Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature
Skip Navigation Links
  • LRL Home
    • >
  • Legislators Past & Present
    • >
  • Member Record
    • Legislators Past & Present Home

    Swenson, Oscar A.

    Sessions Served    Other Information

    House 1913-14 (District 20); House 1915-32 (District 15); Senate 1937-50 (District 15)

    Party when first elected:  Republican

    Counties Served:  Nicollet, Sibley

    BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

    Date of Birth: 3/27/1877
    Birth Place: New Sweden, Minnesota
    Birth County: Nicollet
    Birth Country: United States
    Date of Death: 6/20/1951
    Gender: Male
    Religion: Lutheran
    Reported Minority: None Reported
    Other Names:
    City of Residence (when first elected): Nicollet
    Occupation (when first elected): Farmer

    EDUCATION

    New Sweden Township Rural Schools; At Least Elementary School;
    Luther Academy, Albert Lea, Minnesota; Secondary; 3 years
    Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minnesota; Attended College; 1 year course

    OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

    Municipal Government: New Sweden, Minnesota (Township Supervisor, 7 years); 1??? to 1???
    Municipal Board/Commission: New Sweden, Minnesota (Town Board, Chair, 4 years); 1909 to 1913

    FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

    Spouse: Bertha Jenson (married on March 29, 1900)
    Children: Five children: Maurice (died while his father was in office) and Bernhard (sons); Constance, Clara, and Eda (daughters)
    Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:
    Carl L. Swenson  - Brother
    Douglas G. Swenson  - Grandson
    Howard Swenson  - Grandson
    Swen Swenson  - Father
    Lars Swenson  - Uncle

    GENERAL NOTES

    He had Norwegian ancestry.

    He was a member of the Norwegian Lutheran Church of Norseland.

    He died due to complications from a cerebral hemorrhage at Miller Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota. His funeral was held at the Norwegian Lutheran Church of Norseland in Nicollet County, Minnesota.

    Religion provided by the Minnesota Journal of the Senate, April 8, 1953.

    Most recent term photo
    Click to view
    Total Days Served: 12430

    SESSIONS SERVED

    56th Legislative Session (1949-1950) (second half of Senate term)

      Session Details
    Body: Senate
    District: 15
    Elected: 11/5/1946
    Residence: Nicollet
    Term of Office: 1/7/1947 to 1/1/1951
    Counties Represented: Nicollet, Sibley
    Occupation: Farmer
    Party: Nonpartisan Election
    Committees:
    • Agriculture (Chair)
    • Civil Administration
    • Committees
    • Dairy Products and Live Stock
    • Education
    • Finance
    • Insurance
    • Public Highways
    • Workmens Compensation
    term photo
    Click to view

    55th Legislative Session (1947-1948)

      Session Details
    Body: Senate
    District: 15
    Elected: 11/5/1946
    Residence: Nicollet
    Term of Office: 1/7/1947 to 1/1/1951
    Counties Represented: Nicollet, Sibley
    Occupation: Farmer
    Party: Nonpartisan Election
    Committees:
    • Agriculture (Chair)
    • Civil Administration
    • Dairy Products and Live Stock
    • Education
    • Finance
    • Insurance
    • Public Highways
    • Workmens Compensation

    54th Legislative Session (1945-1946) (second half of Senate term)

      Session Details
    Body: Senate
    District: 15
    Elected: 11/3/1942
    Residence: Nicollet
    Term of Office: 1/5/1943 to 1/6/1947
    Counties Represented: Nicollet, Sibley
    Occupation: Farmer
    Party: Nonpartisan Election
    Committees:
    • Agriculture (Chair)
    • Civil Administration
    • Cooperatives
    • Dairy Products and Live Stock
    • Education
    • Finance
    • Insurance
    • Public Highways
    • Workmens Compensation
    term photo
    Click to view

    53rd Legislative Session (1943-1944)

