Howard D. Olson was a Minnesota politician and a member of 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...

.

A Democrat

Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party

The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party is a major political party in the state of Minnesota and the state affiliate of the Democratic Party. It was created on April 15, 1944, with the merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Farmer–Labor Party...

, Olson was first elected in 1970, and was re-elected in 1972 and 1976. During his first six years, he caucused with the Liberal Caucus

Caucus

A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...

, as the Minnesota Legislature

Minnesota Legislature

The Minnesota Legislature is the legislative branch of government in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is a bicameral legislature located at the Minnesota Capitol in Saint Paul and it consists of two houses: the lower Minnesota House of Representatives and the Minnesota Senate...

 was officially nonpartisan

Nonpartisan

In political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event, organization or person in which there is no formally declared association with a political party affiliation....

 until 1976. He represented the old districts 18 and 27, which changed somewhat through redistricting

Redistricting

Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to...

 in 1972, and included all or portions of Cottonwood

Cottonwood County, Minnesota

Cottonwood County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 11,687. Its county seat is Windom.-History:...

, Jackson

Jackson County, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 11,268 people, 4,556 households, and 3,116 families residing in the county. The population density was 16 people per square mile . There were 5,092 housing units at an average density of 7 per square mile...

, Martin

Martin County, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 21,802 people, 9,067 households, and 6,047 families residing in the county. The population density was 31 people per square mile . There were 9,800 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile...

, Nobles

Nobles County, Minnesota

Nobles County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 21,378. Its county seat is Worthington.-Geography:...

 and Watonwan

Watonwan County, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 11,876 people, 4,627 households, and 3,141 families residing in the county. The population density was 27 people per square mile . There were 5,036 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...

 counties in the southwestern part of the state.

While in the Senate, Olson served on the Agriculture and Natural Resources, Health and Welfare, Local Government, Education, Rules and Administration, Taxes and Tax Laws, and Veterans' Affairs committees. He was also a member of the Natural Resources and Agriculture Subcommittee for Environmental Protection, of the Education subcommittees for Post-Secondary and Higher Education Planning and Coordination, for Special Education in State Institutions, and for Special Programs, and of the Taxes and Tax Laws Subcommittee for Sales and Property Tax.

Olson was chair of the General Legislation and Veterans Affairs Committee from 1977 to 1978, and of the General Legislation and Administrative Rules Committee from 1979 to 1980. He also chaired the Natural Resources and Agriculture Subcommittee for Agriculture from 1973 to 1976, and the Education Subcommittee for School Boards and Administration from 1975 to 1976. While in office, his special legislative concerns included agriculture, education, and the environment.

Born in the town of Madelia

Madelia, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,340 people, 911 households, and 571 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,876.4 people per square mile . There were 1,000 housing units at an average density of 801.9 per square mile...

, Olson grew up and lived in St. James

St. James, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,695 people, 1,845 households, and 1,186 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,050.3 people per square mile . There were 2,006 housing units at an average density of 876.0 per square mile...

, attending St. James High School, from which he graduated in 1955, and Mankato State College in Mankato

Mankato, Minnesota

Mankato is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 39,309 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest city in Minnesota outside of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The county seat of Blue Earth County, it is located...

. He was a life-long 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...

 in the area.

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