Olsen, Arnold, 1916-1990

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The son of Anna and Albert Olsen, Arnold Olsen was born December 17, 1916 in Butte, Montana. After attending Butte public schools and the Montana School of Mines, he received a law degree from Montana State University (now the University of Montana) Law School and began his Butte law practice in 1940. Following four years of overseas duty in the Navy during the Second World War, Olsen married Margaret Williams, also of Butte, and together they had three children - Margaret Rae, Anna, and Karen. He was Attorney General for the State of Montana from 1949 to 1957. Choosing not to run for re-election as Attorney General, Olsen campaigned as the Democratic nominee for Montana Governor in 1956; however, he lost the general election to Republican J. Hugo Aronson. After an unsuccessful campaign for the Montana Supreme Court in 1958, Olsen was elected to represent Montana's western District in the U.S. House of Representatives on November 8, 1960. During his ten-year career in the House of Representatives Olsen served on the Public Works Committee, the Post Office and Civil Service Committee, and was the Chairman of the Postal Rates Subcommittee. Olsen returned to Montana in 1971 following his loss to Republican Richard Shoup and made an unsuccessful bid to recapture his former Congressional seat in 1972.

Olsen also belonged to such organizations as the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Veterans of World War II, Silver Bow Lodge AF & AM, Scottish Rite, Baghdad Temple of the Shrine, and the Scandinavian Fraternity of America. Governor Tom Judge appointed Olsen to the State District Court at Butte in 1975. Arnold Olsen continued to serve on the state bench until his death, October 9, 1990. He is buried in Butte, Montana.

From the guide to the Arnold Olsen Papers, 1956-1972, (University of Montana--Missoula Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library Archives and Special Collections)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Archer, James H., 1882-1973. Papers, 1953-1976 (bulk 1968-1970). Cascade County Historical Society, Archives
referencedIn Tobacco Valley Improvement Association. Records of the Tobacco Valley Improvement Association, 1945-2000. Tobacco Valley Board of History
referencedIn Bob Brown oral history project, 2005-2010 University of Montana--Missoula Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library Archives and Special Collections
creatorOf Arnold Olsen Papers, 1956-1972 University of Montana--Missoula Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library Archives and Special Collections
creatorOf Olsen, Arnold. Arnold Olsen : commercials , 1970. University of Oklahoma, Political Community Archives
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Archer, James H., 1882-1973. person
associatedWith Brown, Bob, 1947 Dec. 11-, interviewer person
associatedWith Committee for the Paradise Dam (Mont.) corporateBody
correspondedWith Tobacco Valley Improvement Association. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Congress. House corporateBody
associatedWith United States Postal Service corporateBody
associatedWith University of Montana corporateBody
associatedWith University of Oklahoma. Political Commercial Archive. corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Paradise Dam (Mont.)
United States
Montana
Subject
Advertising, political
Civil rights
Civil rights
Civil service reform
Dams
Education and state
Elections
Environmental Conditions
Executive power
Politics and government
Legislative power
Military
Montana
National security
Natural resources
Photographs
Postal service
Public lands
Television advertising
Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975
War and emergency powers
Occupation
Legislators
Activity

Person

Birth 1916-12-17

Death 1990-10-11

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