Blatnik, John A., 1911-1991

John Anton Blatnik was born in Chisholm, Minnesota on August 17, 1911. He graduated from Winona State College in 1935 after which he became an educational advisor for the Superior National Forest Civilian Conservation Corps (1935-1937), taught chemistry at Chisholm High School (1937-1939), and served as Saint Louis County Assistant Superintendent of Schools (1939-1941). During 1941 and 1942 he did graduate work in public administration at the University of Minnesota. He enlisted in the U. S. Army in 1942, spending three and one-half years in the Army Air Corps Intelligence and Office of Strategic Services, including eighteen months of service in Yugoslavia and Italy. He was discharged in 1946 with the rank of Captain.

In 1940 Blatnik was elected to the Minnesota state senate from the sixtieth district (northeastern Saint Louis County) and authored the senate version of the Minnesota taconite tax law of 1941. He retained his senate seat until his election as U.S. Representative (Democratic-Farmer-Labor party) from Minnesota's eighth district in 1946.

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