Oscar R. Olson
Oscar R. Olson | |
|---|---|
Olson in 1919 | |
| Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 17th district | |
| In office January 6, 1919 – January 1, 1923 | |
| Preceded by | Platt Whitman |
| Succeeded by | Olaf H. Johnson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 24, 1869 |
| Died | November 23, 1945 (aged 76) |
| Party | Republican |
| Relations | William Olson (brother) John Johnson (father-in-law) |
| Occupation | Politician, banker, farmer |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | Wisconsin National Guard United States Volunteers |
| Years of service | 1895–1901 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | 1st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment |
| Battles/wars | Spanish–American War |
Oscar R. Olson (March 24, 1869 – November 23, 1945) was an American politician. A Republican, he was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate. He also engaged in agriculture and banking.
Biography
Olson was born on March 24, 1869, in Jordan, Wisconsin. He was the son of Rollin Olson (1832–1898) and Mary (née Peterson) Olson (1837–1913),[1] both immigrants from Norway in 1848.[2][3] He was the brother of politician William Olson.[4]
As a child, Olson attended public schools and worked his parents' farm during summers. He later attended Valparaiso University, afterwards becoming an educator in Dakota.[4] Beginning in 1908, he engaged in banking,[3] working for the Union State Bank as a cashier, later serving as vice president, then president.[2] From 1895 to 1901, he served in the 1st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment of the Wisconsin National Guard, during which he was deployed in the Spanish–American War. By the time of his retirement, he achieved the rank of captain.[4]
Olson was a Progressive Republican.[2] He served as register of deeds of Green County, from 1893 to 1899.[4] He was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate, representing the 17th district, from January 6, 1919, to January 1, 1923.[4] During his tenure, he sponsored a bill to build the Wisconsin General Hospital.[5]
After serving in office, Olson returned to farming. Religiously, he was a Norwegian-American Lutheran. On January 12, 1897, he married Carrie J. Johnson, a daughter of politician John Johnson.[6] They had five children together.[2] He died on November 23, 1945, aged 76, in Monroe, from coronary occlusion.[4] He was buried in Old York Lutheran Cemetery, in Green County.[7]
References
- ^ Biographical Sketches. Wisconsin Blue Book. 1919. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
- ^ a b c d Quaife, Milo (1924). Wisconsin, Its History and Its People, 1634-1924. S.J. Clarke Publishing Company. pp. 129, 130.
- ^ a b Holland, Bjorn (1919). History of the Town of Moscow from 1848 to 1919. B. Holland.
- ^ a b c d e f "Oscar R. Olson Dies in Hospital". Monroe Evening Times. November 24, 1945. p. 8. Retrieved January 11, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Oscar R. Olson Dead". The Capital Times. November 25, 1945. p. 8. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
- ^ Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette, Wisconsin: Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, and of Many of the Early Settled Families. J.H. Beers & Company. 1901. pp. 845, 846.
- ^ "Oscar R. Olson Funeral Rites at York Church Tuesday". Monroe Evening Times. November 26, 1945. p. 8. Retrieved January 10, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.