      Session Details
    Body: Senate
    District: 15
    Elected: 11/3/1942
    Residence: Nicollet
    Term of Office: 1/5/1943 to 1/6/1947
    Counties Represented: Nicollet, Sibley
    Occupation: Farmer
    Party: Nonpartisan Election
    Committees:
    • Agriculture (Chair)
    • Civil Administration
    • Cooperatives
    • Dairy Products and Live Stock
    • Education
    • Finance
    • Insurance
    • Public Highways
    • Workmens Compensation
    term photo
    Click to view

    52nd Legislative Session (1941-1942) (second half of Senate term)

      Session Details
    Body: Senate
    District: 15
    Elected: 11/8/1938
    Residence: Nicollet
    Term of Office: 1/3/1939 to 1/4/1943
    Counties Represented: Nicollet, Sibley
    Occupation: Farmer
    Party: Nonpartisan Election
    Committees:
    • Agriculture (Chair)
    • Civil Administration
    • Cooperatives
    • Dairy Products and Live Stock
    • Finance
    • Insurance
    • Public Domain
    • Public Highways
    • Workmens Compensation
    term photo
    Click to view

    51st Legislative Session (1939-1940)

      Session Details
    Body: Senate
    District: 15
    Elected: 11/8/1938
    Residence: Nicollet
    Term of Office: 1/3/1939 to 1/4/1943
    Counties Represented: Nicollet, Sibley
    Occupation: Farmer
    Party: Nonpartisan Election
    Committees:
    • Agriculture (Chair)
    • Civil Administration
    • Cooperatives
    • Dairy Products and Live Stock
    • Finance
    • Insurance
    • Public Highways
    • Taxes and Tax Laws
    • Workmens Compensation
    term photo
    Click to view

    50th Legislative Session (1937-1938) (second half of Senate term)

      Session Details
    Body: Senate
    District: 15
    Elected: 11/3/1936
    Residence: Nicollet
    Term of Office: 12/17/1936 to 1/2/1939 (Special Election)
    Counties Represented: Nicollet, Sibley
    Occupation: Farmer
    Party: Nonpartisan Election
    Committees:
    • Civil Administration
    • Cooperatives
    • Finance
    • Insurance
    • Markets and Marketing
    • Motor Vehicle and Motor Tax Laws
    • Public Highways
    • Taxes and Tax Laws
    • Workmens Compensation
    Session Notes: He won a special election after the death of Senator Claude H. MacKenzie. He was sworn in on December 17, 1936.
    term photo
    Click to view

    49th Legislative Session (1935-1936)

      Session Details
    Body: Senate
    District: 15
    Elected: 11/3/1936
    Residence: Nicollet
    Term of Office: 12/17/1936 to 1/2/1939 (Special Election)
    Counties Represented: Nicollet, Sibley
    Occupation: Farmer
    Party: Nonpartisan Election
    Committees:
    Session Notes: He won a special election after the death of Senator Claude H. MacKenzie. He was sworn in on December 17, 1936.

    47th Legislative Session (1931-1932)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 15
    Elected: 11/4/1930
    Residence: Nicollet
    Term of Office: 1/6/1931 to 1/2/1933
    Counties Represented: Nicollet
    Occupation: Farmer
    Party: Nonpartisan Election-Conservative Caucus
    Committees:
    Leadership Position: Speaker of the House
    term photo
    Click to view

    46th Legislative Session (1929-1930)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 15
    Elected: 11/6/1928
    Residence: Nicollet
    Term of Office: 1/8/1929 to 1/5/1931
    Counties Represented: Nicollet
    Occupation: Farmer
    Party: Nonpartisan Election
    Committees:
    • Appropriations
    • Markets and Marketing
    • Public Buildings
    • Public Highways (Chair)
    • Railroads and State Motor Transportation
    • Reforestation
    • Rules

    45th Legislative Session (1927-1928)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 15
    Elected: 11/2/1926
    Residence: Lafayette
    Term of Office: 1/4/1927 to 1/7/1929
    Counties Represented: Nicollet
    Occupation: Farmer
    Party: Nonpartisan Election
    Committees:
    • Appropriations
    • Markets and Marketing
    • Public Highways (Chair)
    • Railroads and State Motor Transportation
    • Reforestation
    • Rules
    term photo
    Click to view

