Magnus Johnson

Magnus Johnson (September 19, 1871 – September 13, 1936) was an American politician.[1] He served in the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives from Minnesota as a member of the Farmer–Labor Party. Johnson is the only Swedish-born person to serve in the U.S. Senate.[2]

Magnus Johnson
United States Senator
from Minnesota
In office
July 16, 1923 – March 3, 1925
Preceded byKnute Nelson
Succeeded byThomas D. Schall
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Minnesota's general ticket
Seat Five district
In office
March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935
Preceded byGeneral ticket adopted
Succeeded byGeneral ticket abolished
Member of the Minnesota Senate
In office
1919–1923
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
In office
1915–1919
Personal details
Born(1871-09-19)September 19, 1871
Karlstad, Sweden
DiedSeptember 13, 1936(1936-09-13) (aged 64)
Litchfield, Minnesota, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Political partyMinnesota Farmer–Labor Party

Biography

Johnson was born near Karlstad, Sweden, and his family moved to La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States, in 1891. They moved to Meeker County, Minnesota, in 1893.

He worked as a millhand and lumberjack, became a farmer, and by 1913 was the leader of the Minnesota branch of the American Society of Equity and Vice President of the Equity-owned Equity Co-operative Grain Exchange and Farmers' Terminal Packing Co. He served in both the Minnesota House of Representatives and the Minnesota Senate before being elected to the U.S. Senate on the Farmer-Labor ticket, to fill the seat opened because of the death of Knute Nelson. Johnson served in the Senate from July 16, 1923, to March 3, 1925, in the 68th congress. He lost his bid for reelection in 1924. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and served March 4, 1933, to January 3, 1935, in the 73rd congress, winning one of the general ticket seats. Subsequently, he resumed agricultural pursuits and served as state supervisor of public stockyards 1934–1936. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Farmer-Labor nomination for Governor of Minnesota in 1936.[3]

Johnson died in Litchfield, where he had gone for medical treatment, on September 13, 1936, and his interment is in Dassel Community Cemetery in Dassel, Minnesota.

A son of his, Francis Austin Johnson (1904–1989) is the creator of the World's Biggest Ball of Twine; the twine ball rests under an enclosed pagoda in Darwin Township, Minnesota. He is interred in the same cemetery, near his father.

See also

References
  1. Brown, Curt (November 1, 2014). "Minnesota History: The most interesting state politician you might not have heard of" (PDF). Star Tribune. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  2. "Magnus the Great". Time. July 23, 1923. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  3. Minnesota Legislators Past and Present
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