Clarence Alfred Bottolfsen (October 10, 1891July 18, 1964) was an American publisher and politician from

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

, a member of the Idaho Republican Party. He served as the state's 17th and 19th

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

, from 1939 to 1941 and again from 1943 to 1945.

Early years

Born in

Superior, Wisconsin , native_name_lang = oj , nickname = , total_type = , motto = , image_skyline = Tower Avenue.jpg , imagesize = , image_caption = Downtown Superior , ima ...

, Bottolfsen moved with his family to

Fessenden, North Dakota Fessenden is a town in, and the county seat of, Wells County, North Dakota, United States. It was founded in 1893 and is home of the Wells County Fair. The population was 462 at the 2020 census. History Fessenden was founded in 1893 with the ...

, in 1902 where he was educated in the public schools. While in high school, he worked as a printer's devil (an apprentice or errand boy) in a local printing shop. In 1910, the owner of the shop moved to Arco, Idaho, purchased the ''Arco Advertiser,'' and sent for Bottolfsen, then nineteen, to manage it. He purchased the paper and continued to be the publisher in Arco until 1949. He married Elizabeth Hanna on August 27, 1912.

Career

Bottolfsen entered the U.S. Army on June 27, 1918 and served until four months after the Armistice and was discharged in March 1919. After the War, he took a leading part in the organization of the

American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militi ...

and served as State Commander in 1934. Bottolfsen served in the Idaho House of Representatives beginning in 1921; he was reelected in 1922, 1926, 1928, and 1930. From 1925 to 1927 he was the House's chief clerk,

speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** In ...

in 1931, and start

party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature f ...

chairman from 1936 to 1938. He was the first of two in Idaho history to serve non-consecutive terms as governor ( Cecil Andrus). Early in his first term in 1939, Bottolfsen signed the bill creating the Idaho State Police.
While governor in 1944, Bottolfsen was the Republican nominee for the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

, but was defeated by Democrat Glen Taylor in the general election. : He ran for another term as governor in

1946 Events January * January 6 - The 1946 North Vietnamese parliamentary election, first general election ever in Vietnam is held. * January 7 – The Allies recognize the Austrian republic with its 1937 borders, and divide the country into f ...

, but lost to

C. A. Robins Charles Armington Robins (December 8, 1884 – September 20, 1970) was an American physician and the 22nd governor of Idaho. Early years Born in Iowa at Defiance in Shelby County, at age four Robins moved west with his family to Colorado, ...

in the June primary. In his later years, Bottolfsen served as chief clerk of the Idaho House and on the staff of U.S. Senator

Herman Welker Herman Orville Welker (December 11, 1906 – October 30, 1957) was an American politician from the state of Idaho. He was a member of the Idaho Republican Party and served one term in the United States Senate, from 1951 to 1957. Early years Born ...

. He was elected to the state senate in 1958 and 1960, but declined to seek reelection in 1962 due to poor health.

Death and legacy

Bottolfsen was an active

Freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

within the

Grand Lodge of Idaho The Grand Lodge of Idaho (full formal name Grand Lodge of Idaho, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons) is one of several bodies that govern Freemasonry in the U.S. state of Idaho as recognized by the United Grand Lodge of England. It was established in ...

, serving as master of Arco Lodge No. 48. He was also active with the El Korah

Shrine A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy sacred space, space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor worship, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, Daemon (mythology), daem ...

in Boise, the

Rotary Club Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, profe ...

, and the Arco Chamber of Commerce. Bottolfsen died in Boise at age 72 from complications from

emphysema Emphysema, or pulmonary emphysema, is a lower respiratory tract disease, characterised by air-filled spaces ( pneumatoses) in the lungs, that can vary in size and may be very large. The spaces are caused by the breakdown of the walls of the alve ...

, which he suffered from in his final years. Bottolfsen Park in Arco is named after him. His papers are contained within the

University of Idaho The University of Idaho (U of I, or UIdaho) is a public land-grant research university in Moscow, Idaho. It is the state's land-grant and primary research university,, and the lead university in the Idaho Space Grant Consortium. The University ...

Library in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

,''Clarence A. Bottolfsen, Papers'' (University of Idaho)
/ref> and he and his wife are interred at Hillcrest Cemetery in Arco.

References

External links

Bottolfsen Park in Arco, Idaho
– Clarence A. Bottolfsen (1891-1964), papers, 1926-1964.
Idaho State Historical Society:
Clarence A. Bottolfsen * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bottolfsen, C.A. 1891 births 1964 deaths American Freemasons American Lutherans Deaths from emphysema Republican Party governors of Idaho Republican Party members of the Idaho House of Representatives Republican Party Idaho state senators People from Boise, Idaho Politicians from Superior, Wisconsin American people of Norwegian descent Speakers of the Idaho House of Representatives 20th-century American newspaper publishers (people) 20th-century American politicians People from Butte County, Idaho 20th-century Lutherans