    44th Legislative Session (1925-1926)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 15
    Elected: 11/4/1924
    Residence: Nicollet
    Term of Office: 1/6/1925 to 1/3/1927
    Counties Represented: Nicollet
    Occupation: Farmer
    Party: Nonpartisan Election
    Committees:
    • Appropriations
    • Civil Administration
    • Dairy Products and Live Stock
    • Drainage
    • Public Highways
    • Railroads and Motor Vehicle Transportation (Chair)

    43rd Legislative Session (1923-1924)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 15
    Elected: 11/7/1922
    Residence: Nicollet
    Term of Office: 1/2/1923 to 1/5/1925
    Counties Represented: Nicollet
    Occupation: Farmer
    Party: Nonpartisan Election
    Committees:
    • Appropriations
    • Dairy Products and Live Stock
    • Drainage
    • Public Highways (Chair)
    • Railroads
    • Telephones and Telegraphs
    term photo
    Click to view

    42nd Legislative Session (1921-1922)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 15
    Elected: 11/2/1920
    Residence: Nicollet
    Term of Office: 1/4/1921 to 1/1/1923
    Counties Represented: Nicollet
    Occupation: Farmer
    Party: Nonpartisan Election
    Committees:
    • Appropriations
    • Dairy Products and Live Stock
    • Public Highways (Chair)
    • Public Utilities
    • State and County Fairs
    term photo
    Click to view

    41st Legislative Session (1919-1920)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 15
    Elected: 11/5/1918
    Residence: Nicollet
    Term of Office: 1/7/1919 to 1/3/1921
    Counties Represented: Nicollet
    Occupation: Farmer
    Party: Nonpartisan Election
    Committees:
    • Appropriations
    • Banks and Banking
    • Dairy Products and Live Stock
    • Public Highways (Chair)
    • State and County Fairs
    • State Hospitals
    term photo
    Click to view

    40th Legislative Session (1917-1918)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 15
    Elected: 11/7/1916
    Residence: Nicollet
    Term of Office: 1/2/1917 to 1/6/1919
    Counties Represented: Nicollet
    Occupation: Farmer/Secretary and Manager, New Sweden Creamery Association
    Party: Nonpartisan Election
    Committees:
    • Appropriations
    • Dairy Products and Live Stock
    • General Legislation (Chair)
    • Reorganization of State Government
    • Roads and Bridges
    • Rules and Joint Rules
    • State Hospitals
    term photo
    Click to view

    39th Legislative Session (1915-1916)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 15
    Elected: 11/3/1914
    Residence: Nicollet
    Term of Office: 1/5/1915 to 1/1/1917
    Counties Represented: Nicollet
    Occupation: Farmer/Secretary and Manager, New Sweden Creamery Association
    Party: Nonpartisan Election
    Committees:
    • Appropriations
    • Dairy Products and Live Stock (Chair)
    • Elections
    • Grain and Warehouse
    • Roads and Bridges
    • State Hospitals
    term photo
    Click to view

    38th Legislative Session (1913-1914)

      Session Details
    Body: House
    District: 20
    Elected: 11/5/1912
    Residence: Nicollet
    Term of Office: 1/7/1913 to 1/4/1915
    Counties Represented: Nicollet
    Occupation: Farmer
    Party: Republican
    Committees:
    • Agricultural Schools
    • Dairy Products and Live Stock
    • Elections
    • Reapportionment
    • Roads and Bridges
    • State Hospitals
    term photo
    Click to view

    OTHER INFORMATION

    Photographs
    Senate committee on agriculture assembles to hear views on a bill affecting farmers (ca. 1941) From the Minnesota Historical Society's Visual Resources Database

    Articles & Books About
    Lonergan, Tom. "In Their Blood: 16 Legislators Have a Family Connection to Previous Members of the House and Senate." Session Weekly, St. Paul: Minnesota House of Representatives Information Office, February 7, 2003, p. 16-17.

    Oscar A. Swenson Memorial. Minnesota Journal of the Senate, April 8, 1953, p. 1589-1591.

    Oscar A. Swenson Birthday Tribute. Minnesota Journal of the House, March 26, 1927, p. 845.


    These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.

    Legislators Past & Present Home