Floyd Olson Memorial, Minnesota State Capitol, Saint Paul, Minnesota
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Floyd Olson Memorial | |
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| Location of Structure: | State Capitol of Minnesota grounds |
| City/locality- State/province |
Saint Paul, Minnesota |
| County- State/province: |
Ramsey County, Minnesota |
| State/province: | Minnesota |
| Country: | United States |
(44.954389598673,-93.103476762772)
Minnesota Farmer-Labor Governor Floyd B. Olson was elected in 1930 and served until his death in 1936. The Farmer-Labor party, an independent political movement of unions and farm organizations, existed from 1918 until 1944.
Olson was the son of poor Scandinavian immigrants who settled in north Minneapolis. His checkered education included one year at the University of Minnesota, a stint as a laborer in the Pacific Northwest, and a degree from Northwest Law College. In 1919 the young lawyer was appointed assistant attorney for Hennepin County and soon became county attorney, a position he held for ten years. By the time he was elected the state's first Farmer-Labor Party governor, Olson's reputation as a tough-talking man of the people was sealed, and his skills as a canny politician and radio orator were well honed. He used these qualities to appeal to the rural and, especially, urban poor with his rousing rhetoric while gaining the support of a relatively conservative legislature.
In each of three successive campaigns, Olson spoke more vehemently against "the failure of government and our social system to function in the interests of the common happiness of the people." After each election he urged more legislation to alleviate the Depression's devastating effects. His power and popularity helped make Minnesota's Farmer-Labor coalition the most successful third party in America's history.
Olson's death in office at age 44 on August 22, 1936, stunned his supporters. They mourned the passing of their homegrown hero, who rose to national prominence but never forgot his ties and responsibilities to the common people of his native state.
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