Magnus Johnson
Encyclopedia
Magnus Johnson was an American
farmer
and politician
. He served in the United States Senate
and United States House of Representatives
from Minnesota
as a member of the Farmer–Labor Party.
Johnson was born near Karlstad
, Sweden
, and his family moved to La Crosse, Wisconsin
, United States
, in 1891. (Johnson is the only Swedish-born person to serve in the U.S. Senate.) 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 4, 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; and died in Litchfield
, where he had gone for medical treatment, on September 13, 1936; interment in Dassel Cemetery, Dassel, Minnesota
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He served in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
as a member of the Farmer–Labor Party.
Johnson was born near Karlstad
Karlstad
Karlstad is a city, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city had 61,685 inhabitants in 2010 out of a municipal total that during the first quarter 2010 was 84,885 inhabitants...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and his family moved to La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.The 2011 Census Bureau estimates the city had a population of 52,485...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, in 1891. (Johnson is the only Swedish-born person to serve in the U.S. Senate.) They moved to Meeker County, Minnesota
Meeker County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 22,644 people, 8,590 households, and 6,133 families residing in the county. The population density was 37 people per square mile . There were 9,821 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile...
, in 1893.
He worked as a millhand and lumberjack
Lumberjack
A lumberjack is a worker in the logging industry who performs the initial harvesting and transport of trees for ultimate processing into forest products. The term usually refers to a bygone era when hand tools were used in harvesting trees principally from virgin forest...
, became a farmer, and by 1913 was the leader of the Minnesota branch of the American Society of Equity
American Society of Equity
The American Society of Equity was an American agricultural cooperative and political organization, founded in 1902, which aimed to organize farmers as a "Third Power" in the United States, able to compete with capital and organized labor on equal terms. Equity inspired the creation of many...
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
Minnesota House of Representatives
The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house in the Minnesota State Legislature. There are 134 members elected to two-year terms, twice the number of members in the Minnesota Senate. Each senate district is divided in half and given the suffix A or B...
and the Minnesota Senate
Minnesota Senate
The Minnesota Senate is the upper house in the Minnesota Legislature. There are 67 members, half as many as are in the Minnesota House of Representatives. In terms of membership, it is the largest upper house of any state legislature. Each Senate district in the state includes an A and B House...
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
Knute Nelson
Knute Nelson was an Norwegian American politician. A Republican, he served in the Wisconsin Legislature and Minnesota Legislature, in the U.S. House of Representatives, as the 12th Governor of Minnesota, and as a U.S...
. Johnson served in the Senate from July 16, 1923, to March 4, 1925, in the 68th congress
68th United States Congress
The Sixty-eighth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1923 to March 4, 1925, during the last months of...
. 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
73rd United States Congress
The Seventy-third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1933 to January 3, 1935, during the first two years...
, winning one of the general ticket
General ticket
General ticket representation is a term used to describe a particular method of electing members of a multi-member state delegation to the United States House of Representatives...
seats. Subsequently, he resumed agricultural pursuits and served as state supervisor of public stockyards
Feedlot
A feedlot or feedyard is a type of animal feeding operation which is used in factory farming for finishing livestock, notably beef cattle, but also swine, horses, sheep, turkeys, chickens or ducks, prior to slaughter. Large beef feedlots are called Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations . They...
1934 – 1936. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Farmer-Labor nomination for Governor of Minnesota
Governor of Minnesota
The Governor of Minnesota is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty different people have been governors of the state, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. Alexander Ramsey, the first territorial...
in 1936; and died in Litchfield
Litchfield, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,562 people, 2,624 households, and 1,653 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,748.4 people per square mile . There were 2,741 housing units at an average density of 730.3 per square mile...
, where he had gone for medical treatment, on September 13, 1936; interment in Dassel Cemetery, Dassel, Minnesota
Dassel, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,233 people, 515 households, and 313 families residing in the city. The population density was 832.7 people per square mile . There were 551 housing units at an average density of 372.1 per square mile...
.