley Kunze of

Chisholm, Minnesota Chisholm is a city in St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 4,976 at the 2010 census. The city has been called "The Heart of the Iron Range" due to its location in the middle of the Mesabi Iron Range. History The city ...

. Together they raised four children, Bob Jr., Susan, Marsha and Polly. Their son,

Robert W. Mattson Jr. Robert W. (Bob) Mattson Jr. (born May 31, 1948) is an American lawyer who held elective political office in Minnesota, and is also involved in various business ventures in Florida, Colorado and Canada. He served one term as Minnesota State Audi ...

, served as Minnesota State Auditor and Treasurer. Mattson died of an abdominal infection in 1982.

References

1924 births 1982 deaths University of Minnesota Law School alumni People from Virginia, Minnesota Minnesota attorneys general Minnesota Democrats 20th-century American politicians American people of Finnish descent United States Army personnel of World War II {{Minnesota-politician-stub