44 Facts About Harold Stassen

Harold Edward Stassen was an American politician who was the 25th governor of Minnesota.

Harold Stassen was a leading candidate for the Republican nomination for president of the United States in 1948, considered for a time to be the front-runner.

Harold Stassen won election as Governor of Minnesota in 1938.

Harold Stassen gave the keynote address at the 1940 Republican National Convention.

Harold Stassen resigned as governor to serve in the United States Navy during World War II, becoming an aide to Admiral William Halsey Jr.

Harold Stassen sought the presidential nomination at the 1948 Republican National Convention, winning a significant share of the delegates on the first two ballots of the convention.

Harold Stassen further sought the Republican nomination for president in 1964,1968,1976,1980,1984,1988, and 1992.

Harold Stassen's mother was German and his father was born in Minnesota, to German and Czech parents.

At the age of 11 Harold Stassen graduated from elementary school and four years later graduated from high school.

At the University of Minnesota, Harold Stassen was an intercollegiate debater and orator, and captain of the champion university rifle team in 1927.

In 1930, after opening a law office with Elmer J Ryan in South St Paul, Stassen defeated Alfred Joyce, the incumbent county attorney of Dakota County, and took office on January 5,1931, months after Joyce was suspended from practicing law.

Three years after taking office Harold Stassen was elected president of the Minnesota County Attorneys' association.

In 1935, Harold Stassen participated in the creation of the Young Republicans committee in Minnesota and was one of three elected to be temporary members of the state committee to carry on pre-convention work and would be elected its chairman later that year.

In 1936 Harold Stassen led an effort by the Young Republicans that demanded greater representation for them at county conventions and for their inclusion in state leadership before his tenure as chairman ended later that year.

Harold Stassen was a delegate to the 1936 Republican National Convention.

On January 2,1939 Stassen was inaugurated by Chief Justice Henry M Gallagher.

Harold Stassen later signed into law Minnesota's first civil service law.

Harold Stassen was re-elected governor in November 1942 and, true to his campaign promise, resigned as governor on April 23,1943, prior to reporting for active duty with the Navy.

Harold Stassen was awarded the Legion of Merit for meritorious service in this position.

Harold Stassen was a delegate at the San Francisco Conference that established the United Nations and was one of the US signatories of the United Nations Charter.

Harold Stassen served as president of the University of Pennsylvania from 1948 to 1953.

Harold Stassen was later best known for being a perennial candidate for the Republican Party nomination for President of the United States, seeking it nine times between 1944 and 1992.

Harold Stassen never won the Republican nomination, much less the presidency; in fact, after 1952, he never even came close, but continued to campaign actively and seriously for president until just a year before his death.

At the convention in Philadelphia, Osro Cobb, the then Republican state chairman in Arkansas, made a seconding speech for Harold Stassen, having been motivated by Harold Stassen's promise if nominated to campaign actively in the South.

Harold Stassen was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1949.

Harold Stassen served in the Eisenhower Administration, filling posts including director of the Mutual Security Administration and Special Assistant to the President for Disarmament.

In 1978, Harold Stassen moved back to Minnesota and ran a campaign for the US Senate.

Harold Stassen campaigned for the Republican Party presidential nomination in every election except 1956,1960, and 1972.

Harold Stassen was on the ballot in the 1988 New Hampshire Republican primary and received 130 votes, and received 1 vote in the Democratic primary.

Harold Stassen died of natural causes in 2001 in Bloomington, Minnesota, at the age of 93 and is buried at the Acacia Park Cemetery in Mendota Heights, Minnesota.

Much of Harold Stassen's political thought came from his religious beliefs.

Harold Stassen held important positions in his denomination and in local and national councils of churches.

Harold Stassen's son Glen Stassen was a prominent Baptist theologian.

Harold Stassen was seen as breaching political etiquette and was defeated.

At a speech for 900 people at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, Harold Stassen expressed support for low tariffs, believing that the Republican Party's support of high tariffs were no longer beneficial to the American people.

Harold Stassen later participated in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, and as president of the American Baptist Convention supervised the raising of funds to support Martin Luther King Jr.

Harold Stassen was one of the founders of the United Nations and supported it throughout his life.

Harold Stassen was elected governor of Minnesota three times, in 1938,1940, and 1942.

Harold Stassen ran for the Republican nomination for President of the United States in 1940,1944,1948,1952,1964,1968,1980,1984,1988, and 1992.

Harold Stassen would run many unsuccessful campaigns for other public offices.

Harold Stassen ran unsuccessfully for Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania and twice ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Pennsylvania, in Republican primary for Governor of Pennsylvania, 1958 and 1966.

Harold Stassen ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Philadelphia in 1959.

Harold Stassen twice ran unsuccessfully for United States Senate from Minnesota, in 1978 and 1994.

Harold Stassen ran unsuccessfully for the Minnesota's 2nd district in the United States House of Representatives in 1986.