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
Johnson c. 1923–1925
United States Senator from Minnesota
In office July 16, 1923 – March 3, 1925
Preceded by	Knute Nelson
Succeeded by	Thomas D. Schall
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota
In office March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935
Preceded by	General ticket adopted
Succeeded by	General ticket abolished
Constituency	General Ticket Seat Five
Member of the Minnesota Senate from the 26th district
In office January 6, 1919 – December 31, 1922
Preceded by	Edward P. Peterson
Succeeded by	Edward P. Peterson
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 26th district
In office January 4, 1915 – January 5, 1919
Preceded by	L. O. Westman
Succeeded by	John M. Nelson
Personal details
Born	(1871-09-19)September 19, 1871 Karlstad, Sweden
Died	September 13, 1936(1936-09-13) (aged 64) Litchfield, Minnesota, U.S.
Nationality	Sweden
Political party	Farmer–Labor

Biography

Magnus Johnson was born in Ed Parish, near Karlstad, Sweden, on September 19, 1871. His family moved to La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1891,^[3] then to Meeker County, Minnesota, in 1893.

Johnson 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.

Portrait by Clinedinst c. 1909

Johnson served in both the Minnesota House of Representatives and the Minnesota Senate^[4] 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.^[5]

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

• List of United States senators born outside the United States